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V Corps assumes command mission in Baghdad

By Sgt. Joe M. Battle
January 20, 2006

BAGHDAD (Army News Service, Jan. 20, 2006) – Soldiers of V Corps headquarters, based in Heidelberg, Germany, officially assumed duties in Baghdad as the command staff for Multi-National Corps - Iraq, for the next 12 months.

Lt. Gen. Peter W. Chiarelli accepted authority for MNC-I from Lt. Gen. John R. Vines in a ceremony at Camp Victory Jan. 19. Chiarelli comes to the MNC-I from Heidelberg as well, where he served as commander of Task Force Victory.

Vines and his Soldiers of the XVIII Airborne Corps, who have served as the MNC-I staff for the past year, will now return home to Fort Bragg, N.C. to resume their positions with the XVIII.

Continuing the historic mission

“This transfer of authority demonstrates the commitment of the United States to our coalition allies and to the people of Iraq as we continue to partner in every aspect and every respect of this historic mission to achieve a free, democratic and secure Iraq,” said Chiarelli in his first speech as MNC-I commander. “My Soldiers and I are honored to serve shoulder-to-shoulder with you in history in a historic land.”

“In the months ahead, you will find that our Soldiers of the Victory Corps are disciplined, well trained and committed to continue the excellent work done by Lt. Gen. Vines and the Soldiers of the XVIII Airborne Corps,” Chiarelli said. “Never again will the forces of terror and tyranny be permitted to rule in this great country.”

In his remarks at the transfer ceremony, Vines addressed the V Corps troops taking on the MNC-I mission.

“We will return to friends, family and loved ones,” said Vines. “But we will never forget you; we will never forget Iraq; we will never forget what has happened here, and we will say a prayer for you -- those of us that pray -- we will say a prayer for your safety, peace, and success, because much rides on this.”

Casey: amazing year for Iraq

Gen. George W. Casey Jr., commanding general, Multi-National Force-Iraq, welcomed the incoming MNC-I commander and Soldiers, and noted the changes in Iraq during the XVIII’s tenure at MNC-I.

“It’s been a pretty amazing year for the multinational corps,” said Casey. “If you think about where you were and what you were thinking about Iraq on the 19th of January last year, I think you’ll admit that the prospects of completing three national polls and building the security forces to well over 200,000 might have looked dim to you.

“But the fact of the matter is, over the course of 2005, the people of Iraq have had three national polls,” he said. “And in each case, the participation has gotten greater and violence got lower.”

This is the second deployment for the Soldiers of the V Corps headquarters. V Corps first deployed in early 2003 to command the opening combat phase and early reconstruction phases of the first iteration of Operation Iraqi Freedom.