Published: January 06, 2006
Rhode Island Senator Visits Soldiers, Local Iraqi Leaders in Tal Afar
Tal Afar, Iraq - U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) has lunch with Soldiers from Rhode Island assigned to the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment at Forward Operating Base Sykes in Tal Afar, Iraq. Reed, a West Point graduate and former Army Ranger, also met with local Iraqi leaders during his visit Jan. 4.
U.S. Army photo |
TIKRIT, Iraq - U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) met with Soldiers from his home state and local Iraqi leaders during a visit to the northwestern Iraqi city of Tal Afar Jan. 4.
Reed was hosted by the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, headquartered at Forward Operating Base Sykes. After receiving an operational update from the regiment, the former Army Ranger met with several troopers from his home state.
Reed's visit surprised one of his constituents, Pfc. Christopher Wright, a 20-year-old tank crewman from Ashaway, R.I.
"I was pretty surprised when my first sergeant came to me and said, 'You have to go meet your senator tomorrow,'" Wright said. "I was dumbfounded. It's pretty amazing to meet him all the way out here, especially since we're the smallest state. I'm still surprised."
Reed toured the city and visited the Joint Coordination Center, where he was briefed on the state of affairs in the city by the mayor, two brigade commanders from the 3rd Iraqi Army Division, and the chief of police.
The JCC is the central location for local governance in the new Iraqi system of representative government. Every city in Iraq has a JCC, which is the central hub from where local government, police, security, and civil service activities function. It serves a purpose very much like a "city hall" does in the United States.
Mayor Najem Abdullah Abed praised the efforts of the 3rd ACR in helping to restore security in the city, which has seen a major reduction in violence over the past few months.
"The U.S. troops that fought alongside the Iraqi Army have become our brothers," Najem said.
Reed is on a fact-finding trip to Iraq to get an update on current operations by U.S. forces in Iraq and the status of Military Transition Teams as they continue to work with the Iraqi Army.
The MiTTs are small, coalition units that work and live with their IA counterparts, sharing their expertise as the IA forces continue to take more responsibility for Iraq's security needs.
Source: Multi-National Force-Iraq
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