Photo By Master Gunnery Sgt. Mark Oliva | Iraqi Police load up in their pick-up trucks for a patrol through Ameriyah, Iraq,...... read more read more
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by Gunnery Sgt. Mark Oliva
Regimental Combat Team 5
AMERIYAH, Iraq (Sept. 22, 2006) -- Sgt. Amir bounced around his sparsely decorated Iraqi Police station headquarters here. He's a busy man and today was even busier. His station was attacked by mortars again this morning. His police withstood the attack without a Marine or soldier in sight.
Amir's station might just be the example of the hope for Iraq. He's got a strong police station, loyal Iraqi Police who patrol the village's streets daily. They have their difficulties. They get attacked, but they don't run.
They are the thin blue line keeping insurgents out of their city.
"My guys are prepared for everything," Amir said through a translator. "They are ready to do their job."
Just hours after the morning mortar attack, there was no trace of trouble at the station. Iraqi police walked casually in the building, toting their AK-47 assault rifles. They sipped chai tea and chatted with U.S. Army soldiers from the Police Transition Team, who arrived on a scheduled visit after the attack.
Marines moved forces out of the area several months ago. Units regularly perform operations in Ameriyah and nearby Ferris, but the day-to-day security responsibilities fall on the shoulders of the police. They aren't just holding the line. They're keeping insurgents on the run.
"In the beginning, people thought the U.S. military came here to take advantage of them," Amir explained. "Now, they know they've come to help. The insurgents don't want to help. They want to destroy and kill everything in the area."
The police station here is a bit of an exception. Other police stations in the area still require constant support, with Police Transition Teams living with police at their stations. Ameriyah is different. Soldiers with the PTT stop in periodically to resupply, perform spot inspections and offer advice. For days and even weeks at that time, though, police here do the job on their own.
"We went from not having a station here to a fully operating station without Coalition help," explained Army 2nd Lt. Jill M. Glassenapp, a 23-year-old from Mauston, Wisc., who heads up the PTT mission here. "They are completely self-reliant. Ammunition and weapons are the only things they really need for support."
| Date Taken: | 09.22.2006 |
| Date Posted: | 09.26.2006 13:08 |
| Story ID: | 7831 |
| Location: | AMERIYAH, IQ |
| Web Views: | 78 |
| Downloads: | 45 |
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