Photo By Sgt. Rodney Foliente | 1st Lt. Terrence Gaspich, platoon leader, Company C, 2nd Combined Arms Battalion, 8th...... read more read more
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By Sgt. Rodney Foliente
2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division
CAMP ECHO, Iraq – Iraqi army soldiers, Iraqi police and U.S. Soldiers are living and working together at the Joint Security Station in Diwaniya. This, along with daily missions and cross-training, illustrates they are all dedicated to one goal: a self-sustaining and independently-secured Iraq.
In the short time since the arrival of Company C, 2nd Combined Arms Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, they have conducted training and daily missions that keep the Iraqi security forces in the forefront and the U.S. Soldiers providing assistance when needed.
There is a vast improvement to the quality and capability of the ISF, said Staff Sgt. Adam Martinez, Company C section sergeant, who deployed previously for Operation Iraqi Freedom I and also in 2005-2006. He said the ISF presence is now strong and consistent in Diwaniya.
"Iraq has changed a lot since the last two times I've been here. It went from having hardly any checkpoints to having them every one or two blocks here," said Martinez, who comes from Harlingen, Texas. "I think that helps the public. They see the IPs or IAs all over the place or on patrols and it lets the people know that the [ISF] are taking charge of their country. It gives [the ISF] a face to the public so they can see how they're working hard to make their country better.
"It seems as if the people will approach them for any problems, because they're used to seeing the ISF out there," he said, adding that the citizens' requests for ISF assistance illustrates that the people trust them to keep the peace.
The U.S. presence in the area provides more of a support role and assistance in professionalizing the ISF, said 1st Lt. Cory Guenther, Company C fire support officer,.
"Our working with them shows them a baseline of what standards we're using and gives them a [suggestion] of some of the tasks they should be accomplishing," continued Guenther, from Tomah, Wis.
With each patrol including IA and IP personnel, there are less U.S. Soldiers required for the missions, which puts less strain and calls for less U.S. manpower, said Guenther.
He adds that as the ISF continue to progress, more American Soldiers will find their slots replaced by Iraqis. The Iraqis will take more and more of the security responsibilities and the Company C Soldiers will fade more and more into the background, until they are no longer needed.
Working with the Americans helps the ISF become more proficient, said Hori, a Soldier with the 4th Bn., 8th IA Division. He said that they are all working together and eager for the time when the ISF will be able to do their jobs without foreign assistance and Iraq will be strong and self-reliant.
| Date Taken: | 10.21.2008 |
| Date Posted: | 10.21.2008 12:14 |
| Story ID: | 25331 |
| Location: | DIWANIYAH, IQ |
| Web Views: | 161 |
| Downloads: | 151 |
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