Oklahoma Boys Train Iraqi Police to Secure Baghdad

Photo By Cpl. Taylor Schulz | Soldiers from the 1-158th Field Artillery stop for a photo inside the International Zone in Baghdad, Iraq.  

IRAQ

06.16.2006

Courtesy Story

U.S. Central Command Public Affairs           

When the Headquarters and Headquarters Services, 1-158th Field Artillery of the Oklahoma National Guard arrived in Baghdad in October they were faced with a daunting task, train the Iraqi Police (IPs) in methods that were a foreign concept to them compared to the type in use when Saddam was in power.

"In the past IPs never operated in quite the way that they do today and there were some growing pains at first" said Sgt. Maj. Jimmy Venable of the 1-158th. The IPs are coming around though and Venable went on to say that with each iteration of training the security situation continues to get better and better.

Training for the IPs has been mostly from the ground up, type of work since all police forces were disbanded when US troops first took control of Iraq said Venable. As a result US troops and contractors have begun with the basics, such as training the IPs in force protection (making sure that IPs are safe at their stations and in the streets) and investigation.

• Date Taken: 06.16.2006
• Date Posted: 06.16.2006 11:14
• Story ID: 6833
• Location: IQ