Commander urges Iraqis to wear gear

[unhappycamper]

Commander urges Iraqis to wear gear
By Leo Shane III, Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Wednesday, August 27, 2008

BAGHDAD — U.S. Army Command Sgt. Maj. Michael Bobb hates it when he sees Iraqi security forces not wearing helmets.

"Often we’ll find their helmets sitting in ditches nearby," said the top enlisted soldier of the 1st Brigade, 4th Infantry Division. "One day last week, a (Iraqi) National policeman got shot in the head, wasn’t wearing his helmet. And the next day we came out and they still weren’t wearing them."

Despite months of training by coalition forces, Iraqi forces’ ability to man the Rashid District’s 250-plus checkpoints efficiently and effectively is still hit or miss, according to Bobb. Some could serve as models for traffic stops anywhere in the world. Others are disorganized, simply creating traffic back-ups and not helping security.

As U.S. troops hand over more security responsibilities to Iraqi forces, and with pressure from the Iraqi government to move U.S. troops out of urban centers, such checkpoints will be one key to progress.

Bobb is quick to point out that all the security checkpoints are much more professionally run than just six months ago, when he first arrived in country.


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=57009