Photo By Staff Sgt. Michael Pryor | Cadets at the National Police Training Academy in Baghdad navigate an obstacle course...... read more read more
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By Sgt. Mike Pryor
2nd BCT, 82nd Abn. Div. Public Affairs
BAGHDAD – In a colorful ceremony reminiscent of a Super Bowl halftime show - complete with marching formations, battle re-enactments, martial artists demolishing concrete blocks with their hands and an acoustic guitar interlude - the Iraqi National Police Academy in Baghdad's Adhamiyah district officially graduated more than 400 new officers into its ranks, March 29.
The graduates, who completed 60 days of rigorous training at the academy, will be sent to different national police battalions throughout Baghdad to supplement Iraq's growing security forces.
On their final day as cadets, they received congratulations and words of encouragement from several high ranking Iraqi government officials, including the commander of Iraq's police forces.
A contingent of U.S. paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division's 2nd Battalion, 319th Airborne Field Artillery Regiment was on hand to provide added security for the event, as well as offer their support to the graduating class.
"On a simplistic level, we're here to provide security. But on a bigger picture, I think what we're here to do is demonstrate to the school and the people in charge that we believe in what they're doing," said 1st Lt. Josh Rowan, of College Station, Texas, a platoon leader with Battery B, 2-319th AFAR.
A handful of the graduates were chosen to perform in a demonstration of hand-to-hand fighting techniques during the ceremony. Their display of martial arts prowess brought the crowd to its feet. One of their biggest fans was Sgt. Nick Corbridge, of Headquarters Battery, 2-319th AFAR, who took photos of himself with the team members after their performance.
"It was fun just rapping with them. A lot of them had black belts, and I have a black belt from doing Tae Kwan Do as a kid, so it was cool to talk with them about that," Corbridge said.
The martial arts team received a special surprise at the end of the ceremony: Instead of being assigned to different units like the rest of their graduating class, the team members were invited to stay on at the Academy as hand-to-hand combat instructors.
"We are teachers!" shouted one of the team members. "I love everyone today!"
| Date Taken: | 04.05.2007 |
| Date Posted: | 04.05.2007 15:11 |
| Story ID: | 9785 |
| Location: | BAGHDAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 286 |
| Downloads: | 251 |
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