Photo By Staff Sgt. Joshua Ford | Children observe soldiers from 2nd Platoon, 2nd Company, 4th Battalion, 4th Iraqi...... read more read more
Subscribe
Spc. Joshua R. Ford
Public Affiars
3rd Brigade Combat Team
82nd Airborne Division
Iraqi Army, 1-505 bring security to Sulihiyah
SULIHIYAH, Iraq (November 12, 2006)-It was dusk on a calm, cool November afternoon in Sulihiyah when the town's citizens saw something they had not seen in years.
American Paratroopers and Iraqi Soldiers marched side-by-side down one of the town's small, dirt roads.
The people stared at the troops with blank expressions as they passed.
To ease the tension, one Iraqi Soldier walked toward a small Iraqi girl, his hand extended with a children's book.
Not knowing what type of reaction the troops would receive, they were soon relieved to find the little girl's blank expression turn into a smile.
The Iraqi Soldier's welcoming gesture led to a mass following of children throughout the rest of the Iraqi-led patrol on the southern side of the city.
Capt. Tamal Slaar Ahmeed, 2nd Platoon leader, 2nd Company, 4th Battalion, 4th Iraqi Army Division, expressed that finding success in Sulihiyah would start with telling the children that the Iraqi and coalition forces' full intent is to help the Iraqi people.
It was a different story with the adults of the city, who knew the wrong people could be watching their every move.
During the assessment, coalition forces found it difficult to get information from the townspeople.
The people wouldn't talk because they were scared they or their family might be threatened or killed. The adults in Sulihiyah were scared to talk because they didn't know who could have been listening, said Capt. Sung Kato, commander, Company D, 1st Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division.
Paratroopers with Company D, in coordination with the Iraqi security forces, have been tasked to make the neglected town a safe and secure place.
Kato and Ahmeed would like to bring security to the area by patrolling on a regular basis to provide a sense of security to Sulihiyah's citizens.
"Our presence will increase the security of Sulihiyah, bringing us more information from the people to capture targets inside the city or let us know when the bad guys are coming," said Kato.
"A military presence in the town will also confuse insurgent cells, getting into their heads and making them change their strategy," Kato added.
Since almost every home in Sulihiyah has running water and electricity, security in Sulihiyah is by far the people's number-one concern, Ahmeed.
Forward Operating Base Summerall has received numerous attacks that have been staged out of Sulihiyah since the beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom, and units that operated out of the FOB have never sent ground forces to interact with the people regularly.
Part of the reason is because of the fact that many contractors and service members lost their lives trying to help the people of Sulihiyah in 2003. The city was deemed very dangerous, said Kato.
During a recent patrol, one Iraqi Soldier spotted an armed man on the rooftop of a house. The troops were quick to react, said Kato.
The Iraqi Soldiers organized their vehicles in a tactical formation to cover the rear, and then a squad moved quickly to the house where the individual was seen.
The individual fled the scene and was not detained but the incident was an example to Kato that 2nd Company is almost ready to take the responsibility of Sulihiyah's security, he said.
"(Iraqi Soldiers) want to fight, and they want to fight bad guys," said Kato. "They reacted well to contact, kept their equipment on, pulled security, and were doing a good job," said Kato.
Sulihiyah citizens were much more receptive to the Iraqi Soldiers than the Americans, said Sgt. Saint Nelson, squad leader, 310th Psychological Operations Company.
"It is easier to talk to someone familiar – someone that can relate to what's going on – because they have experienced many of the same situations," said Nelson
Nelson was in Iraq five months before the Panthers arrived and said with what he has seen from the Paratroopers so far helps him to know that their battalion is definitely going to make some good changes in the area because the Paratroopers are very interactive with the people.
"Not every person here is bad. There are good people. And if we can change the minds of some, that some can change the minds of some more and the process will continue. If we can do that we will succeed," said Nelson.
| Date Taken: | 11.12.2006 |
| Date Posted: | 11.22.2006 11:16 |
| Story ID: | 8362 |
| Location: | SULIHIYAH, IQ |
| Web Views: | 466 |
| Downloads: | 170 |
This work, Iraqi Army, 1-505 bring security to Sulihiyah, by SSG Joshua Ford, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
