MOSUL, Iraq –On March 28, 2019, eight boats were divested to the Iraqi Security Forces in Mosul, Iraq.
Lt. Col. Voelkel and the members of 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment presented the boats in a ceremony to Maj. Gen. Najim Al-Jabouri, Ninewah Commander of the Iraqi Security Forces. Maj. Gen. Najim Al-Jabouri then allocated the boats to the River Police Department in Mosul.
“The divestment included two 22-foot Riverine Patrol boats and six 12-foot rubber patrol rafts along with trailers and engines for the boats” 1st Lt. Isaac Copes, the Battalion Counter-ISIS Train and Equipment Fund Officer, said. “We hope that the boats will help the Iraqi Security Forces secure the Tigris River and provide aid to the local populace.”
The boats were procured through initial efforts by 3rd Calvary Regiment leaders and Soldiers. As 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment “Bulldog” took over the Ninewah Province, the efforts were continued and finalized.
Divestments are a part of the Counter-Daesh Train and Equipment Fund and they assist in assuring our Iraq counterparts get the equipment they need to provide security for their nation.
The Counter-Daesh Train and Equipment Fund Program was originally designed to help defeat Daesh, but it has also provided equipment to help with tragedies like this one. Additionally, Counter-Daesh Train and Equipment Fund helps build a relationship between the Iraqi Security Forces and US Forces in support of both parties working together in future operations.
The boats were originally planned to be used by the Iraqi Security Forces to secure the Tigris River in Ninewah, but they will also be useful for incidents like the tragedy on March 21, 2019, when over 100 people died in a fatal ferry accident. These boats will help provide aid and support for disasters like this in the future.
The members of 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment are currently assigned to the Ninewah Operations Command in Mosul and will continue to work with the Iraqi Security Forces throughout their deployment to build and sustain the partnership between the forces.