Army starts training new Iraqi civil defense force
Army News Service
Release Date: 9/05/2003
By Staff Sgt. Craig Pickett
AL ASRIYAH, Iraq (Army News Service, Sept. 5, 2003) -- New forces comprised of Iraqis are being organized by Army units to help guard coalition facilities around Iraq.
A unit of the 4th Infantry Division's Task Force Gunner, the 5th Engineer Battalion, started forming its second company of the new Iraq Civilian Defense Corps recently. The first company-sized element graduated Aug. 30 and started their one-year commitment, said division officials.
Maj. Christopher Splinter, with the 5th Eng. Bn. from Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., said the ultimate goal is to have the corps assume responsibility for security around sensitive areas outside Taji Air Base, the task force's home while in Iraq.
Other defense units will be augmenting coalition forces and eventually taking over security outside the gates of many sites currently protected by coalition forces, said battalion officials.
The recruitment process in the Taji area began when local sheiks were given 200 applications to hand out, Splinter said.
Task force leaders said they felt the sheiks would be more effective in distributing the applications to those individuals who were responsible and deserving of a position in the corps.
A day to interview each applicant was organized when all the applications turned in, said Splinter. The day of their interviews, about a hundred Iraqis crowded around a street corner in Al Asriyah, smoking cigarettes and talking in small groups.
Small groups were searched, and then ushered into a school where they were interviewed by Army sergeants asked questions regarding their identity and why they want to be part of the corps.
The interviewers are using this technique to "feel out" the applicants to see who wants to work and who does not, Splinter said.
Most applicants said they just want a job and an opportunity to provide for their families.
In the wake of war and the removal of the former regime, they have found themselves unable to bear the financial burdens of everyday life.
"I can't get any work," said Waleed Sa'ad, a prospect from Al Asriyah. "I've come here for a job to get money for my family."
Sa'ad, however, had crude tattoos on both forearms that raised suspicions with the interviewer about his past and possible connections to the Fedayeen.
Crude tattoos, usually found on the web of the left hand, are commonly found on soldiers of the former Saddam Fedayeen.
The interviewer called in Splinter, who asked the applicant about the black, poorly done scorpions and other symbols on his hands and arms.
They are just tattoos, collected when he was a soldier, explained Sa'ad. Not a Fedayeen soldier, but a regular foot soldier in the Army of Saddam. His explanation satisfied Splinter.
Splinter said it was all part of the selection process. The interviewers make recommendations and get a gut feeling for the applicants. Then the applicants' are processed through a database for possible connections to subversive groups.
"I have not had any problems [with the applicants]; most are receptive and straight forward," said Staff Sgt. Justin Barry, an interviewer with Company C, 5th Eng Bn.
Each interview took about 20 minutes and included a range of questions. Some are easy; others take thought and are meant to test a person's speaking ability. The sergeants have leeway to improvise and flesh out details they think pertinent.
Often, after being questioned, the candidate will ask his own questions. Most deal with money and rarely relate to the actual job. Many of the applicants have military experience and understand the requirements of the corps.
The applicants will then have to make it through the database screening, then 10 days of intense training. Ten sergeants in the battalion will train them in true basic training fashion.
"It will be very rigid," said Sgt. 1st Class Bruce Barnes, who will lead the training. "They want us to come off as true drill sergeants the first day to see if these guys really want to be here."
Bruce, a former drill sergeant, said training the will include checkpoint operations, basic first aid, fixed security and identification of improved explosive devices and rules of engagement. He said the training will mold the candidates into a sharp military outfit.
Splinter said this was part of the checks and balances of the program. Even if someone did slip past the initial screenings, the training and close contact with soldiers would ultimately show true intentions. Also, they will be under the watchful eye of soldiers during the beginning stages of joint guard duty.
The hope is for the unit to develop cohesion and camaraderie as Iraqis learn to help themselves and prepare to take over when coalition troops depart. By recruiting from nearby towns, the military has given the corps a vested interest in the security and safety of the area.
"I think it is a good thing for the Iraqi people," said Barry. "Hopefully, we can work them into taking care of themselves and help alleviate the work load of our soldiers."
(Editor's note: Staff Sgt. Craig Pickett is journalist with the 350th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment in Iraq.)
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