thedrifter
01-02-08, 07:17 PM
Ironhorse brigade sees progress in Iraq
Published: January 02, 2008
CAMP TAJIL, Iraq, Jan. 2 (UPI) -- U.S. Marines with the 1st "Ironhorse" Brigade Combat Team in Iraqi say they see significant progress toward normalcy in many areas north of Baghdad.
Maj. Patrick Michaelis, the brigade's operations officer, sees a "phenomenal change" in insurgent attacks as operations shift from combat to searching for weapons caches and improvised devices, a representative from Camp Tajil said in a report.
Joint operations with Iraqi security forces uncovered 724 improvised explosive devices, 180 weapons caches and more than 6,400 rounds of ammunition.
The Ironhorse brigade along with local efforts also helped graduate more than 1,500 Iraqi police from the Iraqi police training facilities.
The economy in many local markets is experiencing a boom as well, as the number of shops more than doubled in some areas as 25 to 30 families repatriate to their native villages per day.
The brigade also assisted the Iraqi government in developing a job corps program to provide temporary employment to Iraqi citizens in civil reconstruction programs.
"We've sacrificed greatly to achieve a level of normalcy and stability to allow Iraqis to step forward," Michaelis said.
Ellie
Published: January 02, 2008
CAMP TAJIL, Iraq, Jan. 2 (UPI) -- U.S. Marines with the 1st "Ironhorse" Brigade Combat Team in Iraqi say they see significant progress toward normalcy in many areas north of Baghdad.
Maj. Patrick Michaelis, the brigade's operations officer, sees a "phenomenal change" in insurgent attacks as operations shift from combat to searching for weapons caches and improvised devices, a representative from Camp Tajil said in a report.
Joint operations with Iraqi security forces uncovered 724 improvised explosive devices, 180 weapons caches and more than 6,400 rounds of ammunition.
The Ironhorse brigade along with local efforts also helped graduate more than 1,500 Iraqi police from the Iraqi police training facilities.
The economy in many local markets is experiencing a boom as well, as the number of shops more than doubled in some areas as 25 to 30 families repatriate to their native villages per day.
The brigade also assisted the Iraqi government in developing a job corps program to provide temporary employment to Iraqi citizens in civil reconstruction programs.
"We've sacrificed greatly to achieve a level of normalcy and stability to allow Iraqis to step forward," Michaelis said.
Ellie