| KIRKUK, Iraq, Sept. 1, 2006 -- Soldiers of the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division transferred responsibility of security for the majority of the Kirkuk Province to two battalions of the Iraqi Army during a ceremony at an Iraqi military compound just outside of Kirkuk, Aug. 31. “With this ceremony, we complete the transfer of security responsibilities from our friends, the Coalition Forces, to our Brigade,” said Maj. Gen. Anwar, commander of the 2nd Brigade, 4th Iraqi Army Division. Two battalions in the multi-ethnic (Arab, Kurdish, Turkomen) 2nd Brigade had previously assumed security responsibilities in other sectors of the Kirkuk Province.This ceremony, with the final two battalions assuming responsibility, demonstrates the readiness of Iraqi Army forces in the province. “Thank you my dear friend Colonel Gray and his deputy Lieutenant Colonel Benjamin who helped us make history,” said Anwar. “The 1st Brigade Task Force under (your) command brought our brigade to a high degree of training which allowed us to execute duties at the brigade level,” he said. “We worked as a team with the same goals to achieve security and neutralize terrorism.” Recently, coalition forces and soldiers from the 2nd Iraqi Brigade’s 1st Battalion and 18th Strategic Infrastructure Battalion participated in Operations Brave Sword and Gaugamela. Their joint effort resulted in the capture of more than 150 terrorists. “These fighting men have taken the battle to the enemy, and the enemy is shaken,” said Col. David R. Gray, commander, 1st BCT, who has been deployed to Kirkuk since last |
