'Defenders of Baghdad’: From training to mission ready

The training started more than eight weeks ago for the "Defenders of Baghdad." In those eight weeks they learned new tactics and strategies so they can defend their country against any threat.

The 5th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division’s training culminated with an activation ceremony at Muthana Airfield June 29.

"This is an important day for the people of Iraq," said Maj. Gen. William G. Webster Jr., Task Force Baghdad commander during the ceremony. "These men before you are all volunteers and have sworn to defend Baghdad."

"All of the TV stations are here so that the people can see the ceremony," said Iraqi Army Col. Mohamed Hashim Al-Musawy, Iraqi Army Brig. Gen. Fouad Hani Faris’ aide. "As our training goes on, the citizens, houses and the streets of Iraq will be safe. If the U.S. forces keep helping us in our training, we will control the Iraqi streets and we’ll protect the citizens from the explosions the terrorists make against the Iraqis."

The newest Iraqi Army brigade will be responsible for defending the Green Zone and surrounding areas in Baghdad.

"I think they will play a vital role in the freedom of Iraq and Baghdad. With these Soldiers, they will show the American and Iraqi people that they are up to the task and can handle the job," said Command Sgt. Maj. Robert Taylor, 6th Squadron, 8th Cavalry Regiment command sergeant major.

The brigade, made up of more than 2,500 Iraqi Soldiers, began training April 18 at Muthana Airfield. Soldiers from 6th Squadron, 8th Cavalry Regiment and Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 4th Battalion, 64th Armor Regt. worked with the fledgling Iraqi Soldiers.

"They have trained hard and worked hard to get where they are at today. The activation ceremony was a turning point for the brigade from training to actually doing patrols and securing the Green Zone," Taylor said.

Soldiers were trained on a variety of tasks that they will use on the streets of Baghdad, such as reflexive fire, basic marksmanship and clearing rooms.

"I feel proud that the Iraqi soldiers can defend the country of Iraq. I hope God will make them brave and keep them safe," Mohamed said. "We have soldiers that are very young, and we thought that they might fail, but because of the Americans that gave us good training … they made it."

"In the past they were scared to be one of the Iraqi Army Soldiers so no one from the terrorists would kill them, but now, there are many volunteers," Mohamed said.

He continued, "I learned from our training … that they have high feeling (morale) about their training and they’ve proved it during the operations that they’ve had in Dora and Haifa Street, Abu Dasheer and Karada.

Taylor said, "They may not be as good as American Soldiers today, but one day they will be just as good. They put their lives on the line every day, either at checkpoints or on patrols, and they are right beside us doing the same things we’re doing."

Mohamed said that the Iraqi troops have been successful in these areas because of the U.S. Soldiers training and they will continue to get better.

He added, "I hope the same unit will train the next brigade so the new soldiers will receive the highest level of training."

Thought you might enjoy this little add on to the story in Baghdad.

May 12, 2004
Iraqi Boy Scouts come in from the cold and reconnect to the world outside
“Iraqi Scouts Thrive Despite Tyranny, War,” by Kelley Beaucar Vlahos, FOXNews.com, 11 May,

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,119658,00.html.

Brother Andy (Eagle Scout himself) sends me this story, which is just too good to believe: Iraqi Boy Scout troops went underground to stay alive during Saddam’s long rule, somehow managing to keep their network coherent all those dark years. Now they reemerge and link up with other Boy Scout networks in the Arab world.

Here’s the best excerpt:

Former Navy commander Chip Beck said contacts he made in the city informed him that local Iraqi scouting councils in the 18 provinces had survived attempts by Saddam to cut off sources of funding, meeting places and communication between brother and sister organizations. The scouts were alive and waiting for a chance to resurrect themselves, he said.

“You still have some older scout leaders in their 40s who had been trained by the world scouting organization and knew the ethics and training and maintained it. They kept it up,” Beck told Foxnews.com. “They’re emerging battered and tattered, but in relatively good shape.”

"The Arab region wants to welcome them with open arms and [is] looking for ways to help them," said Gabr, who spoke to Foxnews.com from the Arab Region Council in Cairo, Egypt, which is part of the world organization.

Yet another good example of how this occupation can lead to an Iraqi society reconnected with the world-at-large, so long as we don’t let the violent forces of disconnectedness drive this nation out of the world community again.

and

Boy Scouts making comeback in Iraq
Retired Navy commander works to restore honor code trampled by Saddam

Posted: June 3, 2004
1:00 a.m. Eastern

© 2004 WorldNetDaily.com

On the shores of the Tigris River sits 40 acres of prime real estate which recently was home to a compound used by Saddam Hussein's secret police.

The location has since been bombed by coalition forces, and looted by local Iraqis.

Now, a retired U.S. Navy commander is leading the charge to turn the remnants of the police camp into a first-class camp and training facility for Boy Scouts in Iraq, and have Scouting flourish once again in the region.

Chip Beck, a former Scout himself and father of one, accepted the Pentagon's call to serve in Iraq as a civilian advisor with the Coalition Provisional Authority, and found in Baghdad a large number of fellow workers who also happened to be involved with Scouting.

"Scouting is perceived with tremendous excitement and receptivity, because it's been here for 50 years. It's got its own Iraqi face to it," Beck said on Joseph Farah's WorldNetDaily Radioactive program. "We in America sometimes tend to think that Boy Scouts of America [is] the only Scouting organization in the world, when in fact it is one of 217."

The Boy Scouts originally were established in Iraq in 1954, but suffered repression with Hussein in power.

"Under Saddam, he had restricted their independence and movement. They couldn't travel outside the country to go to other jamborees, and international Scouts couldn't come here," Beck said. "Saddam didn't control the Scouts the way he wanted to. He started his own youth movement which was really corrupt."

But Beck says older Scout leaders, men in their 50s and 60s who had been trained with international Scout standards, kept their honor and dignity in the wake of deterioration caused by Saddam.

"They came through it kind of battered and tattered, I'd say, but with their head held high. Now we're trying to get 80 young leaders under the age of 35 – 40 men, 40 women from all over the country – to go to Cairo and be trained in a two-week professional Scouting leadership and program-management course. They're all excited about this!"

Beck says there's been no resistance to his effort, as he works with the Iraqi Center for Reconciliation, which includes leaders from the region's diverse ethnic and religious backgrounds.

"All of them agree that Scouting is good for their young people, their communities, themselves, the country. It promotes what I call universal values. It doesn't have to be American or British or Jordanian or South African or anybody's beliefs. It's something every decent person in the world can agree on. These are the values of right and wrong."

Beck is hoping to raise some $4.5 million dollars to rebuild the damaged secret-police camp as the national headquarters of the Iraqi Scouts.

And while he admits there is still violence afoot throughout the nation, he's optimistic it can be quelled.

"We can do it. There's more people out here in Iraq that want to see their own society succeed and need our help than there are those who want to destroy, but those with guns can also make a loud statement. It's the quiet ones that need to do the work more effectively."

(Editor's note: Those wishing to donate to the Iraqi Scouting effort can make checks out to:

World Friendship Fund, PO Box 152079, Irving, Texas 75015

Include the notation "Iraqi Scouting" in the memo.)

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