Jim Kouri
Iraqi cops: these are street fightin' boys!
By Jim Kouri
In two staggered columns, one on each side of a busy Mosul street, a group of Iraqi Police Commandos file on foot away from the safety of Forward Operation Base Blickenstaff and into the uncertainty of mid-afternoon rush hour. They make foot patrols through the streets of Mosul a few times a week, wearing body armor vests, weapons always at the ready.
"These are the street fightin' boys," says US Army Staff Sgt. Chris Paschel, who works with the commandos of the 3rd Battalion, 2nd Brigade with US Army Sgt. 1st Class Carl Paris. "They are combat tested."
On a recent patrol, a group of 25 commandos covered roughly three miles, navigating spots of heavy traffic along a commercial district. At one point, gunshots ringing out in the distance forced them to take cover until it was safe to continue. Along the route, several motorists and passersby waved hello or stopped to shake the hands of the commandos and their US advisers, Paris and Paschel. On a street with a local elementary school, a cluster of children ran to shake their hands and ask for candy.
The patrols serve several purposes, Paschel and Paris say. It lets the citizens of Mosul see their security forces at work, and it sends the commandos out in search of enemies. A couple of months ago, the group of commandos captured a high-value insurgent who was identified as having beheaded several people in a business they pass by on foot patrols.
When they go out with the commandos, Paschel and Paris do not give too much direction. The authority for the foot missions is in the hands of the ranking Iraqi officer. The commandos also go out on coordinated missions. One recent night they set out after dark in search of a man suspected of aiding insurgents. They didn't find him, but they'll keep trying until they do, the advisers say.
"They love missions, they love to capture the bad guys," says Iraqi Police Commando Maj. Heider. Heider says he is not only proud of his men, but emotionally connected as well.
"They aren't my company, they are my family," says Heider.
Unit cohesion is one of their biggest strengths, Paris notes. So is courage. "They're not afraid to engage a target," says Paris. "They will go into a fight. And they're very loyal to each other. They'll take casualties before they run away."
Paschel and Paris have been working with the battalion since November. In that time, seven commandos have been killed in action and dozens wounded. Three suffered gunshot wounds to the chest in one day at a traffic control point, Paschel said.
But like all good things, there is always room for improvement. "They really need an NCO [non-commissioned officer) corps," says Paschel, adding that work sometimes slows while a decision makes its way through the officer corps.
Still, the US Soldiers have seen plenty of improvement since they started working with the commandos. Navigating through traffic in Mosul can be treacherous. They travel in pickup trucks, marked in blue to signify police, with two or three commandos riding with their weapons in the open back. Lights and sirens blare continuously, alerting other motorists to get out of the way.
Earlier in the day of their most recent foot patrol, the same commandos made two trips to a forward operating base to pick up boxes of T-shirts, socks, underwear and other uniform items for the battalion. Other than navigating through several traffic tie-ups, the trips were uneventful. On the way back from a third outing, however, the convoy took fire from a building less than a mile away from their base.
As Paschel and the other drivers sped away, Paris and several commandos returned fire. No one was injured. Both advisers say they have confidence in the commandos and their ability to confront the enemy.
"They hate the terrorists just as much as we do, sometimes maybe more," says Paris. "That's a foundation for trust for me."
Americans are told by the mainstream news media day in and day out how the Iraqi forces are not doing their fair share. Well, tell that to the thousands of Iraqis lining up to join the police forces. Tell it to the Iraqis lining up boldly to join the military. These newly freed people are facing severe consequences for their bravery. They face hardships and assassination. They face having their families targeted. They face a future filled with uncertainty. And yet they volunteer in droves to take their rightful place in the war on terrorism. That's right: The War on Terrorism. I don't much care about what the Liberals in the US think or say. They're not in charge. That's right: The Liberals are not in charge. Who cares if the Liberals don't believe Iraq is part of the Terrorism War? Not the Iraqi Cops and definitely not me.
Special thanks to Captain Tim Jeffers, Multinational Security Transition Command, for his assistance for this article.
© Jim Kouri
In two staggered columns, one on each side of a busy Mosul street, a group of Iraqi Police Commandos file on foot away from the safety of Forward Operation Base Blickenstaff and into the uncertainty of mid-afternoon rush hour. They make foot patrols through the streets of Mosul a few times a week, wearing body armor vests, weapons always at the ready.
"These are the street fightin' boys," says US Army Staff Sgt. Chris Paschel, who works with the commandos of the 3rd Battalion, 2nd Brigade with US Army Sgt. 1st Class Carl Paris. "They are combat tested."
On a recent patrol, a group of 25 commandos covered roughly three miles, navigating spots of heavy traffic along a commercial district. At one point, gunshots ringing out in the distance forced them to take cover until it was safe to continue. Along the route, several motorists and passersby waved hello or stopped to shake the hands of the commandos and their US advisers, Paris and Paschel. On a street with a local elementary school, a cluster of children ran to shake their hands and ask for candy.
The patrols serve several purposes, Paschel and Paris say. It lets the citizens of Mosul see their security forces at work, and it sends the commandos out in search of enemies. A couple of months ago, the group of commandos captured a high-value insurgent who was identified as having beheaded several people in a business they pass by on foot patrols.
When they go out with the commandos, Paschel and Paris do not give too much direction. The authority for the foot missions is in the hands of the ranking Iraqi officer. The commandos also go out on coordinated missions. One recent night they set out after dark in search of a man suspected of aiding insurgents. They didn't find him, but they'll keep trying until they do, the advisers say.
"They love missions, they love to capture the bad guys," says Iraqi Police Commando Maj. Heider. Heider says he is not only proud of his men, but emotionally connected as well.
"They aren't my company, they are my family," says Heider.
Unit cohesion is one of their biggest strengths, Paris notes. So is courage. "They're not afraid to engage a target," says Paris. "They will go into a fight. And they're very loyal to each other. They'll take casualties before they run away."
Paschel and Paris have been working with the battalion since November. In that time, seven commandos have been killed in action and dozens wounded. Three suffered gunshot wounds to the chest in one day at a traffic control point, Paschel said.
But like all good things, there is always room for improvement. "They really need an NCO [non-commissioned officer) corps," says Paschel, adding that work sometimes slows while a decision makes its way through the officer corps.
Still, the US Soldiers have seen plenty of improvement since they started working with the commandos. Navigating through traffic in Mosul can be treacherous. They travel in pickup trucks, marked in blue to signify police, with two or three commandos riding with their weapons in the open back. Lights and sirens blare continuously, alerting other motorists to get out of the way.
Earlier in the day of their most recent foot patrol, the same commandos made two trips to a forward operating base to pick up boxes of T-shirts, socks, underwear and other uniform items for the battalion. Other than navigating through several traffic tie-ups, the trips were uneventful. On the way back from a third outing, however, the convoy took fire from a building less than a mile away from their base.
As Paschel and the other drivers sped away, Paris and several commandos returned fire. No one was injured. Both advisers say they have confidence in the commandos and their ability to confront the enemy.
"They hate the terrorists just as much as we do, sometimes maybe more," says Paris. "That's a foundation for trust for me."
Americans are told by the mainstream news media day in and day out how the Iraqi forces are not doing their fair share. Well, tell that to the thousands of Iraqis lining up to join the police forces. Tell it to the Iraqis lining up boldly to join the military. These newly freed people are facing severe consequences for their bravery. They face hardships and assassination. They face having their families targeted. They face a future filled with uncertainty. And yet they volunteer in droves to take their rightful place in the war on terrorism. That's right: The War on Terrorism. I don't much care about what the Liberals in the US think or say. They're not in charge. That's right: The Liberals are not in charge. Who cares if the Liberals don't believe Iraq is part of the Terrorism War? Not the Iraqi Cops and definitely not me.
Special thanks to Captain Tim Jeffers, Multinational Security Transition Command, for his assistance for this article.
© Jim Kouri
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