Photo By Sgt. Kenneth Bince | Soldiers from the 139th MP Company stand at parade rest during an end of mission...... read more read more
JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq -- An end of mission ceremony for the 139th Military Police Company, 317th MP Battalion, 49th MP Brigade, was held here at the West Combo Morale Welfare and Recreation facility Feb. 10.
The Fort Stewart, Ga.-based MP company, 'Archangels,' officially ended its year-long deployment, which began Feb. 26, 2009, by furling the unit's guidon before a standing room only formation of Soldiers.
Forward Operating Base Normandy was the home for the MP company throughout its primary mission as a Police Transition Team that trained Iraqi police, before it moved to Joint Base Balad for equipment turn in, early January.
Immediately following the invocation by Capt. Rob Haskins, 317th MP Battalion chaplain, 1st Lt. Dane Hiltner, 139th executive officer, spoke of the unit's mission saying, "The unit's [PTT] mission consisted of training, assisting, and advising over 5,000 Iraqi police counterparts in full spectrum police operations in order to prepare them as the primary security force within the Diyala provinces' cities villages and locales."
"The 139th was responsible for an area of operations spanning over 8,000 kilometers [4970 miles], which included nine of the Diyala provinces, 16 police districts, four joint communication centers, 48 local police stations and five detention facilities," said Hiltner.
Hiltner continued, as he named off a long list of accomplishments that were attained during the unit's deployment saying, "The 139th validated two police districts, conducted over 1,200 combat patrols, as well as 40 company logistic patrols."
"Effectively completed over 700 combined training events, 900 key leader engagements, 100 community-policing patrols and 30 combined checkpoint operations," said Hiltner.
Along with their PPT mission, the 139th also supported 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division and the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, Stryker Brigade Combat Teams as well as nine maneuver battalions in the area of criminal investigations, Iraqi rule of law, police intelligence operations and detention facility operations, said Hiltner.
After the ceremony, Capt. Jeremiah Furnia, 139th MP Company commander, who is on his third deployment, expressed that the outstanding successes of the unit were a credit to his Soldiers, and on an additional accomplishment achieved by the 139th saying, "None of our accomplishments would have been achieved without the hard work and dedication of my Soldiers.¬ While working with our Iraqi police partners, we helped created weekly and monthly training schedules, which were followed through and completed."
Sgt. 1st Class Waymon Smith, 139th headquarters platoon sergeant and a native of Elberton, Ga., said, "Even though this unit was newly formed in late 2007, about 90 percent of the lower enlisted came here straight out of AIT [advance individual training]; we came together and accomplished the mission without any serious injuries or loss of life and that's a credit to the Soldiers as well as their leadership."
"There were a lot of lessons learned as the company partnered with Iraqi police with the assistance of IPA's [International Police Advisers], said Sgt 1st Class Brenton York, a native Farmersville, Texas.
"We helped facilitate [Iraqi police] to the next level of responsibility. Their level of professionalism and dedication increased beyond our expectations, and now I am leaving here confident in their ability to succeed with their own security," said York.
"Not only did I see the IP's improve, I grew and developed myself," he explained. "I learned a lot while being a platoon sergeant, and I had the opportunity to mentor my own Soldiers, and to help build future leaders of the Army."
The 66th MP Company, from Fort Lewis, Wash., 'relieved in place,' the 139th in early January, and it assumed over watch for the Muqdadiyah, Abu Sayda, Wajehiyah and Dali Abbas Iraqi police districts.
The 139th MP Company will redeploy in mid-February back to Fort Stewart, Ga.
| Date Taken: | 02.13.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 02.13.2010 21:01 |
| Story ID: | 45329 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE BALAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 1,139 |
| Downloads: | 501 |
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