Page G

BY LANCE CPL. NATHANIEL
SAPP

ComBaT CORRESPONDENT

2nD LiGHT ARMORED
RECONNAISSANCE BATTALION

RAWAH, Iraq — Iraqi sol-

diers are meeting their U.S.
counterparts’ expectations
here, developing crucial mili-
tary skills to eventually re-
lieve Coalition Forces of se-
curity operations, according
to U.S. forces partnered with
the Iraqis here.
. Moreover, Iraqi soldiers
from the 2nd Battalion, 3rd
Brigade, 7th Iraqi Army Di-
vision — one of several Iraqi
Army battalions in western
Anbar Province — are provid-
ing daily assistance to Co-
alition Forces in the form of
thorough security operations,
according to U.S. troops
here.

“The Iraqi soldiers are com-
mitted to making this work,”
said U.S. Army Maj. Wade
Bastian, officer-in-charge of
a U.S.-led Military Transition
Team here. “They’re patriotic
and know what they’re fight-
ing for — the freedom and
safety of their country.”

Since June, Iraqi soldiers
have worked daily with a
U.S.-led Military Transition

LEVY COUNTY JOURNAL

 

Photo by Lance Cpl. Nathaniel F. Sapp

CPL. BRETT HANCHEY, a 20-year-old infantryman
from Chiefland and an Iraqi soldier, work together
to question locals about recent insurgent activity
during a Dec. 8, 2006 patrol in Anah, Iraq. Marines
from the Camp Lejeune, N.C.-based 2nd Light Ar-
mored Reconnaissance Battalion arrived in Iraq
three months ago and began conducting security
operations in this area of the Al Anbar Province, 150
‘miles northwest of Baghdad.

  
 
 
 
  
 
  
 
 

mentor Iraqi Army units in
developing military skills in
everything from gathering
information to completing
operations.

“We want the battalion to
have battle space and stand

AROUND LEVY COUNTY

U.S. transition team helps train Iraqi
soldiers to replace Coalition Forces

the Iraqi Amy battalion here

is doing a “great job” in intel-
ligence gathering.

“But they need to work on
analyzing it a little more to
see how it can best help them
in the long term,” said Bas-
tian.

Better pay and leave

While the soldiers of 2nd
Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 7th
Iraqi Army Division — re-
ferred to in short as “2-3-7”
by U.S. Marines and soldiers
here — still have a way’s to
go before they are given the
stamp of approval to replace:
Coalition Forces completely
in this region, Marines say
the Iraqi soldiers are instru-
mental to counterinsurgency
operations in the area.

“They’re good at inter-

acting with the people, they

See Iraq Page 11

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2006

  

 

 
 
   

on their own logistically,”

Team — a group of Coalition
said Bastian, who added that

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