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WASHINGTON, Aug. 27, 2009 – Several years ago, tens of thousands of Sunni fighters considered themselves enemies of the Iraqi government and its U.S. conspirators, but after switching allegiances, these former insurgents now are filling the ranks of Iraq’s ministries and armed forces. Thousands of these “Sons of Iraq” -- the moniker given to those Sunni combatants who defected from insurgent groups to fight alongside U.S. and Iraqi security forces -- recently gained employment as government workers in Baghdad. Another 13,000 have jobs as Iraqi policemen or soldiers. Though once part of the al-Qaida-aligned resistance in Iraq, these fighters left...

BAGHDAD, May 21, 2009 – Iraqi government representatives gathered with leaders of the “Sons of Iraq” civilian security group in a packed theater here May 19 to field questions from the men and respond to their concerns about the program's progress. A “Sons of Iraq” civilian security group leader asks government representatives a question at a conference sponsored by the Iraqi government in Baghdad, May 19, 2009. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Attila Fazekas  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. About 400 sheiks and respected elders from around the country took helicopters or vehicle convoys into the International...

BAGHDAD — The Government of Iraq (GoI) is on schedule to assume responsibility for paying all Sons of Iraq (SoI) security volunteers, and is working to pay back-wages to members of the group who are owed money due to a legislative oversight, Coalition authorities said. “Time and again, the Government of Iraq and the Coalition have demonstrated a commitment to the Sons of Iraq through their actions, and that’s borne out here,” said Maj. Gen. John Johnson, deputy commanding general for operations, Multi-National Corps – Iraq. Once SoI pay is on track, GoI and Coalition authorities will shift attention to...

BAGHDAD — The Sons of Iraq, security volunteers credited with helping reduce violent attacks and terrorist influence across the country, marked two major milestones Wednesday. Coalition forces completed the final transfer of Sons of Iraq members to Iraqi control, and the Government of Iraq secured the funds to pay back-wages to Sons of Iraq in four provinces. “These are big wins, and they affirm the Government of Iraq’s commitment to the Sons of Iraq,” said Col. Jeffrey Kulmayer, chief of reconciliation, Multi-National Corps – Iraq. The Sons of Iraq, numbering about 92,000 in nine provinces across Iraq, began in 2006...

Former Sons of Iraq members work on a solar-powered device used to heat water while attending a Demobilization, Demilitarization and Reintegration Center course in western Adhamiyah, March 12. This machine will enable Iraqi families to have hot water in their homes. Photo by 1st Lt. Scott Lewis, 1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs. BAGHDAD — The classrooms bustle with activity as former Sons of Iraq members attend a Demobilization, Demilitarization and Reintegration (DDR) Center here to learn the skills necessary to make a living and support their families.This DDR Center in western Adhamiyah offers courses in surveying, electricity, mechanics, generator repair...

FORWARD OPERATING BASE WARRIOR, Iraq, March 12, 2009 – The U.S. military made its last payment to “Sons of Iraq” civilian security group members March 2 in Kirkuk province’s city of Sudayra. The Iraqi government will assume full responsibility of payments April 1. "This is one of the many milestones that the [Iraqi government] is hitting day by day," Army Capt. Justin Michel, commander of 1st Cavalry Division’s Company A, 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team. "This transfer is a necessary step that the [Iraqi government] is taking to show its citizens that it is taking the...

More than 90 Sons of Iraq from the Tikrit region registered to stay in the program, March 1, as it transitions to the Iraqi government, May 1. Photo by Jazz Burney, 25th Infantry Division Public Affairs. TIKRIT — In Saddam Hussein’s former horse stables, now a central operation center at Forward Operating Base Remagen, more than 90 Sons of Iraq from this region registered to remain in the Sons of Iraq program and received payment March 1, as the program transitions from U.S.- to Iraqi-funding and management.“This has been my wish to join the Sons of Iraq program because it...

BAGHDAD, Feb. 27, 2009 – As the Iraqi government and coalition forces finish transferring all “Sons of Iraq” civilian security group volunteers to Iraqi control by April, the focus now is on their transition into jobs and educational programs, officials said. “We're all working together for the same purpose: to bring these young men back to the government, back to their country, and to continue to build a stable and secure Iraq. What you see is a result of this partnership. Things are falling into place,” Army Maj. Gen. Michael Ferriter, deputy commanding general for operations, Multinational Corps Iraq, said....

BAGHDAD — The Government of Iraq (GoI) and Coalition forces will complete the transfer of the Sons of Iraq (SoI) security volunteers to Iraqi control by April, and officials say they now are focused on transitioning the men into jobs and educational programs. “We're all working together for the same purpose: to bring these young men back to the government, back to their country, and to continue to build a stable and secure Iraq,” said Maj. Gen. Michael Ferriter, deputy commanding general for operations, Multi-National Corps – Iraq. “What you see is a result of this partnership. Things are falling...

DIWANIYA — Iraqi military and government leaders met with Coalition forces to coordinate the Government of Iraq’s (GoI) plans for the Sons of Iraq (SoI) program at the headquarters of the 8th Iraqi Army (IA) Division here, Jan. 21. Lt. Gen. Ali Salih Farhood Oothman, 8th IA Div. commander and host of the meeting, discussed the importance of the transition and his confidence in the 8th IA Div. and the local government to take control of the program, which is scheduled to be entirely under GoI control in March. “This is one more thing where we can step back, and...

BAGHDAD, Jan. 15, 2009 – Nearly 900 former members of the “Sons of Iraq” civilian security group officially joined the ranks of the Iraqi police at a graduation ceremony here yesterday. Former “Sons of Iraq” civilian security group members demonstrate tactical movements that they will incorporate in their duties as police officers as part of their graduation ceremony at Al Furat Iraqi Police Training Center in Baghdad, Jan. 14, 2009. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Jessika Malott  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Numbering 894 men and three women, they are the second class drawn from former Sons...

WASHINGTON, Jan. 9, 2009 – The coalition will follow through with its commitment to place “Sons of Iraq” civilian security group members into permanent jobs as they are transferred under Iraqi government control, Multinational Corps Iraq’s chief of reconciliation said yesterday. “We don’t intend to transfer [the Sons of Iraq] and abandon them,” Army Lt. Col. Jeffrey Kulmayer said in a teleconference with military bloggers. “We intend to transfer them and ensure that they are provided meaningful employment in the future.” The Iraqi government has assumed responsibility for some 94,000 Sons of Iraq volunteers since the coalition began transferring the...

BAGHDAD — Along with a new year, Iraq is ringing in an important step toward national reconciliation Jan. 1 when the nation’s government takes over control of the “Sons of Iraq” (SoI) citizen security groups from Coalition forces in four key provinces across the country, including Diyala. In all, 76 percent of the nation’s SoI members will be under Iraqi government responsibility by New Year’s Day. “We are beyond the tipping point with the Sons of Iraq,” Army Lt. Col. Jeffrey Kulmayer, chief of reconciliation and engagement for Multi-National Corps - Iraq, said. “They have invested in the future of...

Retired Iraqi Army Maj. Gen. Muzhir al-Mawla, left, representative of Iraq’s Implementation and Follow-Up Committee for National Reconciliation, speaks with the director general of the Iraqi Police at a meeting in Iraq’s Anbar province to discuss the transfer of “Sons of Iraq” citizen security group control from Coalition forces to the Iraqi government, Dec. 20, 2008. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Eric J. Martinez. BAGHDAD — The once-restless and violent western Iraqi province of Anbar produced a grassroots security movement in June 2007 that came to be known as the “Awakening.� The movement grew rapidly throughout the country with coalition...

BAGHDAD, Dec. 29, 2008 – Instructors from the Jihad Civil Services Department are teaching job skills to former “Sons of Iraq” citizen security group members in southern Baghdad's Rashid district. An instructor teaches students how to interpret gauges on a generator during a hands-on portion of an electrical engineering class at the Jihad Civil Services Department in southern Baghdad, Dec. 24, 2008. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. David Hodge   (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. About 400 students attend the six-month vocational school, said Wissam al-Kinani, CSD principal, adding that about 100 of the students are former Sons...

Calvin, a Sons of Iraq member, watches a highway from the checkpoint he mans in Diwaniya with two other SoI members, Dec. 15, 2008. Photo by Staff Sgt. Carlos Burger, 4th Infantry Division Public Affairs. DIWANIYA — Coalition forces conducted status check patrols on highway checkpoints controlled by the Sons of Iraq (SoI) here, Dec. 15. Soldiers from Company D, 2nd Combined Arms Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division conducted the patrol and found citizens working diligently to maintain the safety of their city.“I have midday duty. I watch the highways and search the areas...

WASHINGTON, Dec. 7, 2008 – Coalition forces in Iraq apprehended an alleged key member of the Kataib Hezbollah network and two other suspects during an operation early today in Baghdad's Adhamiyah district. Officials believe Kataib Hezbollah is a surrogate group for the Quds Force of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard. Acting on intelligence information, coalition forces targeted an alleged Kataib Hezbollah bombing cell leader believed to be responsible for recent attacks against Iraqi and coalition forces and Iraqi citizens. Coalition forces approached a residence in search of the suspected terrorist. The wanted man identified himself to forces, and was apprehended without incident,...

DIYALA — Local Iraqi men lined up to become registered members of the Sons of Iraq here at Forward Operating Base Gabe, Dec. 4. More than 300 Iraqis showed up for the registration, put together by Coalition forces and the Iraqi Army. “It’s been a great turn out,” said Col. Burt Thompson, brigade commander, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division. “And it’s really good to see both U.S. forces and the Iraqi Army working together as a joint force to ensure the registration of as many local Iraqi nationals to become registered members of the Sons of Iraq.”...

BAGHDAD — In early November, as U.S. Soldiers looked on, Baghdad-based members of the Sons of Iraq got their monthly paychecks from a new boss: the Iraqi government. “It was a critical step in the turnover of the mostly Sunni volunteers from Coalition to Iraqi control,” said Lt. Col. Jeffrey Kulmayer, the chief of Reconciliation and Engagement for Multi-National Corps - Iraq. “And the Baghdad transfer has become a model for similar moves in four other key provinces,” Kulmayer continued. “The government is doing the right thing. Baghdad has gone quite well, and we expect that the rest of the...

BAGHDAD — The Sons of Iraq in the West Rashid District of southern Baghdad received their first Government of Iraq paycheck at Joint Security Station Jihad Nov. 10, 2008. This is the first large-scale SoI payday conducted by the Government of Iraq and marks a landmark achievement in the SoI transition from Coalition forces control to GoI control. “Today is really the next critical step in the transfer that began on Oct. 1,” said Lt. Col. Mike Runey, plans officer with 4th Infantry Division and Multi-National Division – Baghdad, about the SoI payday. “Effectively, the transfer has happened. The critical...

More than 1000 Sons of Iraq completed their first phase of Iraqi Police Basic Recruit Training, Nov. 6, 2008, at the al Furat Iraqi Police Training. Photo by Lt. Col. Michael Indovina, 18th Military Police Brigade. BAGHDAD — More than 1,000 former Sons of Iraq (SoI) recently completed their first phase of training at the al Furat Iraqi Police (IP) Training Center here. To kick off the program, 608 SoI registered for the training Oct. 31. Now with the first phase of training completed, 1,031 SoI are integrated into the IP training program. The second phase of training began Nov....

JSS HOR AL BASH — Now that the Sons of Iraq have transitioned to Government of Iraq control, many will head to jobs in the Iraqi Army and Police, and recruiting drives are helping to make that a possibility. The most recent recruiting drive occurred Nov. 4 in Hor al Bash, northwest of Baghdad, thanks to the efforts of Soldiers from Company B “Hammer,” 52nd Infantry, attached to 2nd Squadron, 14th Cavalry “Strykehorse,” 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team “Warrior,” 25th Infantry Division, Multi-National Division – Baghdad. On the recommendations of Sawa sheiks, 186 Sons of Iraq members traveled to here...

Saturday, 08 November 2008 An engineering instructor explains the flow of fluids through a pipe to students at the Civil Service Department in the Jihad community during class Oct. 30, 2008. Photo by Maj. David Olson, 4th Infantry Division Public Affairs. FOB FALCON — Senior leaders of the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Multi-National Division-Baghdad, visited the Hayy Jihad Civil Service Department (CSD) Oct. 30, to observe the vocational training in progress in the western Rashid District community of southern Baghdad. Lt. Col. Rick Caya, executive officer from Des Moines, Iowa, assigned to 1st BCT, 4th Inf....

A senior al-Qaida in Iraq leader was killed yesterday during a combined cache-clearing operation by Iraqi security forces and a “Sons of Iraq” citizen security group, supported by coalition forces, military officials reported. Abu Ghazwan, a key link in the network operations for al-Qaida in Iraq, was killed during the cache-site raid in the Tarmiyah area, north of Baghdad, officials said. Coalition officials said Ghazwan commanded numerous terrorist cells in the Taji and Tarmiyah areas, and advised and financed other terrorist cells throughout northern Iraq and was responsible for building and facilitating vehicle bombs in the Baghdad area. Additionally, officials...

CAMP TAJI — Soldiers from Multi-National Division – Baghdad (MND-B) hosted an Iraqi Police (IP) recruiting drive here at Combat Out Post Falahat for Sons of Iraq (SoI) members, Oct. 30. Since the government of Iraq (GoI) took control of the SoI, many of its members look to pursue positions with the local IP or elsewhere within the Iraqi security forces (ISF). Coalition forces, along with the GoI, came to an agreement to transition many SoI guards into ISF positions. Local leaders were asked to select potential candidates for the selection process. “We asked the sheiks to select their best...

BAGHDAD — More than 600 ‘Sons of Iraq’ (SoI) began in-processing at the Al Furat Iraqi Police Training Center here, Oct. 29. As SoI begin the transition into the Iraqi security forces, these SoI are officially signed in as Iraqi Police (IP) recruits and will begin a four-week basic recruit training course, which will result in the SoI becoming Shurta (Police). The class registration will continue through the upcoming days and is expected to register and accept approximately 1,300 former SoI to the course. Throughout the four-week basic recruit training, the recruits will be trained in basic police skills. As...

FOB KALSU — The embedded Provincial Reconstruction Team (ePRT) at Forward Operating Base Kalsu, the Babil PRT and Provincial Council chairman, Muhammad Ali Hussein al-Masoudi, met with local sheikhs and Soldiers of the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division in Jurf as-Sakhr to discuss agricultural issues in the area, Oct. 28. The meeting covered the health of agriculture in Jurf as-Sakhr, programs to help rebuild the area and included a discussion of options for cleaning feeder channels that run through the land there. The main canal was cleaned out with the government of Iraq’s help. The local populace sees...

CAMP TAJI — It’s business as usual for the volunteer security force known as the Sons of Iraq (Abna al Iraq) in Tarmiyah, northwest of Baghdad, as they patrol their city streets day and night. As Soldiers from Company A, 1st Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, “Golden Dragons,” 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, “Warrior,” 25th Infantry Division, Multi-National Division – Baghdad conducted a routine SoI checkpoint recon, Sept. 29, 2008, they saw what they always see: SoI guards manning their posts, doing their jobs. “There hasn’t been any change,” according to Spc. Bryan Austin, a 23-year-old Golden Dragon squad leader from...

BAGHDAD — Iraqi and Coalition officials gathered in the Adnon Palace here, Sept. 24, to discuss the upcoming transition of the Sons of Iraq. The SoI have been an essential element to the current status of security in Iraq. Since the inception of the SoI, the United States has provided the financial means for its existence. As Iraq’s governmental infrastructure has strengthened, it has become more capable of employing the members and will soon take over full control of the SoI. “Most of them are young, unemployed men who want to help their local areas and be a part of...

BAGHDAD — Soon, hundreds of Ghazaliyah’s Sons of Iraq, or Abna’a al Iraq, will come under new management. In an effort to reorganize and integrate these concerned citizens, known locally as the Ghazaliyah guardians, they will fall solely under the control of the Government of Iraq. Though the change will be quite transparent to the citizens who cross these volunteers’ checkpoints daily, it will have a profound effect on the direction and authority of the regions Iraqi Security Forces. “Today we are transferring you from American authority to the Iraqi government,” said Capt. Thomas Melton, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault),...

BAGHDAD — The last of nearly 2,900 members of the Sons of Iraq (SOI) and Daughters of Iraq (DOI) were officially registered with the Government of Iraq in Adhamiyah District of northern Baghdad, Sept. 20. The SOI, and most recently, the DOI, are volunteer citizen groups similar to the Neighborhood Watch Program in the United States. They have been instrumental in decreasing attacks and have aided Iraqi and Coalition forces with actionable intelligence. The men and women made their way to Combat Outpost Apache in northern Baghdad to have their paperwork processed and information entered into a database to facilitate...

BAGHDAD, Sept. 19, 2008 – Multinational Division Baghdad calls them “Sons of Iraq.” Their countrymen call them the “Volunteers.” Both are fitting namesakes for the 28,000 Baghdad residents who formed citizen militias last year, in coordination with the Iraqi security forces and Multinational Division Baghdad, to protect their communities against al-Qaida in Iraq and other violent extremists. “Sons of Iraq” citizen security group members participate in registration procedures Sept. 18, 2008, at Joint Security Station Washash in Baghdad’s West Mansour district. U.S. Army photo by Maj. Lorraine Januzelli, Multinational Division Baghdad  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. “They risked...

An Iraqi Army Soldier and a Sons of Iraq member stand watch side by side in the Taji Qada, northwest of Baghdad, March 2, 2008. Photo by 2nd Stryker Brigade 25th Infantry Division. CAMP TAJI — The government of Iraq (GoI) has pledged millions of dollars to begin paying the ‘Sons of Iraq’ (SoI), the highly-successful, volunteer groups of citizens who have been instrumental in decreasing violence throughout the country. Beginning, Oct. 1, 2008, American taxpayers will no longer pay to support the SoI program.The United States currently pays SoI members $300 a month.  By the end of November, the...

PATROL BASE JURF AS SAHKR — More than 1,500 members of the Sons of Iraq program met Coalition forces, July 10 - 15, to discuss current security issues in Jurf as Sahkr and receive their monthly pay. Soldiers from Company A, 3rd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, visited each SoI checkpoint to gain a better understanding of each area of responsibility. “It was great to be able to talk to each individual checkpoint as a group and ensure they understand the importance of their job in making Iraq a safe place,” said Staff Sgt....

KIRKUK — Approximately 75 new Sons of Iraq members witnessed their leaders sign three Sons of Iraq contracts in a signing ceremony in the Ta’mim Province May 19. Iraqi Security Forces, Coalition forces, local tribal leaders and Sons of Iraq members were on hand to witness the signing of three SOI contracts, representing more than 600 hundred SOI members, at the Jawalla Middle School in Rashaad, 48 kilometers south of Kirkuk. The new members complete 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division’s efforts in employing 2,000 SOI members in the Rashaad Valley to help protect its citizens from insurgents’ violence....

WASHINGTON, May 16, 2008 – More than 300 former members of “Sons of Iraq” graduated to Iraqi policemen during a ceremony at Kirkuk Police Academy on May 15. A Kirkuk Police Academy instructor straightens the beret of an Iraqi police recruit before a graduation ceremony, May 15, 2008. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Margaret C. Nelson, 1st Battalion, 10th Mountain Division   (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. The students graduated after eight weeks of training here. “The Kirkuk province has shown tremendous progress in the last year. Events like this prove we are taking the necessary steps...

BAGHDAD — When the Surge Strategy is documented in history, the Sons of Iraq program will be listed as one of its successes. Now, long-term plans are being developed so that gains aren’t lost as its members transition into other roles. In the past year, the SoI have been instrumental in transforming the security landscape of Iraq. Since the start of the program, areas where SoI operate have witnessed an unprecedented drop in violence and terrorist-related activities. Currently, about 36,000 SoI operate in Multi-National Division – Center, the region South and Southeast of Baghdad. Organized via local tribal authorities, SoI...

FORWARD OPERATING BASE KALSU — Two years ago, al-Qaeda destroyed the Chalabi village in the Sayafiyah region. A Shia tribe in a predominately Sunni area, the Chalabis fled to Mahmudiyah, Baghdad and other surrounding areas. About four months ago, Coalition forces entered the area and set up Sons of Iraq security and Iraqi Army checkpoints. Soon after, Soldiers from Company C, 1st Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), discovered residents had returned to the area. “These families had heard from word of mouth that the area was now secure so now they are...

TIKRIT, Iraq – After receiving small arms fire, Sons of Iraq repelled an enemy attack, killing four insurgents and discovering a large cache in the Salah ad Din province, May 7. Several suicide vests were discovered along with 800 lbs of homemade explosives and other IED making materials. An Explosive Ordnance Disposal team dismantled the munitions on site for disposal. “Any effort in which forces can eliminate excessive amounts of explosives, places Iraq one step closer toward a state of overall security,” said Maj. Peggy Kageleiry, spokesperson for Multi-National Division–North.

WASHINGTON, May 8, 2008 – Coalition forces in Iraq today killed nine enemy fighters and detained 13 suspects during a series of operations across the country that targeted al-Qaida and its foreign-terrorist network, military officials said. -- In Baghdad, coalition detained a wanted man who allegedly is part of al-Qaida operations north of the city. Another suspect also was detained. -- Sixty miles west of Baghdad, coalition forces captured a wanted man linked to the movement of terrorists into Iraq. -- Coalition forces detained 10 more suspected terrorists during operations in northwestern Iraq. -- Coalition forces used Hellfire missiles to...

PATROL BASE YATES — As part of their commitment to keeping insurgents away, members of the Sons of Iraq built a checkpoint on a narrow stretch of road through Fuhail Mujeer Village, 25 kilometers southwest of Baghdad, April 25. As recently as December, Rakkasan Soldiers of 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), established a presence in the area, which was previously an insurgent safe haven. Now Soldiers from 2nd Platoon, Company C, 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, assigned to their battalion’s Company D, are living at the newly built Patrol Base Yates and working with the SoI...

FORWARD OPERATING BASE KALSU — One hundred and fifty residents of Warij volunteered to become Sons of Iraq last week. On April 20, the new SoI began guarding a stretch of the southern Baghdad community, which falls in the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division’s area of operation. The Warij program is unique in its make-up. “It is the only area within the brigade that has both sects operating jointly at SoI checkpoints,” said Capt. Gregory Curry, commander of Troop A, 6th Squadron, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 4th BCT, 3rd Inf. Div. “It is the so-called ‘check and balance’ that...

Lt. Col. Hee-Choon S. Lee, 1st Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, battalion surgeon, gives a routine checkup to a young boy during a combined medical engagement in Arab Jabour March 19. Care provided throughout the day included treatment of minor scrapes, sprains, allergies and distribution of antibiotics. Photo courtesy of 1-30th Inf. Regt. FORWARD OPERATING BASE KALSU — Soldiers of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division and Sons of Iraq conducted a combined medical engagement in Arab Jabour March 19. Two hundred and twenty-seven people were treated during the event, which provided treatment for minor injuries, such as scrapes,...