By Spc. Jan Critchfield
FORWARD OPERATING BASE PATRIOT, Baghdad, Iraq -- In a historical, Nov. 17, ceremony held at Forward Operating Base Rustamiyah (formerly Camp Cuervo), the 305th Iraqi National Guard Battalion took responsibility for security operations conducted in a portion of Eastern Baghdad known as "Zone 30."
Passing security operations to Iraqi security forces is one step in the Multinational Forces plan of creating an autonomous and secure Iraqi government. The 305th is one of the first ING units in Baghdad to make this goal a reality, in a small but no less important portion of the city.
"We want Iraqis to secure Iraq," said Capt. Jason Bullock, public affairs representative for 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division. "This is a huge step towards that. Sure, it's a small piece of land but it validates our previous message: that we don't want to rule [Iraq]. We are trying to turn the country over to [the Iraqi people]."
Bullock said his brigade hopes to turn more portions of eastern Baghdad to the ING patrols in the near future.
"Hopefully, a couple of months down the road, we're going to hand over another area, and another and another," Bullock said. "We want to create a safe and secure area that fosters infrastructure development and democracy."
Several hundred thousand people, important infrastructure, government buildings and a major U.S. military supply route are included in the 305th's new area of responsibility, which had been secured by Soldiers of 1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, Task Force Stallion, 1st Brigade Combat Team.
"This is the first time an ING unit has taken responsibility for an important, highly populated area. This is a very significant event for Iraq," Bullock said.
The task of organizing infrastructure projects in Zone 30 will still fall on Task Force Stallion, but all checkpoints, raids, and static security for important buildings will be carried out by troops from the 305th.
"We will deal with the project management for infrastructure projects," Maj. Bill Williams, the 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, Task Force Stallion executive officer said. "But the security for all those projects will fall on the 305th."
Although the Soldiers of the 305th only now have received their own area of responsibility, they have been training as a unit for months, even before the Iraqi Civil Defense Corps became the Iraqi National Guard earlier this year.
While U.S. Army units deploying overseas generally get months of training before having to face the enemy, the ICDC went through more of a trial by fire. Retention issues, supply shortages, and training issues continue to be priorities for the Iraqi battalion commander.
"We are still receiving equipment," Col. Samir Shaty Azeez, the 305th's commanding officer, said through an interpreter. "We train every day. My Soldiers are ready. We are ready to do checkpoints, ready to do patrols, ready to raid and search houses to catch terrorists.
"Without [multinational forces], we would never reach where we are," Azeez said. "This is a very good step for Iraq. We are coming to real freedom."
Amid the problems, the fighting spirit of Soldiers of the 305th has been nothing short of inspirational, Bullock noted. Scoffing at death threats and operating without adequate equipment has become a way of life for the tenacious ING soldiers.
"Unfortunately, they don't have all the equipment we have," Bullock said. "There are a lot of Soldiers that, if you told them, "You're going to go patrol Route Pluto. Oh, by the way, you're going to do it in the back of a Nissan pickup and you don't get any flak vest or [helmet]," they"d look at you like you're crazy.
"I think it speaks volumes about how brave they are."
| Date Taken: | 11.24.2004 |
| Date Posted: | 11.24.2004 14:43 |
| Story ID: | 657 |
| Location: | FORWARD OPERATING BASE PATRIOT, IQ |
| Web Views: | 76 |
| Downloads: | 9 |
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