Photo By Sgt. Daniel West | Iraqi police search a man and his vehicle at IP checkpoint four near al Kut, Aug. 18,...... read more read more
By Sgt. Daniel T. West
41st Fires Brigade
FORWARD OPERATING BASE DELTA, Iraq – "A checkpoint is like a narrow pass," said Lt. Col. Waleed, outgoing commander of Iraqi police checkpoint four, near al-Kut. "If you close it off, you can halt anything bad trying to pass through."
Iraqi police operate six permanent checkpoints around the outskirts of al-Kut designed to halt fighters and the smuggling of weapons into and through the area from Iran, said Staff Sgt. Gabriel Holguin, 511th Military Police Company. The unit has responsibility for training Iraqi police around al-Kut.
"The MPs have technology, training and experience," said Waleed. "We definitely have benefited from our training with them."
"We need more training, though," he added. "We work shifts; and at least a third of those [who are] off-shift should be training."
Soldiers of the 511th MP Co. train the IPs in vehicle and personnel searches, usually at the request of the checkpoint commanders, said Holguin.
"All checkpoints in Iraq are important," he said. "The checkpoints in al-Kut are even more so because we are close to the Iranian border, and there seems to be a lot of Iranian influence in this area."
Spc. Matthew Buraczeski, 511th MP Co., praised the dedication of the IPs at the checkpoints.
"Most want to learn the techniques used by coalition forces to better the checkpoints," he said. "There are a handful of IPs that have poor work habits, but their officers are working to correct that."
"That has earned them a lot of respect from coalition forces and local citizens," he added.
"The checkpoints are very effective," said Holguin. "Even though they lack in basic supplies, such as traffic cones, spot lights, signs and speed bumps, the IPs still manage to enforce the standards set by their superiors to the best of their abilities."
Since the departure of Georgian troops from Wasit province, IPs have dramatically stepped up their security role, increasing their presence at checkpoints throughout the province.
| Date Taken: | 08.25.2008 |
| Date Posted: | 08.25.2008 07:50 |
| Story ID: | 22842 |
| Location: | AL KUT, IQ |
| Web Views: | 174 |
| Downloads: | 154 |
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