Marines take to skies to hunt insurgents

25 July 07
By Lance Cpl. Joseph D. Day
2nd Marine Division (FWD).

Ramadi, Iraq -- The scout-sniper platoon from 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, left the ground behind as they took to the skies to hunt for weapon caches and insurgents. As part of the aeroscout mission, the Marines travel by helicopter to areas not normally checked because of their remote locations.

“The average size group for this type of mission is usually two platoons. We’re doing it with about half,” said 1st Lt. Jordan D. Reese, the executive officer for Weapons Company, 3/7. “We train constantly, so that we are comfortable with each other. The Marines know what type of air power they have behind them. We believe there is no objective we can’t handle.”

Marines from the scout-sniper platoon conducted aeroscout operations south of Ramadi, in the desolate lands of the Razazah plains July 22.

The Marines loaded onto the helicopters at 9 a.m. They carried with them a full combat load, and packs of food, blankets and water to pass out to the people they encounter on the mission.

“The food drops are our way to show that we are on their side,” the Rockford Ill. native said. “In the city this might not be a big deal, but this food could mean life or death to these people. There is nothing out there in the far desert. Maybe it will keep them happy enough to have them stay working with us, and not the terrorists.”

During the flight, Reese observed different sites looking for anything suspicious. After flying around for about 15 minutes, he spotted a tent with vehicles around it and people walking around. He decided to insert the team to take a closer look.

The two CH-53 Sea Stallions landed and the two scout-sniper teams moved fast out the door of the helicopter and began to provide security for the landing zone.

“With a unit this small conducting the operation, it is real easy to maneuver,” Reese said. “We can get in, hit the objective, and get out in about 20 minutes.”

Once the helicopters lifted the scouts went to work, moving fast, but cautiously toward the tent. Between the two teams, one team held security while the other team searched the people and the structure.

After a quick, but thorough search the Marines decided there weren’t any suspicious items or information, so they called in the helicopters for extraction.

“These missions give us a presence in an area which hasn’t had any coalition forces in it for years or even ever,” Reese said.

“This will keep the bad guys on their toes and that is really what we’re going for. Keep them guessing so we can catch up to them and get them.”

Though the Marines had finished with the objective, they were not done. While observing a different area, Reese noticed some additional suspicious activities. They went back to work.

“The Marines showed the ethos of being a professional warrior today,” said Capt. Miguel A. Pena, a forward air controller for the battalion. “They showed the people we’re here to provide help to them.”

As the Marines sprinted toward their second objective, men came out with their hands up as the Marines approached their vehicles.

“We are able to reach far into the desert winds and help some people who we had no contact with before,” Pena said. “We are conducting these missions in a nonstandard way. Before they were ground driven, now we bring the air element to the fight.”

The Marines questioned the men through the interpreter. They asked them about where they were from, why they were there, and if anything suspicious happened recently. The Marines gave the group of men the one of their packs of food for co-operating with them.

The Marines then set up landing zone security again, while Pena called for the birds to come pick them up.

“These missions provide us with the opportunity to hit the enemy before they hit us,” Reese said. “We will continue to do it because of all the positive effects it has on the people and on our mission here in Ramadi.”

Photo - Lance Cpl. Adam A. Ramirez, squad automatic weapon gunner for the scout snipers, runs off the CH-53 Sea Stallion toward the objective. The Marines only have a short time on the ground so they move fast to ensure they can get everything they need done at each site.

Iraqi Army Takes Security Lead

24 July 07
By Lance Cpl. Joseph D. Day
2nd Marine Division (Forward).

RAMADI, Iraq — As the evening sun started to set, the Iraqi army geared up. After looking over each other’s equipment thoroughly, they prepared to step off.

On July 21, the 1st Brigade, 7th Iraqi Army Division, led Marines on a foot patrol through the ghetto of Ramadi to identify local populace needs and how their basic utilities were working

“This area of Ramadi used to be one of the most dangerous,” said one local citizen. “Every day there were bombs and insurgents fighting the coalition. Now, this area is so quiet that it may even be considered the best in the city.”

One of the local residents claimed, “I believe that most of this is due to the Iraqi army patrolling this area constantly. Bad guys would walk these streets as if they owned them. Then the Iraqi army started patrolling here, and they haven’t been back since.” With a smile, the patrol and the citizens parted ways.

The soldiers of the Iraqi army sniper platoon walk through each street carefully, moving from corner to corner, but taking the time to talk to the locals. Everywhere they walked the people came running up expressing their gratitude saying "hello" and "thank you."

When asked what the Iraqi army philosophy was when dealing with the people, Iraqi army Sgt. Maj. Abbas Abud Kadin, the senior enlisted man of the Iraqi Scout Sniper Platoon said, “I talked to them with my heart open. I will do anything for these people whether I share a joke, give them candy or just listen to their problems, I do it all with an open heart. I do it because if I help them, they will help me.”

Walking up to a group of men sitting in the front lawn, Kadin extends his right hand to them and greets them. The rest of the soldiers take a knee and provide security as the group talks.

The men also said the security in the area has improved drastically in the last two months. Whereas they used to be afraid to sit on their front lawn drinking tea, now they know that no one will bother them. The man said that he can enjoy his time out there with his friends and know that the only interruption they might have will be from friendly Iraqi army soldiers and policemen, stopping by to say "hello."

“I try to teach my men to respect the people here, because they could save our lives,” Kadin said. “If we show them respect they will show us respect and help us fight the insurgency.”

Kadin found a 7.62mm shell casing on the way back to the base. A little curious about why it was in the street he asked some nearby residents.

They told him the casing had come from a local who had a celebration the day prior.

“My goal here is to help the good people of Ramadi rid themselves of the insurgency that plagues them. I want all of this country to be safe,” Kadin said. “If it starts here in Ramadi, then so be it. I know that my men and I are doing a very good job. I will terminate as many insurgents as I can, until there are no more to fight, then I will know we are done here. But we will move to the next city to do the same for them.”

Photo - Iraqi Army Sgt. Maj. Abbas Abud Kadin, the senior enlisted man of the Iraqi Scout Sniper Platoon, hands out candy to some children during a patrol here. The patrol was trying to find out what the citizens of Ramadi needed to make their neighborhoods a better place to live. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Joseph D. Day.

Operation Diablo Dragnet Links People to Government

18 July 07
By Army Sgt. Tony J. Spain
22nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment.

KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan - Paratroopers with 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, conducted air assault missions as part of Operation Diablo-Dragnet the end of June.

The operation involved three different units and the help of an Islamic Republic of Afghanistan official disrupting Taliban operations around the Maiwand District located on the Helmand and Kandahar province borders.

Mohammad Zarif, a member of the National Security Directorate for the Maiwand District, served as the eyes for the governor of Helmand province and reported directly to him about the situation in the area. His presence also helped international security assistance forces bring a familiar face to local Afghans.

“We prefer to have IRoA involvement in all of our operations, especially when we have such close and constant interaction with the local populace as we did during Operation Diablo Dragnet,” said Army Capt. Don L. Cantera, Company B, 1/508th PIR commander. “Fortunately, we had the assistance of the National Security Directorate to facilitate our search.”

Operations ran smoothly for the paratroopers as they moved through the small farming villages of De Kalakhan Kalay and Garm Abak Jonubi. Zarif led the way from building to building, knocking on doors declaring that the ISAF forces were there for their safety and not to be afraid.

“After the town was deemed ‘cleared’, several mini shuras were held with local elders,” said Army 1st Lt. Daniel Capello, fire support operator, Company C, 1/508th PIR. “They came with a look of uncertainty in their eyes, but after meeting with the professional paratroopers and Mohammad Zarif they left with smiles on their faces.”

Zarif helped explain to the elders the purpose of the paratroopers’ mission and explained as long as the Taliban was able to operate in the area they would not be safe.

“The new Afghan government and ISAF forces are here to support the Afghan people,” Zarif told them.

The local elders then began discussing issues that concerned them and what ISAF could do as a link between them and the government to bring resolution. Most of the villagers were concerned about security and the potential for development in their village, which lacks proper roads, schools and medical facilities.

“Zarif was a great help in communicating our intent to the people of Maku and in facilitating a security shura with the village elders,” said Cantera. “He was very knowledgeable about security in the Maiwand area and a direct link between the local populace, ISAF and IRoA.”

After the shura, local leaders promised ISAF they would elect a representative for the village to regularly meet with government officials in the district center.

“It’s pretty clear that the future of Afghanistan rests solely on the shoulders of the Afghans,” said Army 1st Lt. Adam Werhle, Co. C., 1/508th PIR. “We were initially skeptical of having the NSD representative with us on our operation, but he turned out to be a real asset almost immediately.”

Werhle noted the keys to success in Afghanistan will be getting government representatives out to meet the people, more Afghans involved in fighting the Taliban, and a well trained Afghan national army.

Photo - Paratroopers from 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, return from a patrol in the Maywand District on the border of Kandahar and Heldman provinces in Afghanistan June 29. Photo by Spc. Matthew Littel.

Role-model Town Produces Positive Results

13 July 07
By Cpl. Eric C. Schwartz
2nd Marine Division.

ANAH, Iraq - The air smelled clean, the roads were paved and spotless, and the laughter of children echoed through the streets. A young girl, in a lilac colored dress, sprayed her driveway down with a garden hose proving the plumbing worked in her town. Men, women and children gave friendly waves to the Marines and Iraqi policemen as they patrolled through the secure streets here.

“Patrols like these let the people know we are fighting for them, and they see that,” said Lance Cpl. Charles Tobin, a SAW gunner with Bravo Company Proper, Task Force 1st Battalion, 4th Marines proper, attached to 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, Regimental Combat Team 2.

The mixed patrol of Iraqi police and Marines passed through alleyways and side streets where instead of littered ground and walls covered in graffiti, the curbs had neatly swept piles of dirt and the houses freshly painted.

“The average Anah person seems more affluent than the average Iraqi,” said Cpl. Steven Kreyenhagen, a team leader with Bravo Company. The Iraqi police explain that the townspeople here are mostly college educated, and all of their children attend school. “There are schools established in town, and the teachers speak great English,” Kreyenhagen said.

The Marines and IPs stopped into the local markets, full of vegetables, dry goods, electronics and clothing, to buy snacks for local children and bread to share with their brother Marines not on patrol. "I like interacting with the people,” Tobin said. “You can be having a horrible day and the kids will crack you up, making your day all better.”

Children waved at the patrol and saluted the IPs with the open-handed salute traditionally given to Iraqi officers as a sign of respect. “The area has some five and six-year-olds speaking better English than me,” Tobin said.

A grasp of the English language doesn’t make the people of Anah superior to other towns but understanding the language of its protector’s means they have a worldly view on the coalition’s mission in Iraq.“My squad’s been invited to dinner twice already by friendly homes,” said Sgt. Tacoma Parris, a squadleader and native of New York City. “They’ve gained our trust.”

Trust aside, the town still hides some insurgents rather willingly, or by force. “Most of the time the locals won’t tell us who planted the IEDs,” Parris said. “They’ll tell the IPs because the IPs are from the neighborhood.” The townspeople know their neighborhood, and they tell their IPs because they want safety.

“They’d rather tell a buddy or brother they grew up with,” Parris said. “They trust us, but not wholeheartedly.”

Anah is filled with hardworking, educated citizens, but those who travel outside of the safe town are affected by the less positive situations occurring in other parts of Iraq.

“I used to take the bus five days a week to work before the war,” said Ghassan Thabet, an electrical engineer living in Anah. “The road is now dangerous to Al Qa’im.”

Food rations are given to the unemployed people of Iraq by its newly established government. With help from coalition forces and the strength of local police, the roads will become safer and buses will carry hard working people like Thabet.

Constant, friendly patrols, mixed with IPs and Marines, keep the citizens of Anah safe and help the locals here see there is a transition happening, and that terrorism will eventually subside.

Photo - An Iraqi policeman enters a gateway into a townsperson's home along with Marines from Bravo Company, Proper Task Force, 1st Battalion, 4th Marines, attached to 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, Regimental Combat Team 2, on June 24, 2007. Marines and Iraqi police speak with homeowners providing a friendly face and show the cohesion of Iraqi and coalition forces.

Reconstruction Team Launches Dam Project

24 Jun 07
By U.S. Navy Ensign Christopher Weis.

KHOST PROVINCE, Afghanistan - Through a $1.5 million project launched earlier this year, the Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) Khost is finding that providing water for drinking and irrigation can be an effective weapon against terrorism.

U.S. Navy Cmdr. David Adams, who took over command of the 120-member joint team in April, said that by providing the funding and oversight necessary to empower local governments throughout Khost to decide where and how diversion dams will be built, the Provincial Reconstruction Team helps connect the people to their government -- which is the key to defeating the insurgency.

In a country held back by more than 30 years of war, ineffective water use has made life even more difficult in this already-barren country. Managing water is life or death for farmers like Haji Mazdigar Gul, 56, who explained that without a diversion dam, flooding often causes him to lose his fields, jeopardizing his family’s survival. His village of Koza Bokhana is one of 30 that will benefit from dams, which will redirect water from rivers to the fields of more than 80,000 farmers and families.

Villagers throughout Khost testify to the diversion dams’ ability to bring economic prosperity to the largely agricultural region. In roughly three weeks, the first of these dams will reach completion, helping local Afghans to better control flooding, irrigate their fields, grow crops and feed their families.

“We appreciate America. We are poor people and they are helping us,” said Khost farmer Mumin Khan, 70, speaking through a Provincial Reconstruction Team Khost translator. “They are the only ones helping us rebuild our country. We love the Americans because they send their sons far away from home to help us.”

“Each of the diversion dams, which take roughly six weeks to complete, has the capacity to irrigate 45,000 jerubs, or roughly. 25,000 acres of land,” said Khost Provincial Director of Irrigation Abdulmer Khan Lama

With a relatively peaceful May tempered by al-Qaeda threats of increased violence in Afghanistan, security for the projects is a top priority.

“We have not seen any problems with security for these projects because the people would not accept attacks on dams that go to the core of their livelihood,” Adams said.

While coalition forces have constructed other diversion dams, water retention walls and aqueducts in the border region, the Provincial Reconstruction Team’s efforts are by far the largest in Khost to date, according to the governor, Arsal Jamal. Although the 30 dams will impact one in 10 “Khosties” directly and many more indirectly, Adams said additional funding would be required to meet all of the region’s irrigation needs.

The local governments are involved in every step of the process. They select the building sites based on need, design the dams, monitor quality and ensure the safety of workers, Adams said. The villagers also take ownership of the projects by completing initial excavation and closely monitoring the project to assure the highest quality.

Adams explained that more dams is a top request he receives from villagers throughout the province. The diversion dams project furthers the Provincial Reconstruction Team’s mission.

The diversion dams project furthers the Provincial Reconstruction Team’s mission by “enabling security, promoting good governance and facilitating reconstruction, development and economic growth,” Adams said. These efforts allow the team to make life better for the people of Khost and help transform what was once a hotbed of terrorist activity to a more prosperous region that will no longer tolerate terrorists.

“Sept. 11 started here,” Adams said. “Only by strengthening the government and reconstructing Afghanistan can we ensure that the conditions for another 9/11 will never again take root here in Khost.

Photo - U.S. Navy Cmdr. Dave Adams, 2nd from left, the governor of Khost and the provincial Director of Irrigation offer a prayer before the cornerstone is laid in the Matun district of Khost, Afghanistan, May 8, 2007. The dam will provide irrigation and drinking water for nine villages in the area. U.S. Navy photo.

Reconstruction Advisory Team working with Iraqis in Baghdad

Thursday, 14 June 2007
By Sgt. 1st Class Robert Timmons
4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division Public Affairs.

BAGHDAD - When President George W. Bush ordered troops to “surge” into Baghdad he was not just sending Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines, he was also sending little-known teams of reconstruction experts as well.

One of those teams operates out of Forward Operating Base Falcon with the 4th “Dragon” Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, in the southwestern Rashid District of the Iraqi capital.

These small teams, known as Embedded Provincial Reconstruction Teams, are made up of workers from the U.S. military, State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development.

Timothy Zuniga-Brown, who heads the EPRT in the Dragon Brigade, said his team serves as advisors to the Iraqis.

“We are a small team that works at the brigade and regimental levels,” said the Carson City, Nev., native. “This gives us better visibility and better understanding of what the Iraqi government can do to bring peace and stability to their own country.”

The team, comprised of seven people with technical expertise in various areas such as governance, security and economics, has been on the ground for almost two months.

“It is premature to see noticeable changes,” Zuniga-Brown said. “But we have seen changes for the better.” He said the district council holding its own meetings and the Doura Market revival are two examples of Iraqi growth in the area.

In December 2006 there were three shops open in the Doura Market, while today there are more than 250. More than $100 million has spent so far on rebuilding projects throughout the Rashid District, which the team is responsible for.

While the work was started by the military, Zuniga-Brown said the civilian teams would eventually help the Iraqi government stand on its own.

“Brigades have lots of knowledge and understanding at this level, but their main task is to fight and help the Iraqis win this war on the military side,” he said. “But, it’s clear in this conflict, especially when dealing with counterinsurgency, a lot of components are civilian – the Iraqis sending supplies to their own people, listening to their own people and putting together the requirements for a civil society to be stitched back together.”

The military was there to help address the security problems, but they needed help addressing their other problems, as well, Zuniga-Brown added.

“We are in an advisory role, a helping role,” he said. “Bottom line – the Iraqis need to do it themselves and they understand it.”

Photo - Lt. Col. Joeseph Birchmeier (standing) commander 4-1 Brigade Special Troops Battalion, gives a briefing on the ongoing service projects in the Rashid District of Baghdad.

Concrete Barriers Safeguard Adhamiyah Residents in Baghdad

6-Jun-07
By 2nd Brigade Combat Team
82nd Airborne Division Public Affairs.

BAGHDAD — The thick chains attaching the “T-Wall” barrier to the crane shuddered as the slab of heavy concrete was lifted into the air. The crane operator worked his control stick, first swinging the barrier through the air, and then slowly lowering it into place.

As the 14,000 pounds of concrete settled onto the ground with a grinding crunch, the project to secure a neighborhood in Baghdad’s Adhamiyah District behind miles of protective barriers came to an end in the darkness of early morning on May 28.

The project, overseen by the 82nd Airborne Division’s 2nd Brigade Combat Team, involved placing temporary barriers and checkpoints around a three-mile area of Adhamiyah in order to protect the local populace from attacks by insurgents.

“This was our biggest project to date,” said Lt. Eric Brumfield, of Visalia, Calif., a platoon leader with the 2nd Brigade Combat Team’s 407th Support Battalion, which oversaw the project’s construction. “It was a massive undertaking.”

Almost every night for two months, paratroopers from the 407th battalion left their base and convoyed to Adhamiyah, putting in as many as 70 of the huge barriers each night alongside the main road ringing the neighborhood.

“It was probably more labor intensive than anything we’ve done,” said Capt. Priscilla Smoot, of Miami, the commander of Company A, which did the majority of the work for the project.

Brumfield said he was shocked to read early media reports criticizing the project as a Berlin Wall-like partition dividing neighbor from neighbor. In reality, the wall was a simple security measure, he said.

“It’s just like driving at home where you have barriers beside the highway. It’s no different than that,” he said.

In some sections, the project simply improved on roadblocks that residents had already emplaced themselves, said 1st Lt. Jacob Allen, of New Kent, Va., a platoon leader with Company A. Allen also pointed out that the wall hasn’t restricted foot movement at all in the area.

“There are plenty of places to walk. What this has blocked off is movement of (vehicle-borne) explosives,” he said.

Brumfield said that despite the criticism of the project, his paratroopers are proud of what they accomplished.

“We’re exhausted. We’re tired of seeing the wall every night. But in the end, we did it. We were able to fight through the IEDs and the publicity and everything else and get it done,” Brumfield said.

“Now it’s time to step back and start looking at the statistics. We have to let time tell if it’s going to work,” he said.

So far, the results have been positive. Killings are down 61 percent in Adhamiyah between the beginning of April, when construction began, and May 28, when it ended, according to reports compiled by the 2nd BCT.

“Since we started building the wall, we’ve already seen a noticeable decrease in violence,” said Capt. Jared Purcell, of Lake Orion, Mich., the public affairs officer for 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, whose unit operates in the area. Purcell said his unit will continue to closely track the effects of the safe neighborhood project.

“We will be in the community with an ear open as to how people feel about the wall, as well as how it is improving security,” Purcell said. “We’re constantly going to be re-evaluating the wall to make sure it is providing maximum security with minimum disruptions to people’s lives.”

Photo - Iraqi police commander Lt. Col. Ahmed Abdullah, an interpreter, and 1st Sgt. Phong Tran of Richmond, Va., survey a section of the protective wall being installed in Baghdad’s Adhamiyah District as part of a Safe Neighborhood project during a joint patrol, May 24, 2007. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Mike Pryor.

Earning, maintaining trust of residents

31 May 2007
By Sgt. Mike Pryor
2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division

BAGHDAD — It’s the usual happy chaos when 1st Lt. Josh Rowan arrives at neighborhood advisory council member Abu Muhanned’s house for their weekly meeting – children running amuck in the yard, women crowded into the kitchen, and Muhanned standing in the doorway in pajamas and bare feet, a cigarette in one hand, jabbering into his cell phone.

He greets Rowan warmly and ushers him and his Soldiers inside his home nestled in eastern Baghdad’s Adhamiyah District. While a security team sets up on the roof, Rowan and Muhanned move to the living room to talk. By now, it’s a familiar routine.

It should be.

Muhanned’s house was the destination of Rowan’s very first patrol in Iraq, almost four months ago, and they have met regularly ever since to plan development projects for the area.

Today, however, will be Rowan’s last visit. Rowan, a platoon leader with 2nd Battalion, 319th Airborne Field Artillery Regiment, from College Station, Texas, is moving to a different job. The purpose of this final meeting was to introduce Muhanned to his replacement, 1st Lt. Jeremy Tillman, of Walnut Ridge, Ark.

“All I’m here to do is introduce Tillman and close the loop,” Rowan said.

In the Army, the only constant is change. Soldiers are always moving from one position to another and taking over different duties. But in Iraq, the challenge for new leaders like Tillman is, how do you take over a relationship? Rowan and Muhanned worked successfully together because they had a strong personal bond. Tillman will have to build that trust all over again.

“That’s the challenge of counter-insurgency warfare,” Rowan said.

“It’s difficult,” agreed Tillman. “It’s really just about the individual person’s personality.”

Over tea and cigarettes at Muhanned’s house, Rowan made a big show of introducing Tillman.

“Sir, I look forward to working with you,” Tillman told Muhanned, when Rowan was done.

“I will put my hand in your hand. You will protect me, and I will protect you,” Muhanned replied.

The meeting continued for almost two hours, with conversation bouncing from topic to topic. One minute they were talking about putting trash cans on the street corners, the next minute about a trip Muhanned’s son was planning and the next about security threats in the area. In between, Muhanned’s wife served a huge lunch.

When the meeting was over, Tillman said it had been an eye-opening experience. At his previous unit, the focus had been almost entirely on raids and kinetic operations. Tillman could only remember a few times when he had actually sat in an Iraqi’s house and talked.

“Here, they’re interacting. They’re constantly getting out there and talking to local leaders,” Tillman said. “The mindset is just totally different.”

Since the 2-319th took over its section of Baghdad in February, the paratroopers have adhered to classic counter-insurgency theory, balancing military operations with efforts to engage local leaders, build the economy, and improve essential services. Rowan said the strategy, though slow and difficult to measure, is showing results.

“People are moving here from other parts of Baghdad because they say this is a safe place,” he told his platoon members just before his last patrol with them. “It’s the little things that we are doing that are making a difference.”

In the end, it all boils down to personal relationships, said Capt. Jonathan Harvey, Rowan and Tillman’s battery commander.

The challenge when a key leader gets switched out is to maintain the existing relationships.

“You have to be very delicate in the hand over,” said Harvey, of Nebraska City, Neb. “Iraqi culture is big on trust.”

Harvey said he made sure Tillman had plenty of time to shadow Rowan and meet one on one with all his Iraqi counterparts.

“Back in the states, a change of command is nothing more than an inventory. Here, it’s a much more deliberate process,” Harvey said. “(For Tillman and Rowan) we took 11 days, and each day had a different leader engagement.”

Despite the introductions and the crash course he received on Adhamiyah’s kaleidoscopic array of political and religious groups and their rivalries, Tillman said he still has a lot to learn. It will take time to build up the kind of personal relationships that Rowan had, where he knew not just someone’s name, but their wife and son’s names and what brand of cigarette they smoked, too.

“I know the area. As far as terrain, how to operate, tactics - I know all that,” Tillman said. “What I need to learn is who I can trust.”

Photo - 1st Lt. Josh Rowan (left), of College Station, Texas, goes over some information with 1st Lt. Jeremy Tillman, of Walnut Ridge, Ark., at a meeting with the chairman of the neighborhood council in Rabi, Adhamiyah May 21. Tillman would soon be taking over for Rowan as a new platoon leader with B Battery, 2nd Battalion, 319th Airborne Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division. Photographer: Sgt. Michael Pryor.

Iraq Assistance Group Supports the Feature Performance

17 May 2007
By Sgt. 1st Class Jennifer Schwind
U.S. Central Command Public Affairs.

CAMP VICTORY, Iraq – When watching movie credits, the starring roles always get plenty of attention, but by the time the credits roll to the names of the production crew the theater is often empty. The support staff doesn’t get much attention, but if they weren’t doing their behind-the-scenes jobs the stars wouldn’t even make it to the show. [Amen!]

In this theater, first billing goes to the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) as they take the lead for security of their country. Filling the crucial supporting role is more than 200 embedded transition teams, living and working side-by-side with the Iraqi forces to mentor, advise, train and coach the ISF.

Setting these headliners up for success is a production crew of about 100 professional Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines of the Iraq Assistance Group (IAG), a subordinate command of Multi-National Corps – Iraq.

Since their official formation in 2005, the IAG’s role has evolved with the needs of the changing battlefield. This spring the Multi-National Corps - Iraq commanding general, Army Lt. Gen. Ray Odierno, determined the time was right to hand over transition team administrative duties from the IAG to the units they are attached to.

“I think that’s a good thing. It gives unity of effort and unity of command in a brigade combat team’s area of operations,” said Army Brig. Gen. Dana J. H. Pittard, commanding general of the IAG. “So the brigade combat team commander will own the transition teams in his area of operations.”

“The IAG still remains the executive agent of transition teams. Transition teams are still assigned to the IAG but then attached to units,” said Pittard. As the executive agent, he said, the IAG is the MNC-I commander’s eyes and ears as far as transition teams.

To see the status and hear the issues of the teams, there is constant communication between the teams and the IAG. Even though the IAG gets weekly situation reports from the teams, the commanding general and command sergeant major make far more than cameo appearances on the battlefield. They travel throughout the country seeing every division transition team monthly, brigade teams bimonthly, and reach the “out of the way” places monthly, too.

“IAG has a unique view of what’s going on with our transition teams in Iraq, and the Iraqi Security Forces at the division, brigade and battalion levels,” said Pittard. “Very few folks in this country know by name the Iraqi Army division commanders and what’s going on with their units. We provide that unique talent or service.”

In addition to being the executive agent for the teams, the IAG also ensures the transition teams have all the required training and support they need while in theater.

“We are still responsible for the training of the teams,” said Army Command Sgt. Major Robert Moore, command sergeant major of the IAG. “We make sure that the theater-wide replacement system is happening, to make sure they’re getting the necessary things they need on the battlefield, and getting information back from them to make sure their follow-on teams are as trained as they can possibly be.”

Directing the training for the transition teams, the IAG ensures the teams receive the information they will need through synchronized training at Fort Riley, Kan., Camp Buehring, Kuwait, and the Phoenix Academy, known as the “Finishing School”, at Camp Taji, Iraq.

The IAG establishes the curriculum that includes Arabic language skills, communication equipment training, ethics and more. All phases of the training constantly adapt and improve, due to the feedback from the teams as they finish each phase and after they’re out performing their mission.

“We ask them to give us a critique, not just on the instructor, but on the material that was in each class that they received,” said 1st Sgt. Randi Hamden, first sergeant of the Phoenix Academy. “The more ideas they come up with the bigger and better this place (Phoenix Academy) gets. It’s the transition teams, and us listening to them, which makes that happen.”

The IAG not only provides training at the Phoenix Academy, but they also ensure the teams are properly equipped for their up-coming mission. Like stage hands moving and preparing equipment behind-the-scenes, this support doesn’t get mentioned until farther down the credits, but it is important. Teams walk in with empty pockets, and drive out in fully-loaded humvees.

“We give the teams all the high-end equipment they need to do their jobs,” said Sgt. 1sg Class Phillip Hollifield, non-commissioned office in charge of logistics and arms at the Phoenix Academy. “Without us they wouldn’t have a truck to roll with or the equipment they need to conduct the mission.”

According to Hollifield, he receives basic model HMMWV’s without the necessary uparmor or communication systems, and ensures the proper modifications are made for the teams. It takes three different maintenance shops to get all the improvements and equipment installed, to include frag-5 armor and objective doors, Harris 152 radios, and warlock/duke systems.

“That is the sole purpose of our existence,” said U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Patrick Kirchner, Operations Officer at the Phoenix Academy. “We want to make sure the teams have everything they need in terms of training and equipment before they go out with their Iraqi counterparts.”

Once training is complete and the teams begin their mission, they are not physically assigned to the IAG anymore. But, according to Hamden, the IAG is always there for the teams as a parent unit, to be a source of information or supplies and also to get the teams home after their mission is completed.

“We’re always that constant -- we’re either bringing them in or taking them out of the fight,” said Hamden. “It’s very important that … they’re set up for success.”

As directors, agents, trainers and grips, the IAG will never hold the glamorous roles and receive top billing in this theater. Those involved, however, know the importance of their contributions to the transition teams, and therefore to the ISF’s ability to build capacity and secure Iraq.

Neither the IAG nor even the stars in this theater will win an Oscar award for their efforts, but they will win something far more important. This support crew will help the ISF win security and peace for the Iraqi people.

Anbar Province Still Dangerous; Getting Better

By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service..

For example, 22 joint security stations in the town of Ramadi now are helping to tamp down violence, Marine Brig. Gen. Charles M. Gurganus, ground forces commander for Multinational Force West, said during a news conference.

“As security continues to improve, we don’t think that there will be a need for all of those security stations,” Gurganus, whose jurisdiction includes Anbar province, said.

Much success has been achieved in reducing violence in Anbar province, Gurganus said, although he acknowledged that conditions there can still be precarious for residents as well as for Iraqi and coalition forces.

“There are still dangerous things going on there,” the one-star general said. “While we have achieved a great deal of success, there still are dangers.”

Gurganus cited Anbar residents’ growing disapproval of and hostility toward al Qaeda and other terrorists as an indicator of an improving climate across the western province.

“We clearly see that the Iraqi citizens have grown tired of what the insurgency has to offer; they do not want any part of it,” Gurganus said. Iraqis living in Anbar province want a cessation of violence, he noted, and a secure future for themselves and their families. Iraqi citizens in Anbar are increasingly providing information about insurgent operations to Iraqi security forces, he said.

A second indicator of success in Anbar is illustrated by the brave Iraqi army and police that serve across the province, Gurganus said. Although challenged by danger, Iraqi security forces in Anbar province “come back to work” each day, he said.

“They know that they are the solution for the future,” Gurganus said of the security forces.

There’ll be additional success against insurgents operating in Anbar, Gurganus predicted, noting U.S. and coalition forces now enjoy a “full partnership” with Iraqi security forces serving across the province.

Also, recruitment for Iraqi security forces is up across Anbar, Gurganus said.

“Now, the sons of al Anbar have stood up and are stepping forward to join the Iraqi army and the Iraqi police,” he said.

Maysan PRT promoting political, economic and services development

14 May 2007
Spc. Chris Erickson
U.S. Central Command Public Affairs..

Security authority for Maysan province was recently transferred to provincial Iraqi government. The province was the fourth to do this, and marks a milestone of 75 percent of Southeast Iraq as being transferred to provincial Iraqi control. The province had previously been under the authority of the U.K. military.

The Maysan Provincial Reconstruction Team has worked behind the scenes in all this. Not only do they work closely with Maysan officials to create and strengthen transparent and accountable government institutions, but they also advise Iraqis on promoting development in the political and economic areas, and work to help improve essential services.

Julie Nutter, who has been the Maysan PRT team leader since the team’s inception in November, 2006, talked about why the decision to transfer authority in Maysan was made.

"The decision-making process follows several criteria that have to be met before the province goes to Provincial Iraqi Control," she said. "But in Maysan's case, the transition to PIC was really a formal recognition of what the Coalition forces already knew: that the provincial officials were able to provide security for the citizens of the province."

She said while the process was successful, it didn't come without challenges, some that affect all Iraqis and some that are unique to the area.

"Maysan has a long history of having security challenges in the province," Nutter said. "It was also one of the provinces that suffered under Saddam the most. The province has a significant population of marsh Arabs, and for example, when Saddam drained the marshes, he took the livelihood away from a significant portion of the population. We know that three-quarters of the Maysan province was once covered by marshes, and now only a quarter of those marshes remain. "

She explained how that affected the people of the province.

"What happened was, a lot of the ground that was drained was turned into desert," she said. "There's some arable land, but a substantial portion of the marshes that were drained are now desert."

She said a region-wide effort was going on to rehabilitate the marshes, and the last figure she saw for the whole of Iraq listed 48 percent of the marshes having been re-flooded and viable again. That could mean starting to return to the way of life many marsh Arabs knew before Saddam.

"There's agriculture and aquaculture," Nutter said. "Folks grew crops that can be grown in marshy areas, like rice. There's also some fish-farming that goes on in the marshes. And then people used things in the marshes, like reeds, to build structures, build their houses, basically."

A return to normalcy will take more than just giving farmers back their ways and means. Success also requires providing the Iraqi people with the ability to determine which projects are essential for their immediate and long term well being. Don Brown, Iraq Provincial Action Officer for the Maysan PRT, spoke about those challenges.

"The Maysan officials, just like most of the other new provincial government officials around the country, are relatively new to the concept of executing their own budgets," he said. "They've not traditionally had the experience that, for example, we've had in the U.S. of having strong state governments. Provincial officials are now finding their feet on budgetary issues. We're here to provide some technical assistance and help them navigate the new Iraqi central government's process for executing budgets."

Deciding how to use a budget can be a difficult process, especially when it concerns essential services. Nutter explained that while the Iraqis of Maysan province had trouble at the beginning, they were starting to shine in that aspect.

"One of the things Maysan is good at is allocating funds," she said. "They have been able to create the processes to determine what they have to do to get what they need for the province. They'll continue doing this, they're refining the process as they go along, but they have really good technical expertise in the provincial government.

“It's more an issue of uncovering that expertise and directing it, rather than creating it, because in a lot of cases it's there,” she continued. “What we're doing is we're trying to act as a catalyst and take that talent and to apply it toward, in a systematic way, the most important needs of Maysan. That's what I think is one of the biggest successes. We are a catalyst and that is an extremely important role, but this is the Iraqi's future, and they know that.

“They're really excited about that and they're eager to work with us,” she said. “I remember that at a seminar that we had, before the provincial development strategy seminar, one of the Iraqi leaders said to me, 'We would like Maysan province to become a model, for other provinces in Iraq to follow.' That to me, is the most hopeful comment that I've heard since I've been here."

Nutter said the PRT was in place to help provide guidance for the provincial government.

"Since the PRT started in November, we have been working on projects to improve essential services in the province," she said. "We've been working on a hospital to be built in Maysan, water projects to increase the purity of the water, the cleanliness of the water that people are drinking. And, we've been working on road projects that will enable people to get their crops to market to sell them."

Nutter said she was optimistic about the future of the province, and that she wanted to work to provide opportunities for the Iraqis that they didn't have before.

"I hope we'll be able to see a difference," she said. "The biggest difference that I hope for is that the provincial government, which had been very, very involved in the negotiations going toward PIC, especially the governor, will now be able to concentrate more on the provision of essential services for the people of the province. Maysan has some really big challenges in the areas of, for example, sewage disposal, health care, and water and electricity."

Brown said that one obstacle he saw being overcome was the difficulties the Maysanis have faced over the years, being a cross-roads of conflict. "These officials, at the provincial council level, at the governor's office, are stepping into unfamiliar territory, and are doing so with purpose and seriousness. That's something that's gratifying to see. We're at the nascent stages of this growth in capacity, and that's something I really admire most."

It takes more than planning to make a success happen, it takes people willing to make the planning pan out. Brown spoke about how working in a combat zone provides its own set of stresses, and working with this particular mix of people, seeing their accomplishments, was something he was proud of.

"One of the things that stands out for me is the quality of the people I'm working with," he said. "This is really interesting in that we are working with civilians, we're working with military people, in our particular case we spend a lot of time with Coalition partners, and in all of these circumstances, the people we find ourselves working with have all been top-notch."

The Maysan PRT, besides working with the Iraqis, the U.S. and Coalition militaries, draws on the expertise of the Department of State, the Department of Defense, US Agency for International Development, and the Army Corps of Engineers in its work.

"We've had a very close working relationship with these organizations and we couldn't complete our mission without them," said Nutter. "We have had very wonderful help from USAID and the Army Corps of Engineers. The Corps of Engineers has helped us to work with the Iraqis, with the provincial government in determining, with economic support fund money, how best they could meet the needs of the province, right now. USAID is more on the training side, so the PRT teams up with USAID and we run things like the development strategy seminar. So they are full partners in the PRT process. We really couldn't do what we are doing right now without them."

Most recently, the PRT started working with the provincial government on a "Base Mapping" project for Al Amarah, the provincial capital, which will provide provincial leaders with digital tools to improve management of city services.

Brown spoke of how the accomplishments in Maysan could only be attributed to the Iraqis.

"In the end, the results will not be achieved by the PRT or U.S. or Coalition activity," he said. "The real results are in the hands of the Iraqis themselves. The Iraqi people are in charge of moving forward, on building the future of their province, at least in the case of Maysan. We, in our team, stand ready to assist, and we're really excited for the opportunities there are in capacity building and developing."

The Maysan team has continued its full range of engagement with provincial officials since the province transferred to Iraqi control, which occured April 18.