Police Special Response Team graduates

Photo By Spc. Richard Vogt | Iraqi security chiefs met outside of Tal Afar for the graduation of the Iraqi Police Special Response Team on June 23.  

TAL AFAR, IRAQ

06.27.2006

Courtesy Story

138th Public Affairs Detachment

TAL AFAR, Iraq (June 23, 2006) -- Catching people who break the law is not a new concept for Iraqi police officers. Creating special units and improving how they enforce the law with the help coalition forces.

Members of Tal Afar's Special Response Team ended a rigorous, three-week police course that ended with a graduation ceremony at Forward Operating Base Sykes, Tal Afar, Iraq, June 23.

"This is a special day because it is the graduation of a special unit for Tal Afar," said Brig Gen. Sava, Tal Afar's Chief of Police. "What I saw during the training sessions with coalition forces were the police officers highly motivated because they were trained by the best-of-the-best," Sava said. "And I saw it as a chance for our police officers to take advantage of the opportunity."

The police underwent a selection and training process that was designed to form a highly skilled, highly motivated police unit that would have special crime-fighting capabilities, and be able to help control an insurgency in the Tal Afar region.

"It's great for internal defense training for police," said Lt. Col. John Tien, commander of Task Force 2-37, 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division. "It's going to create an emergency response team for Tal Afar."

According to Tien, the objective is to eventually have coalition forces step back, and have Iraq's security forces take the lead. The group which is supposed to control the inner part of the city is the Iraqi police.

"Number one, they understand in terms of intelligence, in terms of geography, in terms of culture, in terms language what the enemy is doing," said Tien. "They know where the enemy is doing it, and why and enemy is doing it, and therefore they're going to be a much more effective fighting force especially with these kinds of skills."

• Date Taken: 06.27.2006
• Date Posted: 06.27.2006 15:21
• Story ID: 6970
• Location: TAL AFAR, IQ