Distinguished guests who attended the graduation ceremony included Kirkuk Police Chief, Major Gen. Jamaal Taher Bakir, 49th Military Police (MP) Brigade Commander, Brig. Gen. Donald Currier of the California National Guard, Police Chief of the KTC, Brig. Gen. Kawa Gareb Abdolrahman and 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division Commander, Col. Larry Swift.
The ceremony was also attended by the JIT partners ‘Titan’ Soldiers of 512th Military Police Company, 92nd Military Police Battalion, 4th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade out of Fort Leonard Wood, Mo.
The graduation and award ceremony began with speeches from the leadership of the Kirkuk IP and ‘Titans.’
“The completion of this course marks a step to success for the Kirkuk IP and JIT,” said Capt. Kara R. Manning, a ‘Titan’ officer and the U.S. officer who oversaw the training.
She continued to explain this group of distinguished Iraqi officers will work hand-in-hand with U.S. subject matter experts from the beginning of a criminal event to the prosecution to help further the investigative abilities of the province.
Brig. Gen. Currier also spoke to the crowd of ‘Titans,’ IP and other guests about how courses like these build professional knowledge.
He finished with, “It is our hope the skills you learned in this course will help you on the frontlines to defeat crime in Kirkuk.”
Also during the ceremony the ‘Titan’ leadership explained to the IP leadership exactly what the JIT had accomplished during their month of training.
“The Kirkuk Police Organized Crime Unit investigative officer course enabled multiple experts the opportunity to teach advanced techniques of crime scene investigation and proper evidence collection,” said Manning.
When the leadership finished with their speeches the officers who had completed the training and ‘Titan’ Soldiers received a certificate of completion and hat with the word Police, in English and Arabic, from Jamaal, Currier, Kawa and Swift.
“I am very proud of all of the IP accomplishments we will use this training to provide security and peace to Kirkuk,” said Kawa at the end of the ceremony.
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