Photo By Spc. Cal Turner | Dr. Sadoun Al Dulami, Iraqi Minister of Defense (center), meets with Iraqi Army...... read more read more
Story and Photos by Spc. C. Terrell Turner
4th Inf. Div. Public Affairs
Baghdad, Iraq--With hundreds in attendance and the whole world watching, the people of Iraq celebrated the 85th birthday of the Iraqi Army Jan. 6.
For the first time since Coalition Forces came into Iraq, people gathered at the Tomb of the Unknowns in central Baghad's Green Zone to show the world the progress the Iraqis have made and to honor Soldiers lost in battles of the past.
Founded in 1921 with the Musa Al Kadhem Battalion, the Iraqi Army has played a crucial role in the political changes that have taken place in the country. But, unlike their actions under the command of former dictator Saddam Hussein, this new Army seeks to help establish and maintain a free and democratic Iraq.
"I am a very old officer. I have been in the Army since 1970," said Major Gen. Mosdir Hatem, commander of the 6th Iraqi Army Division. "We celebrate with this ceremony every year. It is a very good feeling especially this year, after all the problems and difficulties we've had before. Today we celebrate establishing a new Iraqi Army."
The 6th IAD is the first division in the Iraqi Army to take over battle space from Coalition Forces. Currently they operate in Central Baghdad and plan to take control of more areas as they make progress against the terrorists currently seeking to prevent the stabilization of Iraq and the establishment of a democratically elected government.
"I think that for the first time in a long time the Iraqi Army is seeing itself as protecting the people, instead of a regime." said 1st. Sgt. Charles Smith, Civilian Military Operations Military Transition Team advisor, 448th Civil Affairs Battalion.
Dr. Sadoun Al Dulami, Iraqi Minister of Defense, placed wreaths at the Tomb of the Unknowns before moving down to the parade field to address the civilians, local and international media, and Iraqi Army troops in attendance.
"We are doing our best to build a very strong army that has the ability and the power to fight against our enemies and to protect Iraq from the insurgents and assassins," he said. "We are trying to (be) an army for all of the Iraqi people without caring about their ethnicity or their tribal affiliations."
After the ceremony atop the Tomb of the Unknowns, units from all 10 of the Iraqi Army divisions marched in front of the crowd. Iraqi tanks and armored vehicles also were on display on the parade grounds.
Several Iraqi citizens in attendance noted that this was a "first" for them in many respects.
"I haven't heard the Iraqi national anthem since before Saddam came into power over 35 years ago," said one Iraqi man emotionally. "Before this we only heard pro-Saddam songs played at ceremonies."
Since the establishment of a provincial Iraqi government, significant strides have been made towards stability and independence. The Iraqi Ministry of Defense released a statement for the event saying:
"The strategy of our new Army is the defense of the homeland and its people and not as an instrument of enmity and strife directed toward our own people and our neighbors. The army's role is to defend our homeland and allow a free Iraqi people, with a democratically elected government, to contribute to the establishment of security and peace throughout this region of the world.
"Since January of 2004, with the founding of the 40th Division, the army continues to modernize its equipment and improve its leadership capabilities to the point where now it has fielded 10 full divisions including one mechanized division and one special forces division along with the other branches of service, the Air Force and Navy."
| Date Taken: | 01.14.2006 |
| Date Posted: | 01.14.2006 12:24 |
| Story ID: | 5108 |
| Location: | BAGHDAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 170 |
| Downloads: | 80 |
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