Iraqi Army taking lead (sssssh! Don't tell the Dems.)

Multi-National Forces-Iraq ^ | Staff Sgt. Kevin Lovel

[SandRat]

Iraqi army soldiers from 1st Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division, prepare to enter a residence while a soldier knocks on the door Oct. 27 during a cordon and search mission in eastern Abu Ghuraib. Soldiers from Multi-National Division – Baghdad's 3rd Bde., 6th IAD Military Transition Team, Iraqi Assistance Group, supported the IA soldiers during the mission as advisors. Official Department of Defense photo by Staff Sgt. Kevin Lovel, 363rd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

BAGHDAD -- With dawn still a couple of hours away from signaling the beginning of a new day, Iraqi army soldiers, along with a Multi-National Division - Baghdad Military Transition Team, departed from Forward Operating Base Constitution and embarked on a cordon and search mission in eastern Abu Ghuraib District Oct. 21.

Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division, conducted the mission to help make the area safe for law-abiding Iraqi citizens.

“We’re looking for bomb-making materials and illegal weapons,” said Maj. Doug Tuttle, assistant team chief, 3rd Bde., 6th IAD MiTT, Iraqi Assistance Group, who hails from Kahoka, Mo. “There’s been a lot of bomb-making and (improvised-explosive device) making activity in this sector.”

The area the Soldiers work is well known for a variety of dangerous activities, added Maj. Joseph Mubarez, logistics advisor, 3-6 MiTT, IAG, who hails from Dearborn, Mich.

“We’re looking to confiscate any illegal weapons. There’s been a lot of activity up and down this road, so we want to see if they (IA) can find anything out about it,” he said.

Soldiers from 3-6 MiTT train on a regular basis with the IA soldiers, said Tuttle, primarily working with their staff and their company leadership, teaching them how to plan for their operations and to prepare for combat operations.

The MiTT team Soldiers said they are pleased with the progress the IA soldiers have made.

“This is one of the better brigades in the Iraqi army,” said Tuttle. “They already have two other battalions, who each have their own battle space. The soldiers are pretty well-trained, but they need extra training for the complex operations we do.”

MND-B Soldiers continue to work with the IA soldiers on basic soldiering skills.

Iraqi army soldiers from 1st Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division, confiscated numerous unauthorized weapons Oct. 27 during a cordon and search mission in eastern Abu Ghuraib. Soldiers from Multi-National Division – Baghdad's 3rd Bde., 6th IAD Military Transition Team, Iraqi Assistance Group, served as advisors during the IA's mission. Official Department of Defense photo by Staff Sgt. Kevin Lovel, 363rd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment.

“We’ve been working on infantry training with them, as well as planning operations with them so they can get ready to be able to take over their own area of operations,” said Capt. Patsky Gomez, operations officer and Headquarters Support Company advisor, 3-6 MiTT, who hails from Queens, N.Y.

The 1st Battalion has been training on room clearing and tactical control points, he added, and the soldiers are getting pretty good at the basic tactical skills at the soldier level.

Many MiTT team members said that the IA soldiers were doing well with the overall operation.

“When they went on the raid, they were able to go outside and provide good security for their soldiers on the ground. Then the guys on the ground were able to go in, search buildings, maintain good security and search personnel,” said Gomez.

The IA soldiers are anxious to learn and better their skills, added Staff Sgt. Ronnie Davis, logistics noncommissioned-officer-in-charge, 3-6 MiTT, IAG, who hails from Marion, S.C.

“I’ve been working with the IA for seven months, and I’ve seen a lot of improvement. They want to learn and train. They’re getting better every day,” said Davis.

The cordon and search operation that day was quite successful, netting at least six terrorist suspects and more than 10 unauthorized weapons, said Davis.

[SandRat]

FR WAR NEWS!

WAR News You'll Hear Nowhere Else!

All the News the MSM refuses to use!

[Killborn]

They are using the same tactics as us!

I'm so proud!

Too many people, including more than a few FReepers,have no clue what's really going on in Iraq. Everyone is b!tching about how WWII is conducted better than this WoT. If Germany were bordered by two other rabidly facist countries that have yet to be defeated, reconstruction wouldn't be so easy. Besides, even in WWII we tried to avoid needless death and destruction. It's not the delusional no holds barred turkey shoot people think it is.

[tomnbeverly]

It doesn't matter... The Dems with help from the MSM will spin anything positive in Iraq to a negative... and America believes it.

[stm]

So that's where all our surplus "Chocolate Chips" went.

The time when we will hand the keys back to the Iraqi people is approaching. A year or two is in the realm of possibility.

[tomnbeverly]

Doesn't even matter to some on this very board... Border, Border, Border, Bush is bad because he didn't secure the border... These folks are as bad as the Liberals... If Bush is such a Bad President then Clinton was what a great President.... I'm way lost here.

[BLS]

"Iraqi Army taking lead"


Thank God for that.

[SoCal Pubbie]

I was very depressed yesterday because after sending my oldest brother, who is basically a pretty right wing type, the "Letter From My Squadron" post from here on Free Republic, he responded with a very negative outlook on Iraq. Basically, he feels history will show it as a "colossal blunder". If you know my brother, you'd know that facts won't sway him once he makes up his mind, so I dropped it. but just the fact that TV and news media can sway him like that was very scary.

[tongue-tied]

It's not the delusional no holds barred turkey shoot people think it is.

What?! Why, I read on here all the time about how we need to take the gloves off, start killing 'em all, torure freely, etc.

It is nice to see someone with some common sense and 'bigger picture' vision. Thanks Killborn.

And thank you Sandrat as always, for posting these stories.

[Killborn]

Your welcome. It's tiring to fight off the ubercommandos and the chicken pacifists at the same time. :P Sigh.

[petercooper]

well said

[Killborn]

Thank you. Good to see not everyone wants to either surrender or go on a genocidal spree.

[KevinDavis]

Or the arm chair generals who think they know better without seeing what the Generals who is overthere is seeing...

[petercooper]

http://www.nypost.com/seven/10292006/postopinion/opedcolumnists/the_enemy_fails_opedcolumnists_amir_taheri.htm

[Killborn]

Will read in detail. Every day is a fight between me and the "Bush sucks, cut and runners". :)

Taheri is one of the best.

[Killborn]

Yeppers.

[KevinDavis]

I also contend if we had the technology as we do now in WWII, I don't think we would have bombed cities in Germany or Japan..

[Killborn]

Correct. Even then, the pilots aimed as carefully as they could to unload munitions. They don't like being referred to as dropping "dumb bombs".

[Valin]

Don't tell the cut and runner here either. It might make them rethink they're view on the war. And we all know how painful thinking is for them.

[Valin]

Everyone is b!tching about how WWII is conducted better than this WoT.

Right like Market-Garden...or the "The German offensive in the Ardennes". And lets not forget The "soft underbelly of Europe" that Curchill thought italy was.

This ar is not a movie where the hero saves the day in 1 1/2 hours then rides off into the sunset. Iraq is tough...hard going, if it were easy we could leave it to the French.