Posted on 11/02/2008 6:15:49 AM PST by SandRat
Iraqi security force quality and quantity has improved, according to an Army general who is responsible for training, manning, equipping and employing Iraq Army, police and border enforcement personnel.
Now on his third tour to Iraq, Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Buchanan, who graduated from Buena High School in 1977, admitted the capabilities of Iraqi forces were lacking in the past, but now “they have a significant will to fight.”
As the deputy commander for operations of the 10th Mountain Division from Fort Drum, N.Y., Buchanan said the leadership of individuals in the Iraqi Security Forces and up to the national level has improved compared to what he remembers from his tours in 2003 through 2006.
“Iraqi division commanders are very capable,” Buchanan said during a Saturday telephone interview with the Herald/Review. He was talking from Baghdad, Iraq.
Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Buchanan, deputy commander of the 10th Mountain Division from Fort Drum, N.Y., talks with a farmer in Iraq on a recent patrol. He says that he has seen progress during his most recent tour in Iraq. (U.S. Army photo)
The Iraqi Army has a strength in that it is “very nationalistic” and sees itself as representing all the people, the general said. He added that during operations, the Iraqis “take tremendous risks.”
While it has taken time, the security for Americans serving in Iraq has improved, although there still are trouble areas, Buchanan said.
He was promoted to brigadier general in February with his wife Laura, daughter Clara and mother Carolyn, who lives in Sierra Vista, at his side. His two sons, Matt, now an Army second lieutenant, and Jake, a student at Northern Arizona University, could not attend the ceremony at Fort Drum where Maj. Gen. Michael Oates, commander of the 10th Mountain Division, officiated the promotion ceremony.
In June, Buchanan deployed to Iraq with the division, which oversees an 81,000-square-mile area — the size of the state of Washington — and a population of 8.5 million.
With a force of 20,000, including coalition forces, the division is responsible for southern Baghdad and eight provinces south of the capital city.
Part of that area was once called “the triangle of death” because of the anti-American sentiment, which came primarily from the Sunni population. It is a place where U.S. forces suffered many deaths and wounded.
Buchanan noted that 13 Americans were killed in Iraq in October, which reports say is the second lowest of any month since U.S. forces went into Iraq in 2003. Last month, 20 people were killed in Baltimore, he added.
The general emphasized that there are still concerns regarding the protection of Americans, but he and others see “the relatively low level of violence” as a good sign.
“It’s not all rosy, some areas are still fragile,” Buchanan said.
However, Iraqis are beginning to return to some normalcy in their daily lives, such as shopping, staying out at night and going to parks.
“Our division band has even played an outdoor concert with a (local) school band,” Buchanan added.
Besides the security aspect of the deployment, there are many other areas of work occurring in Iraq, including the continuing transfer of security missions to the Iraqis and helping with establishing governance and improving local economies.
Better security allows the division to focus “on other essential services,” Buchanan said.
While the population feels more secure, they still are unhappy with the lack of essential services, such as electricity, clean water to drink and other items, he said.
American forces are reaching out to the local populations.
Although the emphasis of patrols is still security-centric, the realization of the importance of services and governance is growing, the brigadier general said.
Buchana said the U.S. and coalition forces cannot be the ones providing all the support. American forces are working with Iraqis at all levels so they can take on more responsibilities when providing services. Doing that helps develop a sense among the Iraqi people that their own government is providing what is needed for daily life.
The U.S. military is still involved. But instead of providing everything, American units, such as the Army Corps of Engineers, work with Iraqi professionals and contractors to build or repair the infrastructure.
And instead of American dollars being used, the Iraqis are being shown how to use their own financial resources. According to The Association Press, the Iraqi central government has dedicated a quarter of its budget for projects, which equates to $15 billion this year.
Iraqi leaders face “not a lack of desire, but a lack of capacity,” Buchanan said.
So much of the nation’s capabilities have suffered, such as medical and education, because professionals have fled Iraq, the general said.
During the last U.S. government fiscal year, the division was responsible for working with Iraqis in developing and doing projects that eventually cost $21 million in Iraqi money, Buchanan said.
Water, electricity and agriculture are the three top priorities in the division’s area of responsibility, Buchanan said. The provinces south of Baghdad are part the nation’s farming area.
The division’s top leadership and soldiers on patrol are involved in looking for ways to make Iraqis’ lives better.
“I do a lot of patrolling,” Buchanan said.
Sometimes he will go out with a group consisting of a U.S. division and an Iraqi one.
During the hot summer months, patrolling took a lot out of soldiers, who have to wear pounds of protective clothing and other equipment, Buchanan said. One day the temperature reached 134 degrees.
The temperature is in the mid-70s during the day and around 50 at night, “which is much more comfortable,” the general said.
Regardless of rank, while on patrol that means soldiers are close to the ground and everyone can see “what services are needed,” Buchanan said.
Iraqis pride themselves on being pro-education. As the nation heals, that will be part of the process for strengthening local areas, he said.
And with provincial elections being held in January, that will be another important step in self-governing, the general said. But Americans must understand that Iraqi elections are unlike those in the United States where a person normally votes for a candidate that has a platform. Buchanan said that in Iraq, elections are still tied to tribal and local loyalties.
“It will take some time for that to disappear,” he said.
While there still is tension between the different communities, primarily between Shi’a and Sunni and between Arabs and the Kurds, there seems to be a growing mind-set that until such issues are eliminated or not as important, it will take time for Iraq to grow as a unified nation, the general said.
Iraqi culture has many elements, and patience is required before the Iraqi people create strong inclusive governments at all levels, Buchanan said.
“It’s going to take time to restore balance,” he said.
Herald/Review senior reporter Bill Hess can be reached at 520-515-4615 or by e-mail at bill.hess@svherald.com.
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PROFILE
Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Buchanan was commissioned as an infantry second lieutenant upon graduation from the University of Arizona in 1982 with bachelor of science degree in wildlife ecology.
His first assignment was as a rife platoon leader with the 82nd Airborne Division.
He also served with the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) as an operations officer at the battalion and brigade level and battalion commander during his career.
As a member of the 25th Infantry Division (Light), Buchanan lead a rifle company, battalion headquarters company and the 25th’s Long Range Surveillance Detachment.
He served as a company and battalion tactical officer at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. While at the academy he earned a master’s degree in leadership development.
He also was director of operations for Joint Task Force Full Accounting, an organization that strives to account for Americans still missing from the Vietnam War.
10th Mountain Div has an AOR that includes overwatch of all provinces south of Baghdad except Basrah and South Baghdad Province which is turning over to 17th IA Div. He works with three IA Divs and parts of an INP Div plus the local police.
Correction:
10th Mountain Div has an AOR that includes overwatch of all provinces south of Baghdad except Basrah, plus overwatch of South Baghdad Province which is turning over to 17th IA Div. He works with three IA Divs and parts of an INP Div plus the local police.
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