3/5 Marines Graduate Newest Additions to Fallujah Police Force

By Pfc. Brian D. Jones

Iraqi police students graduated as the newest addition to the Fallujah police force at Camp Baharia, Dec. 31.

It was an extensive eight-day training course teaching 70 students law enforcement skills, tactics and procedures.

"We learned a lot of different skills with this training," said Husham Rahi Daham, an honor graduate from the class. "This training gave us the merit that we all need."

Students selected for the class are Fallujah citizens who were previously helping their community by serving as neighborhood watch personnel providing security at vehicle and pedestrian checkpoints throughout the city. Based on their prior efforts, experience and dedication as neighborhood watch, they were awarded the opportunity to serve as policemen.

Marines with 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 6, and Navy special operations force service members trained the students in a boot camp atmosphere.

"The whole thing was pretty fun because these are the guys we work with in town," said 21-year-old Cpl. Michael M. Dolan, an instructor for the course. "We see them in our precinct out in town and then we bring them out here and train them. It's kind of fun and everybody is kind of a character."

Daham, the youngest of the class at the age of 18, was a school student before coming to the academy. He said the training went smoothly for him attributing it to good instructors and few problems.

The language barrier was the most difficult part, said Dolan.

"Sometimes, you have to draw pictures or show them with rocks and manually place them," said Dolan, a Longmont, Colo., native.

As many Marines know, when it comes to training enthusiasm can be contagious and it's used as a training tool to motivate groups of people at a single time.

Though the interpreters could translate the words of their commands throughout the training, Dolan was concerned the emphasis on what they were saying wasn't always conveyed through the interpreter.

"You're trying to tell them something through an interpreter and the interpreter just doesn't express the same feelings because the interpreter doesn't really know what you're talking about either," said Dolan. "He's just repeating what you're saying and your enthusiasm doesn't get relayed to them."

The blank stares were aggravating, but everyone was determined to work through it, said Dolan.

"We had some difficulties, but we overcame them together as a class," said Haither Najah Hasin, the 22-year-old top honor graduate of the class who was a construction worker prior to being selected for IP training.

Hasin and Daham both said they hope to better their city by keeping it safe as policemen and hope to continue learning more about their new profession.

Daham said he also hopes the addition to the police force will allow a greater freedom of movement for the people throughout the city and Hasin continued that he would like the people of Fallujah to someday live like Americans with freedom and prosperity.

"This is a profession you can be proud of to support your family and take care of the citizens of the wonderful city of Fallujah," Maj. Robert C. Rice, 3rd Bn.,5th Marines, executive officer, told the graduating class. "I encourage you to return to your police stations and continue to set examples for your brothers that are still neighborhood watch. Show them if they continue to work hard they will have the opportunity you've had to become a full fledged policeman."

As the class graduated, the new IPs were turned over to their new commanding officer and returned back to the city with new authority to back up their efforts in providing security for the city.

judythpiazza@newsblaze.com

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