Photo By Capt. Amy Bishop | (North) SALAH AD DIN PROVINCE, Iraq - Lt. Col. Radif Lafi Al Shemari, Commander of the...... read more read more
Subscribe
Capt. Amy A. Bishop
133rd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
(North) SALAH AD DIN PROVINCE, Iraq - Since the fall of the Saddam Hussein regime, the primary military mission in Iraq has been to establish security for the country, wipe out insurgents, establish a democratic government and make Iraq a safer place for its citizens to live.
The rebuilding of key infrastructure systems such as electrical plants, power lines, water facilities, chemical plants, roads, dams and oil pipelines had taken a backseat to the more pressing issue of establishing law and order and stamping out insurgents. Now, with more and more Iraqi Army units coming online to assist coalition forces with insurgent activities, getting the country's infrastructure systems up and running has become a primary goal.
There are, however, security concerns about new infrastructure projects becoming targets for Anti-Iraqi Forces. While the Iraqi Army is focused on overall security of an area, Strategic Infrastructure Battalions are tasked with the security of specific infrastructure systems in their area.
Strategic Infrastructure Battalions are not new. They originally fell under the supervision of the Ministry of Interior. Recently, many of these specialized battalions have realigned under the Iraqi Army, allowing for the proper training and the acquisition of new equipment and personnel to make them more effective.
The 7th SIB, working in the northern area of the Salah Ad Din Province, has two missions. It provides security for a network of power lines that run from the Bayji power station and for an oil pipeline that originates at the Bayji oil refinery and runs north into Turkey.
The 7th SIB is working side by side with War Rakkasans from the 3rd Brigade Combat Team's, 1st Squadron, 33rd Cavalry Regiment to secure a pivotal intersection of Highway One and Pipeline Road just north of the city of Mahattat Tululal Baqq.
Highway One, the most heavily traveled north to south highway in Iraq, has seen many instances of insurgent activity over the past few years. This particular intersection was considered such a high risk to the pipeline construction and the power line network that the headquarters of a 7th SIB Company is located there.
With the help of Coalition Forces, phase one is underway to construct a manned checkpoint to provide the needed control of the intersection.
"By controlling this intersection we are doing two things, one we are controlling the traffic that flows north and south, doing spot checks for weapons, for munitions that might be coming in and for terrorists that might be coming in from out of the country" said Maj. David E. Norton, Squadron Executive Officer of 1/33rd Cav. "It also provides better security for the pipeline road because in order to move down the pipeline they are going to have to get past this checkpoint."
According to Norton, the importance of protecting these two assets is clear. The power lines that run out of the Bayji power plant provide about 60 percent or more of Baghdad's power and the completion of the pipeline will greatly improve the economic situation of the people here, once oil begins to flow again.
The 1/33rd Cav is assisting today with the acquisition and placement of concrete barriers, the first phase of the checkpoint project, designed to channel traffic and stop insurgents from running the checkpoint.
Future phases will include the construction of guard towers, a guard shack, and placement of moveable barriers that will allow for traffic flow management. Lighting and mirrors will be provided to assist them in searching potentially hazardous vehicles. . Iraqi SIB soldiers will also be trained in proper checkpoint procedures and maintaining 24-hour checkpoint operations
Soldiers from the 1/33rd Cav will partner with SIB soldiers to oversee operations at the checkpoint and to provide services such as bomb detection dogs until construction and training are complete.
Norton believes that the training and assistance they are providing the 7th SIB brings Iraq closer to independence and Soldiers closer to home. "It is a pretty important job because we know if we keep the oil flowing and the power flowing, keys to the economy and keys to making Iraq safe and secure,â?¦[Iraq] can stand on its own feet".
| Date Taken: | 02.14.2006 |
| Date Posted: | 02.14.2006 12:13 |
| Story ID: | 5389 |
| Location: |
| Web Views: | 151 |
| Downloads: | 13 |
This work, Rakkasans Train and Support Iraqis on Infrastructure Security, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
