MOSUL - Scores of Christian men lined up to join the IP force during a recruiting drive in Tall Kayf, 15 km north of Mosul, April 28.
The goal of the 3-day event was to recruit up to 700 Christians to join the police force to help protect their respective communities in Mosul. "This recruiting drive will help bolster the economy through employment, in addition to bolstering the security effort," said Col. Michael Bills, cmdr of the 3rd ACR.
'Punisher' partners with Iraqi Highway Patrol
By 1st Lt. Nicholas Klein
Company C, 1st BSTB, 1st BCT, 82nd Abn Div
AS SAMAWAH - After weeks of coordination with the Iraqi Highway Police leadership in as-Samawah, the COP 6, Punisher Route Security Team partnered with the Muthanna IHP, training them from April 22-26.
"The practical exercises we did everyday really showed us that they got something out of the classes," said Spc. Joseph Capen. The challenges of the language barrier and cultural differences were overcome through creative planning and motivational techniques used by the RST instructors.
According to the instructors, the IHP were attentive, quick to learn and seemed grateful for the training. The relationship between the IHP and the Punisher RST soldiers has become one of mutual respect and friendship. The sharing of daily meals, the professionalism of the training, and the camaraderie of the IHP and soldiers has established a bond of friendship that will hopefully keep Muthanna province safe and secure.
This training is one more phase in the partnership to secure freedom of movement along a major supply route in Muthanna. The establishment of 3 IHP checkpoints with standardized signs, checkpoint materials, and associated infrastructure, built upon a relationship between the U.S. and Iraq forces, will ultimately enable a full-time partnership of the JSS at COP 6.
At the same time the training of the IHP was being completed, 1st BCT, 82nd Abn Cmdr, Frederic Drummond, met with Lt. Col. Falih, provincial joint ops center officer in charge, to finalize plans for PJOC integration at the JSS and discuss operational and intel sharing between all ISF and CF in the province.
Final flight of MH-53, 80357

A U.S. Air Force MH-53 80357, from the Combined Joint Special Ops Air Component and the 20th Expeditionary Special Ops Sqdrn, stands ready before its final combat mission. This MH-53 80357, call sign 'Magnum,' has been in commission since 1968, and has served on many combat missions, including the 1970 Son Tay prison raid in Vietnam where aircraft were flown deep into enemy territory to rescue an estimated 70 prisoners of war. Though no POWs were found, news of the mission bolstered the spirit of captives across North Vietnam, assuring them they had not been forgotten.
The aircraft will be on display at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force at Wright-Patterson AFB in Ohio.
MND-B soldiers kill 10 criminals in separate clashes
BAGHDAD - April 30, at approx. 11:20 a.m. while conducting a barrier-emplacement mission in northeastern Baghdad, soldiers from the 4th Bn, 64th AR were attacked by criminals using RPGs and small-arms fire. The MND-B soldiers returned fire and killed 3 criminals.
At approx. 11:30 a.m., soldiers from the 2nd Bn, 30th Inf Regt, came under attack by indirect-fire weapons and heavy machine gun fire from a vehicle in northeastern Baghdad. The soldiers returned fire and killed 7 criminals.
Strike Soldiers visit clinics in western Baghdad
By Sgt. James Hunter 2nd BCT PAO, 101st Abn. Div.
BAGHDAD - It was an interesting place for the soldiers of 2nd BCT, 101st Abn Div who were visiting the local medical facilities in their area that day. The facility was oddly quiet, which was strange for a place that had what seemed to be rather new or austere equipment. There was even a new X-ray machine. The biggest problem for the health clinic in the western Baghdad community of Washash seemed to be a lack of electricity, which officials said they couldn't afford fuel to keep it up and running.
Things were much different at a health clinic in Iskan. It too was quiet, due to the lack of people within - there were perhaps 10 people in the building. This was not one of the larger clinics; however, as was the case with the previous hospital. It was also experiencing a lack of fuel to power the generator. As a result, the patients and workers gathered in near darkness besides the light coming through the front entrance. The pharmacy was also spread thin, with only 25 percent of the shelves stocked. There were only two workers present that day; a doctor and the front door receptionist. It served as an indicator for the visiting MND-B soldiers that help is needed to boost these hospitals' abilities to care for their local populace.
Upon receiving reports that many clinics within western Baghdad were lacking medical equipment and power to adequately provide to their local populace, Maj. Amit Bhavsar, decided to see the problems first hand. Bhaysar, who serves as the brigade surgeon for 2nd BCT, visited clinics in Washash, Iskan and Adil, April 27. "The main things were yes, all three clinics did lack power - enough power where they couldn't adequately perform their mission throughout the day. That lack of power was limiting their ability to carry out certain functions." The 3 hospitals he visited reported they were only getting around 2 hours of power a day, which drastically cuts down on the ability to treat patients. "None of the clinics had the ability to hold immunizations because immunizations require 24-hour refrigeration," Bhavsar said.
According to, "Special report: health services in Iraq," the Iraqi govt estimates 70% of critically injured patients die in emergency care units due to the current lack of medical staff and supplies. "The hospitals are running in a way you would expect them to run in a third-world country," said Bhavsar. "The physicians and the staff will make due with what they have and they will do their best. When you don't have an EKG or lab capabilities to diagnose a heart attack, you go back to simple things and you do a lot of guess work.
So what happens from here? "We are going to get together and discuss potential assistance for these clinics," Bhavsar said. "Not just the fuel issue, but some of the shortfalls within the clinic. We'll look to provide some of this equipment and look to provide equipment to assess pregnant patients and basic diagnostic equipment, such as stethoscope."

Tikrit SWAT unit capture leader of AQI cell
BAGHDAD - The Tikrit SWAT unit, advised by U.S. SF, detained a suspected AQI cell leader during an op in the Qadasiyah neighborhood of Tirkrit, approximately 96 miles north of Baghdad, April 28.
Tikrit SWAT conducted the raid to detain the leader of an IED known for conducting attacks against Iraqi and CF between Tikrit and COB Speicher. The suspect is believed to be responsible for all IED attacks in the Qadasiyah neighborhood and bribery of Iraqi SF in Tikrit. He is also reported to finance other terrorist cells in the area.
