History made: Sons of Iraq transition put in action

By Spc. Opal Vaughn
14th Public Affairs Detachment

DIYALA, Iraq - Several meetings and a couple press conferences later, several hundred Sons of Iraq were paid by coalition forces for the last time, while at Contingency Out-Post Tahrir and several other pay sites throughout Iraq, Jan. 7.

This process put in action ends months of ongoing discussion and negotiations to complete the official transfer of the Sons of Iraq, to be lead and paid by Iraqi forces. Before the official signing of the documents, SOI were being paid by coalition forces. But as four pens struck paper in a swift motion, the transfer became official at a ceremony held, Jan. 4, by the Diyala governor, Diyala Operations commander and CF leaders.

To officiate the signing of the documents, Diyala governor Ra'ad al'Tamimi, Diyala Operations commander, Staff Lt. Gen. Abd-Al-Karim Al-Safak, Maj. Gen. Robert Caslen, commander, Multi-National Division North, 25th Infantry Division and Col. Burt Thompson, commander, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, were all in attendance, pens in hand.

Several speeches of thanks and appreciation, followed by a banquet, the SOI are and will always be Sons of Iraq, as Governor Ra'ad stated during the conference.

"We have several stations set up for the SOI so they can all get paid," said Staff Sgt. Ben Osborne a squad leader with Bravo Co., 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment, 1st SBCT, 25th Inf. Div. "The way we have it set up right now is kind of like a drive through at a fast food restaurant to put it bluntly," Osborne smiled.

"First, there's a holding area which the SOI are placed in the order they are listed in according to our registration list. Then, in groups of five, they are brought to the next station which is the biometric station where they are scanned by the HIDE system to include an iris and finger print scan, as well as a profile shot," Osborne stated. "After being scanned into the system, they head over to the pay table where we have an interpreter, the Bahritz Iraqi police and the 18th Iraqi Army Infantry on hand to assist with the pay process."

Osborne continued, "Each of the SOIs is paid approximately 250 U.S. dollars once a month. But this is the last time coalition forces will be paying them because come next month, the Iraqi government will be taking over the pay process with us supervising as part of the SOI transition process."

"We are assisting the Iraqi army and Iraqi police with the SOI transition process," said 1st Lt. Kenneth Hahn, a squad leader with Bravo Co., 1-5 Inf., 1st SBCT, 25th Inf. Div. "This process will take a little while, plus we are making sure all of these guys are registered in our system so that somewhere down the line they can be identified during this transition process."

"However long it takes to get the job done, we will put in the hours. We haven't decided yet where the next payment process will occur; we are still working on coordinating that. Once the SOI are all completely transitioned over to the Iraqi government and given jobs, it will give them something other than the insurgency to turn to. Giving the SOI steady jobs will put more money back into the economy and allow them to take care of their families in the process," Hahn added.

Unfortunately, not everyone showed up for the historic event, according to 1-5 Inf. records. But still some several hundred members showed up and waited in line while being served muffins and bottled water, to get paid.

"We appreciate and thank all of you for coming out today," Anderson added, turning to the crowd of SOI for any comments, questions or concerns. The remaining SOI stayed and asked a few questions while munching on muffins and drinking fresh water, all the while smiling and thanking the IA, IP and coalition forces assisting with the transition process.