Raider Soldiers oversee Hayys Jihad and Furat Sons of Iraq's first payday under government of Iraq

Photo By 1st Sgt. Brent Williams | An Abna al Iraq (Sons of Iraq) security guard counts $351,900 Iraqi dinar ($300 USD) after receiving his first payment Nov. 11 from Iraqi army soldiers of the 1st Battalion, 53rd Brigade, 14th Iraqi Army Division. Sons of Iraq lined up outside joint security stations and local community leadership buildings in West Rashid to receive their salary after their first month of service for the government of Iraq. Soldiers of Company C, 1st Bn., 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Multi-National Division-Baghdad helped facilitate the event providing over watch for both the Iraqi security forces and the SoI.  

BAGHDAD, IRAQ

11.13.2008

Story by Sgt. 1st Class Brent Williams 

1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division

By Sgt. 1st Class Brent Williams
1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Public Affairs Office

FORWARD OPERATING BASE FALCON, Iraq — Soldiers of the 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Multi-National Division – Baghdad, joined their Iraqi counterparts at various locations across western Rashid to assist Iraqi security forces issuing the first payday to the Sons of Iraq Nov. 10-13.

The long-awaited payday activities are a critical step in uniting the Iraqi people for the future of Iraq, said Staff Col. Ali Abood Thamer, commander of the 1st Battalion, 53rd Brigade, 14th Iraqi Army Division.

"What is happening here, in my opinion, is extremely important because we are training them, putting tools in their hands, and what is the most important thing, taking them away from terrorism," Ali said. "We are going to give them money; we are going to give them jobs; we are going to give them goals for their future lives."

Ali said that he took responsibility for supervising and paying the more than 1,000 West Rashid SoI in the Hayy Furat and Hayy Jihad communities after the government of Iraq assumed control of the citizens-led security program Oct. 1.

"We are bringing all these people into the IA and the national police," said Ali. "They are extremely important because we can train them, and they will be our eyes in the muhallahs. They will keep us better informed on the overall situation."

Initially beginning in early 2007, coalition forces sponsored the Sons of Iraq program, an Iraqi initiative employing local citizens as security guards for their neighborhoods and communities.

The program, which grew stronger with the recognition and support of the Iraqi people, multiplied the presence of the ISF and increased security in the area, said Capt. Christopher Watkins, commander, Company C, 1st Bn., 22nd Inf. Regt., 1st BCT, 4th Inf. Div.

"The concern with the SoI program transitioning into the ISF was that the government of Iraq would not buy into it," said Watkins, who hails from New Orleans. "The added security measure was virtually on the verge of disappearing."

In light of the growing concern by the SoI members that the Iraqi government would disband the program, the ISF have, in fact, embraced it, said Watkins.

"They have allowed the supervisors to maintain their roles and will hold the Sons of Iraq accountable in the same way that coalition forces have always done," he explained. "My guess is because it is yet another step in the right direction for Iraq — another step toward the Iraqi people securing their country for themselves."

The payday activities are currently one of Multi-National Division – Baghdad's top priorities as the SoI transition into the control of the GoI, said Watkins.

"This is a critical step that has to be completed," he said. "We have to work those kinks out before we can move out. We are just making sure that the Iraqis are getting paid."

Coalition forces currently are responsible for overseeing the first payday for the SoI, providing advice and ensuring that the interests of both sides are served during this critical transition of the SoI into the GoI control, said Watkins, an armor officer with more than 11 years in the U.S. Army.

"We still need to keep in touch with the SoI as well as the ISF," Watkins explained. "[SoI] must maintain their relationship with CF."

The Soldiers of "Copperhead" Company, an armor company in a combined arms battalion deployed to the Rashid district in southern Baghdad, also secured the multiple sights for the SoI payday activities and assisted the IA soldiers in maintaining order during the day-long events, said 1st Lt. Jonathan Muir, an infantry officer from Pittsburgh, assigned to Co. C, 1st Bn., 22nd Inf. Regt.

Platoons increased their presence in the muhallahs and surrounding areas to disrupt any potential enemy activity and to ensure that there were no interruptions to the pay-out process, said Muir.

The SoI in the Hayy Jihad and Hayy Furat communities will continue to man checkpoints and provide local security working in support of the Iraqi army and Iraqi police in the area, said 1st Lt. Nolan Maxwell, fires support officer assigned to Co. C, 1st Bn., 22nd Inf. Regt.

Coalition forces are preparing for the eventual transition of the SoI to the GoI and ISF's control since early 2008, and the Soldiers of Co. C began facilitating the process, registering members and creating personnel packets in mid-September, said Maxwell, a native of Santa Maria, Calif.

"This is the first payday under ISF control," Maxwell explained. "We're watching over, monitoring the payday activities, to make sure all the Iraqis we are tracking are the same guys the ISF are tracking, but it's not 100 percent accurate yet."

Working with ISF and local community leaders from the joint security station in Jihad, the Jihad Neighborhood Advisory Council, and the Jihad and Furat Support Council Office, a reconciliation council, Maxwell said that coalition forces are comparing their master list to the ISF list of names to ensure that there are no discrepancies, and the SoI are paid their due wages.

"Our ISF counterparts are in direct contact with us, and so far there has been no problem," he said. "They are doing a great job so far."

In the past, the SoI have faced difficulties validating their organization to the ISF, but both sides seem to realize that this is the next step in uniting Iraq and are working together toward a solution, said Maxwell.

"I think it is pretty important we are employing a lot of the young adults in our area of operations," said Maxwell, a 2006 graduate of the Virginia Military Institute. "The more of them who have jobs, the less likely they will fall in with the gangs and begin conducting criminal activity with the special groups and terrorists."

Coalition forces will continue to oversee ISF and SoI activities for the foreseeable future to ensure that the transition occurs without any issues as ISF increasingly take the lead in providing security for the citizens of Iraq, he said.

• Date Taken: 11.13.2008
• Date Posted: 11.13.2008 03:02
• Story ID: 26268
• Location: BAGHDAD, IQ