501st Military Police takes charge of Iraqi police school from 217th MPs

Courtesy Photo | Students of the Criminal Justice Center, Iraqi instructors and 217th Military Police Company stand at parade rest as Maj. David Worthy, commander of 217th MP Company speaks during a transfer of authority ceremony held on Camp Liberty, May 27. 217th, out of Prattville, Ala., transferred authority of the center to 501st MP Company, United States Division - Center. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Kim Wilkins)  

BAGHDAD, IRAQ

05.28.2010

Courtesy Story

HQs, 1st Armored Division (FORWARD)

By Spc. Kim Wilkins

BAGHDAD – The Soldiers of 217th and 501st Military Police Companies participated in a transfer of authority ceremony at the Criminal Justice Center on Camp Liberty, May 27, to pass responsibility of the center from 217th, a Reserve unit from Prattville, Ala., to the 1st Armored Division MPs from 501st.

During the ceremony, Maj. David Worthy, commander of 217th, said the day marked a proud moment for him and his Soldiers because of all the work they did to help transform the once struggling school into a top-notch academy.

The Criminal Justice Center was established in August 2009 with only one classroom housing approximately eight to 12 students per class.

When 217th took over the school, the commander of 336th MP Battalion, Lt. Col. Marc Garcia, had a vision of expanding it into a combined multi-agency advanced police academy. The 217th, which falls up under 336th, inherited the task on October 2009 and provided all the manual labor to get the center up-and-running as well as expanding its reach.

The school now offers four different courses: a human rights course, an officer development course, a counter insurgency course, and a train-the-trainer course.

"At first, we taught the classes through interpreters along with the international police advisors," said Staff Sgt. Christopher Mello, a military policeman with 217th and former deputy non-commissioned officer in charge at the center. "But in the middle of May 2010, we stepped back into the advisory role as the Iraqi instructors took the lead in teaching the classes."

All classes are two weeks in length and the Ministry of Interior regulates the courses. The Interior Ministry is the branch of government that controls the police force in Iraq.

These days, the schoolhouse can graduate a maximum of 102 students per class, but 501st has plans to capitalize on all the 217th successes and build from them.

"We are going to sustain the training and improve upon the number of Iraqi Police that attend the class by having 150 students graduate every two weeks," said Staff Sgt. Cetric Coulter, the new deputy NCOIC for the Criminal Justice Center.

With the 501st vision set and 217th preparing to eventually return home, Mello admitted having mixed feelings about the ceremony.

"It is bittersweet to leave because we have a relationship with our Iraqi partners," said Mello, "but we are confident that the 501st will continue to do great things with them."

• Date Taken: 05.28.2010
• Date Posted: 05.28.2010 11:08
• Story ID: 50446
• Location: BAGHDAD, IQ