Alpha Company Sees Iraqi Police Progress

Iraqi Army soldier and 2nd Lt. Jeremy Fox of Alpha Company
An Iraqi Army soldier and 2nd Lt. Jeremy Fox of Alpha Company, 2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division visit with a farmer in Marimbak, Iraq.

KIRKUK, Iraq – When an Iraqi factory worker found a bag containing what he believed to be IED making materials, he knew who to call – the Iraqi Police station in Taza.

Such a call would seem to be a matter of course for Americans, but in Iraq this kind of action demonstrates a positive step forward for the Iraqi people’s confidence in their police.

“What I like is citizens seeing something out of place and calling the local Iraqi Police. It has taken awhile for local people to trust the coalition forces and the Iraqi Security Forces, but we are starting to see the benefits of the investments in time we have made,” said 2nd Lt. Jeremy Fox of 1st Platoon, Company A, 2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division.

Taza based Iraqi Police officers hand out flyers
Taza based Iraqi Police officers hand out flyers while on patrol with Soldiers of Alpha Company, 2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division.

In visits to two towns in the Kirkuk region of north central Iraq, Fox and his platoon saw first-hand the progress made by the Iraqi Police and Army, and the corresponding trust given by the Iraqi people.

While patrolling the Taza marketplace with local Iraqi Police, coalition forces assisted the IP with handing out flyers providing local citizens with telephone numbers and requests for support.

“Passing out flyers works. The flyers have local telephone numbers that people can call to report trouble and some of these calls have resulted in vital intelligence gathered, some weapons caches found and IED identification,” said Staff Sgt. Brian Anderson of Rochester, NY.

A Taza based Iraqi Police officer talks with a local merchant
A Taza based Iraqi Police officer talks with a local merchant while on patrol with Soldiers of Alpha Company, 2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division.

Gathering information on possible insurgent activity, and at the same time building relationships with the Iraqi people, works in outlying areas the same as it does in town.

After leaving Taza, Fox’s platoon and an Iraqi Army company traveled to Marimbak, a farming village of about 500 Sunni Arabs. Fox and an Iraqi Army leader met with the village muktar, a local official similar to a mayor, who talked about politics and how he and his village have come to rely on the IA and IP.

“The more we see them relying on the Iraqi Security Forces, that’s the direction we want to be moving in,” said Fox. “We are trying to set them up for self-sufficiency and self-governance, and all this is geared towards us handing over maneuver space back to the Iraqis.”

Hot this week

Did David Wineland and Serge Haroche Steal Idea For The Nobel Physics Prize?

Dr. Omerbashich says the Royal Swedish Academy is a Crime Scene and he has the proof that Nobel laureates stole his discovery.

New Approaches to Disaster Relief Challenges

Disaster relief has always been a challenge. NASA, Google,...

3 Legitimate Money Making Methods to Supplement Your Income

In a perfect world, when your landlord raises your...

2016 Predictions by World Renowned Medium and Psychic Lindy Baker

World renowned medium and psychic Lindy Baker is interviewed by The Hollywood Sentinel, discussing psychic power, the spirit world, life after death, areas of concern in 2016, and much more.

Digital Coupon Customers Spending More Than Double At Stores

A new study shows that customers who use digital coupons go shopping more for groceries and other household goods more often and spend more on their shopping trips.

Don’t Demand Respect While Rejecting the Host Culture

Why demanding respect from the West without self-reflection falls flat. A powerful defense of Western values and cultural boundaries.

FUD Is the Only Thing That’s Real in Crypto Right Now

In the topsy-turvy world of crypto, where projects appear...

How to Get Your Team OSHA-Compliant Without Disrupting Productivity

You’ve got deadlines to hit, orders to fill, and...

Setting the Scene in the Green Leadership Contest

An informative analysis of the UK Green Party leadership contest and its pro Palestinian stance on antisemitism, trans rights, and other human rights issues

When Celebration Becomes a Scapegoat

Celebration is not chaos, but neither is it a chance to jam a foreign culture down the throats of people who have long assimilated into a country.

The Comfort of Condemning Trump – and the Cowardice of Silence Elsewhere

It’s become something of a global reflex: condemn Trump. Dismiss him as a narcissist, a populist, a threat to democracy.

Related Articles

Popular Categories