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Blackanthem Military News
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Last Updated:
May 16, 2012 - 4:45:44 PM |
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| Lt. Col. Jabar, the commander of the 3rd Battalion, 4th Brigade, 10th Iraqi Army Division, talks to residents of a neighborhood in Baghdad%u2019s Mansour district March 25. The commander recently deployed his battalion from Basra, the second largest city in Iraq. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Jeffrey Ledesma, 1st Cav. Div. Public Affairs) |
Blackanthem Military News, BAGHDAD, Iraq – Sewing the torn pieces of a violent neighborhood seems challenging, because it is.
But with the help of his Iraqi and coalition counterparts, Lt. Col. Jabar, commander of the 3rd Battalion, 4th Brigade, 10th Iraqi Army Division, makes a promise to do exactly that when he took over half of the operational area from Lt. Col. Sabah, the commander of the 4th Battalion, 1st Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division, the final week of March during operation “Arrowhead Strike 9.”
In his advice to Jabar, Sabah said, that they need to start developing a good relationship with the residents of the area because they need their support and help to be successful in securing the area.
“We need the good people on our side and by helping each other we can do it,” said Saba. And it all starts with communication.
“The dissemination of the Baghdad Security Plan seems to be pretty good and proliferated across to your basic population,” said Lt. Col. Avanulas Smiley, the commander of 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division. “They understand what’s going on. They understand what we’re doing and there’s a resounding appreciation for the increase of Iraqi security forces, as well as coalition presence.”
Clearing operations like “Arrowhead Strike 9,” have swept through the area before, but some changes have been made.
“We would go in and clear an area and leave, but now we are coming into this area and ridding it of terrorist activity and staying to provide security for the residents,” said Jabar.
According to Smiley, working side-by-side with these Iraqi battalions everyday has allowed him to see the battalion from Basra fall right into place, performing their duties with absolute professionalism.
Although they have only been in the area for a few days, their performance gave no clue.
“They came right into zone, went right to work and I’ve been able to watch them at the lowest levels and how they interact and engage with the local nationals,” said Smiley. “It’s been very positive.”
The native of Tacoma, Wash., added that the fact that the 3rd Battalion, 4th Brigade, 10th Iraqi Army Division, is not from this area makes them very objective in their approach to business here.
Since they plan to remain in the area as part of the surge of Iraqi troops to the area, one of their goals is to provide the residents with the basic services they need such as water, electricity, and sewage. Citizens should know we’re here to help them, but it is going to take some time, he added.
In order for the relationship between the citizens and the forces that protect them to be a success, according to Jabar, citizens must be respected and discrimination between sects cannot, and must not, exist.
“I have watched and worked with several Iraqi security force battalion commanders and when I step back and watch him function without a (Military Transition Team) chief and without myself there I see him giving out his cell phone number, his personal cell phone number,” said Smiley about Jabar. “I see him explain to people how he thinks the Baghdad Security Plan is working, which tells me he’s studied the problem, understand the problem, understands the major points and the purpose of the Baghdad Security Plan and this is from a guy who isn’t from here.
“This is from a guy who just deployed his battalion from Basra and the fact that his battalion is primarily Shia, from a Shia part of the country, and is in a predominately Sunni neighborhood and the way he has reached out and has been received by the population is extremely positive.”
ADDITIONAL PHOTOS:
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| Lt. Col. Jabar, the commander of the 3rd Battalion, 4th Brigade, 10th Iraqi Army Division, talks with Lt. Col. Avanulas Smiley, the commander of 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, through an interpreter in a neighborhood in Baghdad%u2019s Mansour district March 25. The two commanders joined in meeting with residents of the area to discuss the neighborhood%u2019s current issues. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Jeffrey Ledesma, 1st Cav. Div. Public Affairs) |
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| Lt. Col. Sabah, the commander of the 4th Battalion, 1st Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division, discusses the new Iraqi troop surge in an interview during a day of clearing operations in the Iraqi capital%u2019s Mansour district March 25. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Jeffrey Ledesma, 1st Cav. Div. Public Affairs) |
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