By 2nd Lt. Len Rothermich
AL AMARAH, Iraq — The 57th Military Police Company has spent the past three months building a partnership with the Iraqi police in Al Amarah, Maysan province, in order to improve their ability to govern and secure the local populace.
The MPs conduct key leadership engagements with Iraqi police leadership at Iraqi security force stations. They visit the District Headquarters weekly to collect information on the area, establish training dates and assess the station's daily operations.
"Training the Iraqis isn't always easy, but I'm still proud to have the opportunity to pass on my experiences to the people over here," said Dan Escudero, an International Police Adviser from New York.
Beyond just engaging key leaders, the 57th has also been training the IPs on various law enforcement skills to improve their abilities. They have conducted unarmed self-defense training, and personnel and vehicle searches training.
"It was good to see them embracing the opportunity to better themselves as police while we're still here," said Sgt. William Norris, a resident of Springfield, Mo.
The 57th also had the opportunity to conduct room and building clearing training with the Balda Iraqi Police Station personnel.
"Even if they just pick up the little things, it can still one day save a life that they wouldn't have the knowledge to do otherwise," said P.J. Martinez, another IPA.
By performing continuous police transition team operations in the area, the MPs plan to continue building a partnership with the IP leadership that will ultimately allow the IPs of Al Amarah to transition into a fully independent law enforcement agency.