Courtesy Photo | Local volunteer candidates for the Iraqi police in the Mansour District of Baghdad are...... read more read more
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By 1st. Lt. Michael A. Dytrych
2nd BCT, 3rd Inf. Div. PAO
CAMP STRIKER, Iraq – Upon their arrival as part of the U.S. troop surge in Iraq, the 1st Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga., made an immediate impact on improving the security in the Mansour District of Baghdad.
By employing aggressive tactics and working hand-in-hand with the Iraqi army daily, the Desert Rogues were able to drive al-Qaida operatives out of the area.
Along with their own security efforts, the Rogues empowered local volunteers to work with the Iraqi police and Iraqi army to provide security for their local neighborhoods.
The operation, Operation Rogue Volunteer, was designed to help residents take a larger role in securing their nation. The volunteers will eventually become Iraqi police and work within their own neighborhood in order to secure it.
In September the operation began with a recruiting drive to assess and screen all volunteers to ensure that they met the Iraqi police standards. All applicants were given a literacy and physical fitness test, medically screened and interviewed by Iraqi army physicians and police officers.
The Local Neighborhood Advisory Councils, tribal sheiks and religious leaders also came together to vouch for each local volunteer.
Once the application process was complete, the candidates' applications were taken to Iraqi police headquarters for final review.
While waiting for word of their hiring and police academy dates, the volunteers worked to provide security for their local neighborhoods. They will be trained and validated by the Iraqi security forces and will work side-by-side with the ISF in their neighborhoods.
A total of 1,147 volunteers are currently undergoing this training. Training includes proper weapons handling and safety procedures, search techniques, escalation of force procedures and general military discipline. Former Iraqi police and army officers have been working with the ISF to conduct training of the volunteers and incorporate a chain of command in the new organization.
The entire process is being supervised by coalition forces, who assist when necessary. Through such support, the 1-64th AR hopes to motivate local Mansour volunteers to help rebuild the nation of Iraq and provide a better future for their families.
"This new security initiative is another large step to improving the security and the quality of life for all Iraqi citizens," says Lt. Col. Edward Chesney, commander, 1-64th AR.
| Date Taken: | 12.02.2007 |
| Date Posted: | 12.03.2007 17:13 |
| Story ID: | 14382 |
| Location: | BAGHDAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 83 |
| Downloads: | 57 |
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