U.S.-Iraqi partnership to keep streets safe

by 1st Lt. Meghan E. Keefe
37th Eng. Bn. PAO

	photo by 1st Lt. Meghan E. Keefe/37th Eng. Bn. PAO While clearing the shoulder of Highway 1 in the Salah ad Din province, Maj. Hayder and 1st Lt. Curtis Fields meet local farmers and talk about the upcoming Ashura’ pilgrimage which will bring civilians to travel along the highway.

SALAH AD DIN, Iraq — Shi’a Muslims begin their pilgrimage to religious shrines during the observance of Arba’een. To make their passage safer, U.S. forces partnered with the Iraqi army Feb. 2 to engage locals and clear the streets of hazards.
Arba’een is the 40th day after the death of Iman Husain ibn Ali, the 3rd Imam and grandson of the Prophet Muhammad. During this time, observers make their pilgrimage to the Husyan and Abbas shrines in Karbala, Iraq, by traveling on roadways that, in the past, have had threats imposed on them from improvised explosive devices.

Soldiers from the 37th Engineer Battalion- Joint Task Force Eagle, based out of Fort Bragg and 1st Bn., 28th Infantry Regiment, based out of Fort Riley, Kan., work closely with the 17th Iraqi Army Brigade operations and intelligence officer, Maj. Hayder, on clearing the shoulder of Highway 1 in the Salah ad Din province, while explaining to local authorities what they were doing and why.

The purpose of the patrol was to support the primary mission of the 17th IA Bde., which was securing the safety of the highway., said 1st. Lt. Curtis Fields, the Battle Company 1st platoon leader and a Junction City, Kan., native.

“A joint patrol not only allows us the ability to assist them with the engineer assets, but it also serves as a public message to anyone who drives by and sees us working together. We hope that this shows people who travel along this highway on a daily basis, that the 4th IA Division is dedicated to keeping the public safe,” said Fields.

Joint operations between U.S. forces and the Iraqi security forces, is all you will see in Iraq these days. They are a true testament to the fact that security and capacity develops everyday in this once war torn country. Company A, 37th Eng. Bn. - JTF Eagle supports missions such as this with Battle Company, 1st Bn., 28th Inf. Regt.along with civil development projects, such as the Salah ad Din canal campaign, with the 4th IA Field Engineer Regiment.

“As engineers, we have the internal ability to identify and reduce hazards imposed on civilians. Which in turn supports our partnership, as we play a supporting role to the Iraqi army’s mission by enabling their success with our capabilities,” said Capt. Jim Wade, Company A commander and a Nashville, Tenn., native.

During the patrol, Fields and Hayder walked along the shoulder of the road as cars passed by honking their horns and people waved hello. With their mine detectors searching for any metal objects that could potentially pose a threat, the engineers move ahead of Fields’ platoon of infantrymen. In the mix of the patrol, was Fritz, the German shepherd military search dog and his handler, a trained team in finding threats that would otherwise be left unseen to Soldiers.

Hayder said he believes the partnership and the opportunities to truly get out into the public eye are attributed to the teamwork between his Soldiers and Battle Company, 1-28 Inf. Bn.
“The partnership is a really great opportunity while we support many missions in Iraq, one relationship we hope to continue to build is the partnership with U.S. forces,” said Hayder.