Major media hub transfer symbol of Iraqi stabilization

Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Eilieen Fors | A radio host takes a call from a local listener. Listeners are encouraged to voice their opinions and concerned throughout the show. (Photo by: Petty Officer 1st Class Eileen Kelly Fors)  

DIYALA PROVINCE, IRAQ

12.14.2009

Story by Spc. Christopher Bruce  

145th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment   

DIYALA, Iraq —The closure of a combat outpost in Diyala province marked another milestone in the progress of the Iraqi people assuming control of their nation.

The combat out post was previously run by 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division. During this time, the DMC served as the major hub for news in the province.

The DMC is a small compound on a strip of flat land that is visible for miles because of its large tower that ascends into the sky. Inside the main building houses a television studio set as well as a radio station. The television studio is used to make a news program that plays to the entire province of Diyala through satellite communications.

Engineer Mohammad Khalil Abi, the manager of the radio and television, has worked with the U.S. Forces since 2003 and plans to continue his broadcasts as Iraqi soldiers take the step forward in assuming security responsibility for the region.

Mohammad's radio station broadcasts local shows by transmitting an over the air signal from his tower just south of Baqubah. The morning programming allows anyone to call in and voice their opinions and complaints that were then passed on to the provincial governor.

Mohammad said that the station is an excellent outlet for local citizens to be heard.

U.S. Forces spent two months preparing for the handover and two weeks moving equipment. The last pieces of equipment were loaded onto the truck before the final papers were signed to make the handover official. The Secretary of Receivership was present to ensure the legality of the transfer. When he signed the final documents, the U.S. Forces packed up their vehicles and left the DMC for the last time.

"It is a positive step towards the future and hopefully it leads us in the right direction," Capt. Ralph Aaron, Commander of C Company 5/20th Inf., said. "Everybody feels that this helps us more towards going home. I would say it is still early in the game and there is a lot to be done still."

As the last U.S. Force's Strykers rolled out of the DMC, Iraqi soldiers were settling down on their newly acquired base and were preparing to fulfill their new security roles.

Those security roles now fall to 1st Battalion, 18th Brigade, 5th Iraqi Division.

• Date Taken: 12.14.2009
• Date Posted: 12.27.2009 02:52
• Story ID: 43174
• Location: DIYALA PROVINCE, IQ