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The 201st Iraqi Army Battalion secures ballots prior to elections
TIKRIT, Iraq -- The 201st Iraqi Army Battalion with support from Task Force 1-18 Infantry successfully secured the ballots during the week leading up to the Iraqi elections.
Tikrit is the location of provincial-level activities for the region so the Tikrit Iraqi Security Forces were responsible for the security of not only their local polling sites, but also the provincial ballot Polling Distribution Site.
During the week leading up to the elections, the Tikrit ISF in conjunction with Task Force 1-18 Infantry's Scout Platoon escorted ballots for the province, which arrived at Forward Operating Base Speicher and were delivered for storage to the Tikrit PDS Warehouse.
Iraqi Security Forces, specifically the Iraqi Army's 201st Battalion, was also responsible for the security of the ballots while they remained in storage prior to the elections.
Another significant responsibility of the Task Force 1-18 Infantry and their Tikrit Iraqi Security Force counterparts was the security of the routes for convoys traveling to the Tikrit PDS Warehouse and departing the warehouse, delivering ballots to the various polling sites throughout the province.
The significance of the elections was evident by the performance of the Iraqi Security Forces including the 201st Iraqi Army Battalion, the Iraqi National Police and the Joint Coordination Center, who committed months of training in preparation for the elections.
Training for the 201st and the INP included weapons marksmanship, platoon-level operations securing fixed site locations and providing a quick reaction force. The JCC conducted numerous evaluation exercises incorporating the deployment of the 201st Iraqi Army Battalion, the Iraqi National Police and the Tikrit Emergency Services Unit. These exercises culminated in a 4-day Command Post Exercise based out of the Tikrit Joint Coordination Center with their Task Force 1-18 Infantry staff counterparts working through tactical challenges requiring the use of the military decision making process.
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