BAGHDAD — Soldiers with 1st Armored Division, United States Division – Center passed the torch to 25th Infantry Division, USD-C soldiers, during a transfer of authority ceremony Dec. 20 at Camp Liberty, Iraq.
The 25th Inf. Div. has the task of continuing the advise, train and assist mission their predecessors, the 1st Armd. Div., worked diligently to establish, by working consistently with senior Iraqi Security Forces and Government of Iraq leaders, throughout the greater Baghdad area and Anbar province.
At the beginning of the "Old Ironsides’’ deployment in December 2009, U.S. forces in Iraq were still operating in a combat capacity.
Although the U.S. was training the Iraqi Security Forces before that, the partnership between U.S. forces and their ISF counterparts has since evolved to where the ISF is taking full control of the security in Iraq.
“I am very optimistic about the Iraqi leaders who have been conducting security in Iraq, since July 2009,” said Maj. Gen. Terry Wolff, commanding general of 1st Armd. Div., USD-C and an Elk Grove, Calif., native. “Since then, the Iraqis took ownership, responsibility and accountability for the security in Iraq. U.S. forces are the minority partner; The Iraqis are the majority partner. It’s their responsibility and they have to answer to their prime minister, their government and their people, and we’re privileged to be a part of helping them do that.”
From the beginning of its deployment, 1st Armd. Div. has played a major role in helping Iraqis make history—a positive history—beginning with the first official elections, held in March 2010, under the newly formed democratic Government of Iraq. The U.S. forces, along with Iraqi Security Forces, provided security for the elections.
Even though the Iraqis now have full responsibility for the security of their country under Operation New Dawn, the partnership between USD-C soldiers and ISF existed long before the September 2010 transition from Operation Iraqi Freedom.
“Partnering with the Iraqis didn’t change with the onset of Operation New Dawn,” Wolff said. “We were partnering with the Iraqis in a particular manner, and that has continued. We have been working with the Iraqi Security Forces for years, which is why we military are quite optimistic about what we are seeing, and their ability to astound us.”
Wolff said what has changed throughout the 1st Armd. Div.’s tenure in Baghdad, was the number of soldiers responsible for training and advising Iraqi soldiers, due to the reduction in U.S. forces.
In addition to the advise, train and assist mission, the 1st Armd. Div. headquarters was charged with transitioning U.S. forces out of the USD-C area of operations, helping reduce U.S. forces to less than 50,000 soldiers, throughout Iraq, as part of Operation New Dawn.
“The drawdown, for USD-C, involved going from more than 24,000 soldiers to 8,000,” Wolff said. “We never doubted we could do this. We were confident. Military organizations can execute complex tasks. We met those goals, because of the hard work of the Iraqi soldiers and America’s sons and daughters.”
As the 1st Armd. Div. hands over the advise, train and assist mission to the 25th Inf. Div., they are also handing over a partnership established with 4th Advise and Assist Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, USD-C.
“Under the 1st Armd. Div. leadership, we have a situational awareness on the ground, that helped us move into the advise and assist mission in Anbar province,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Joseph Altman, senior enlisted advisor with 4th AAB, 3rd Inf. Div. and a Tifton, Ga., native. “That’s been extremely beneficial knowledge, not only to us and our soldiers, but to the Iraqis as well. Because of that leadership, we are seeing a lot of progress, as far as the Iraqis moving forward and building capacity within their government, their army and police forces.”
Wolff said communication has been constant between the incoming and outgoing divisions, respectively, since the summer of 2010. The 1st Armd. Div. sent soldiers to train and advise the 25th Inf. Div. on what to expect when then go into theater.
“The 25th Inf. Div. falls in on a well-oiled process and they will make the necessary adjustments they see fit, based on [incoming commanding general] Maj. Gen. [Bernard S.] Champoux’s actions,” Wolff said.
As Wolff departs theater, his advice to the incoming division is ‘it’s all about the Iraqis,’ a phrase he used often when talking about the continued partnership he helped build with senior leaders of Iraq.
“Enjoy your time with the Iraqis,” he said to Champoux. “The Iraqi leaders we deal with are quite remarkable. And virtually all of them are for a greater good. We spend an enormous amount of time with them and they are incredibly grand men who want a better Iraq.”