Photo By Master Sgt. Mary Rose Mittlesteadt | Maj. Gen. Robert Caslen Jr. (left), commander of the 25th Infantry Division (light),...... read more read more
By Staff Sgt. Mary Rose Mittlesteadt
11th Public Affairs Detachment
KIRKUK CITY, Iraq – A commander says farewell to a 15 month partnership with his Iraqi counterparts as the other receives a welcome and leans forward in his new endeavor with the leadership in Kirkuk province, Dec. 4.
Maj. Gen. Mark Hertling, the current commander of the Multi-National Division – North headquarters and Maj. Gen. Robert Caslen Jr., the incoming commander, visited many Kirkuk province key leaders during their trip. Caslen will assume authority of MND-N from Hertling in a traditional military ceremony Dec. 9.
The first stop into the province was at an Iraq army compound outside of Kirkuk City where they met with Brig. Gen. Abd Ameer, 12th Iraqi Army Division commander, to talk about improving the Iraqi army capabilities with additional training and soldiers.
"Since my division has been created we have come a long way," Amir said. "We still need more training and more specific training for my soldiers, and we are working on that."
After addressing the Iraqi army issues the two commanders made their way to the Kirkuk government building to have a conversation with Kirkuk Gov. Abdulrahman Mustafa Fetah-eh.
Hertling and Caslen ended their Kirkuk tour with a hospitable lunch provided by Maj.Gen. Jamal Thakr Bakr, the police chief for Kirkuk province, at his police headquarters. During the lunch Jamal spoke about the successes of the Iraqi police in the city of Kirkuk and the expectations he has for the future of the city and province.
The Kirkuk province has seen more than 70 percent decline in violence throughout the past year with the success of the Sons of Iraq, the Iraqi police and the Iraqi army partnering with the coalition forces, according to statistics kept by the U.S. Army.
| Date Taken: | 12.10.2008 |
| Date Posted: | 12.10.2008 03:30 |
| Story ID: | 27429 |
| Location: | KIRKUK, IQ |
| Web Views: | 340 |
| Downloads: | 277 |
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