Photo By Sgt. Michael Alberts | Staff Sgt. Edwin Brunner (left), squad leader and Police Transition Team chief,...... read more read more
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By Spc. Mike Alberts
3rd Brigade Public Affairs, 25th Infantry Division
KIRKUK, Iraq – This Iraqi police department was so dysfunctional that the national Army intervened. The majority of the department's officers were fired and the station itself was temporarily abandoned and then ransacked, leaving only openings where windows and doors once hinged.
That was Iraq's Rashad police department late last year, a station located in northern Iraq, south of the city of Kirkuk. Eventually, over 150 new law enforcement officers were selected, trained and installed back at Rashad to begin the arduous task of establishing credibility with the populace and policing the community.
Whether the new cops would succeed depended in large part on the Wyoming Army National Guard Police Transition Team (PTT) Soldiers of 2nd Battalion, 300th Field Artillery Regiment, currently attached to the 25th Infantry Division's 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team. It was the "Powder River Cowboys," a nickname derived from the Powder River that runs across a large portion of their state, that were tasked with the mission of rebuilding the police department from the ground up.
Succeeding in Rashad required not only renovating the department's physical structure, but also improving the capability of its officers and management systems, explained Staff Sgt. Edwin Brunner, squad leader and PTT chief, 2-300th. Brunner is on his second deployment in three years to Iraq, volunteering to return after a year in Baghdad.
"When we got down to Rashad at the beginning of this year there was literally nothing, no doors, no windows, hardly any furniture, and the officers were not really doing any of what we consider police work," said Brunner, a former deputy sheriff and current resident of Worland, Wyo.
"Things were so bad that my goal initially was just to get these guys to show up to work every day," said Brunner. "We not only got them to come to work, but have been able to get them to a level that is really outstanding compared to where they were," he continued. "Early on we were able to get them manning checkpoints, conducting joint patrols into Rashad and eventually handling flash TCPs [tactical control points] where they would drive to a location, stop traffic and search vehicles for weapons, other illegal items and bad guys."
Brunner's team also worked to improve the physical infrastructure for the police officers. The 2-300th helped procure contracts for electricity, purchase necessary furniture, establish an arms room and small jail, and improved the force protection around the building. To those involved, the strides that the Powder River Cowboys have made in less than three months is nothing short of amazing.
"When my guys rolled into Rashad I don't think anyone expected us to get any further than getting the IP to show up to work," said 1st Lt. Kevin Messamer, platoon leader, 2-300th. Messamer, a father of a young son, runs a photography business with his wife back in Cody, Wyo., when he is not serving his country.
"Today, they are actually doing police work at Rashad and are getting better on a weekly basis. That success [is a testament] to the hard work of Brunner and the rest of the squad down there," said Messamer.
Although much remains to be accomplished, the department functions and none of the police officers appreciate the dedication and contribution of the Powder River Cowboys more than Capt. Ferras, Rashad's new police chief.
"I am grateful for the help of Sergeant Brunner and the rest of his team," said Ferras, through an interpreter. "That he is law enforcement and I am law enforcement helps us to work together," he continued. "With [coalition force help] we locals are now doing police work in our community and they accept us which is evident in the daily cooperation that we get from our citizens to fight crime.
| Date Taken: | 03.16.2007 |
| Date Posted: | 03.16.2007 16:35 |
| Story ID: | 9476 |
| Location: | KIRKUK, IQ |
| Web Views: | 346 |
| Downloads: | 276 |
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