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Blackanthem Military News
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Last Updated:
Mar 20, 2010 - 5:39:42 PM |
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Blackanthem Military News
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| Pfc Luis De LosSantos conducts first aid training with Iraqi police in Faris. (Texas Military Forces photo by Capt. Mark Karnauch) |
CAMP FALLUJAH, Iraq -- If "transition is the mission" in Iraq, then the Police Transition Teams (PTT) are a large part of how the mission is executed.
The 236th Military Police Company is currently performing the PTT mission, referred to as "Pitt," in and around the cities of Fallujah and Habbaniyah.
With only 17 days' notice, the company mobilized on June 25, 2007, for Fort Dix, N.J., from its home station in San Antonio. The Texas Army National Guard unit also included Soldiers from Baytown, El Paso, Houston, Lufkin, Tyler and other Texas communities.
After two months of training in the Garden State, the 236th MP Company entered theater in mid September. Its Soldiers immediately began working hand-in-hand with the Iraqi Police (IP), at times living under the same roof with them. The Soldiers' intent is to build a professional Iraqi police force that works with the Iraqi people, obeys the Rule of Law and operates self sufficiently. The PTTs accomplish this by providing the IPs with training on topics such as police ethics, weapons safety, first aid, search and seizure, community relations and detainment operations. With the help of International Police Advisors, they also train on more advanced skills such as crime scene investigation. The Soldiers and IP conduct joint community patrols and work directly with the citizens and civic leaders within the community.
The long hours and hard work have their rewards.
"When we first went into Karmah, it was a ghost town," recalled Staff Sgt. Timothy Challes, a platoon sergeant from San Antonio. "Now it's has a bustling economy, with a great deal of foot traffic and an IP on every corner."
The Soldiers have seen progress throughout the districts in the form of new shops, construction, paintings, signs, community improvement projects and a decline in attacks. In some locations, attacks are down as much as 90 percent from the previous year.
"It's not what I expected," said Spc. Shannon Owens, a gunner from Thorndale, Texas. "I expected more hostilities, but to date it has been relatively peaceful."
This drop in no way indicates that the dangers of combat are gone. Vehicle borne improvised explosive device (car bombs), roadside IEDs and suicide bombers are always a threat. The Soldiers have experienced their share of contact to include coordinated attacks, sniper fire and, on Jan. 10, a grenade thrown into the vehicle that Pfc Brandon Price of Beaumont was commanding with a Marine team; amazingly, a piece of the pin remained in place, and the grenade did not explode. Private Price may have summed it up best when he said, "It was a miracle."
The Soldiers have different ways for dealing with the stress of mission and the pains of being far away from their families and friends. Sgt. Kathryn Cumfer, a radio/telephone operator from Onalaska, likes to quilt blankets for her fellow Soldiers to decompress. First Lt. Yves Raoelina, a platoon leader from Houston, calls his family twice a week. Sgt. 1st Class Roger Flores, operations noncommissioned officer from San Antonio, enjoys reading and lifting weights. Those in the stations enjoy cooking, lifting weights, playing their X-Box or simply talking with their fellow team members about the events of the day.
Cultural differences between the Soldiers and Iraqis presented hurdles that the 236th MP Company had to overcome. According to Multinational Force-West policy, female Soldiers cannot participate with the embedded PTT elements.
"This posed a great challenge in the proper utilization of our female MPs," said First Sgt. Joseph Haro, from Austin, Texas. "But where they have operated, they have excelled."
Differences between Soldiers and Marines have presented their share of challenges too. Learning the Marine ranks or just the jargon has been an interesting experience for some Soldiers but nothing new for the former Marines in the company.
During the tour, Soldiers and Marines have built close relationships and developed a mutual respect for each other's services. The 236th MP Company has served under two Marine regimental combat teams and operated with several Marine battalions.
"We have worked better with the Marines than some of the Army units," said Sgt. John Phillips, a team leader from North Shore, Texas.
Lt. Col. Ben Gipe, the Marine senior adviser in Habbaniyah and brother of Army National Guard Command Sgt. Maj. John D. Gipe, said, "The lord has blessed me with my Texas MPs; every one of them has a Marine attitude. How can we fail?"
Capt Dick Steele, Marine Regimental Combat Team-1 Police Implementation Officer, added, "After a month of working with the Texas MP Company, I must admit that these are some of the finest Americans I have ever worked with. They are true professionals and know how to get the job done right."
Through it all, the Soldiers have remained committed to their mission.
"I feel that the morale is very high right now," said Sgt. 1st Class Bradley Stallings, a platoon sergeant from Austin. "My platoon stays focused on the mission and excited they are more than halfway done with the deployment."
ADDITIONAL PHOTO:
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| Sgt. Gordon Gentry observes the search technique of an Iraqi police officer in Saqlawiyah. (Texas Military Forces photo by Capt. Mark Karnauch) |
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