The first successful Iraqi government-led pay period of monthly wages to more than 26,000 Sons of Iraq in Multi-National Division Baghdad’s area of operations in Baghdad, which began Nov. 10, comes to an end Nov. 20.

“The Government of Iraq has followed through on its commitment to pay everyone,” said Lt. Col. Arnold Csan, civil affairs planning team chief and division SoI officer with the 4th Infantry Division and Multi-National Division – Baghdad.

“The reality at this point is, over 93 percent have been paid the $300 that the Government of Iraq promised them, which is the same amount we were paying last month,” Csan said.

As of Nov. 19, 24,810 of the 26,000 SOIs in Baghdad have been paid their salaries. There were a few discrepancies in a couple of Iraqi units across Baghdad during the pay period, but those discrepancies are being administratively resolved and the SOI will be paid.

The transfer of the SoI to Iraqi government control, which placed the responsibility for care and payment of the SoI on the shoulders of the GoI, was planned for and rehearsed by officials from the Iraqi government, Iraqi Security Forces and U.S. forces well before the Oct. 1 transfer.

There were concerns regarding possible attacks during the pay period and other potential problems, but the actual paydays went fairly smooth.

“We knew there were going to be minor issues – there are always minor issues,” said Csan. “I use this one analogy: Right now there are 50,000 SoIs (in Baghdad province). You line 50,000 U.S. soldiers up, and I dare you to find that there were no pay problems whatsoever. (It’s) the same situation.”

One of the issues that surfaced was some of the SoI leaders hadn’t been paid their full salary as of Nov. 18 because when the money was drawn for the payday, the extra amount they receive for being leaders was not taken into consideration. Plans were quickly set in motion to establish dates to pay the SoI leaders the rest of the money owed them.

With the first pay period over, the focus of all parties involved now moves to the future of the SoI. Next month’s payday and the eventual transition of the SoI into the Iraqi Police, the Iraqi Army or into other meaningful and productive employment are the next steps in the process.

“The (next) step is then to transition the Sons of Iraq – 20 percent of them will transition into the Iraq Security Forces and, over time, the remaining 80 percent will transfer to other government jobs (or other forms of civilian employment) according to their qualifications,” said Brig. Gen. Robin Swan, deputy commanding general with 4th Inf. Div. and MND-B. “The government of Iraq is committed to the … transition that will occur. We have every confidence that will occur. In the mean time, the Sons of Iraq will continue to perform their security functions throughout Baghdad province until they transition to other employment.”

Until that transition is final, MND-B leaders and Iraqi government and ISF officials will continue to conduct partnered roles during future payday operations.

“We’ve been doing this (conducting paydays) with our Iraqi partners out on the street now for three iterations,” said Csan. “The first two they observed us doing it. This time we’re observing them, and next time we’ll continue to observe them because this is all about a partnership.

“As it goes on, we’ll continue to monitor the paydays because it is something that is in our battle space.

“The pay system will be looked at and refined for next month, with this month’s pay rosters generating next month’s pay rosters and so on, said Csan.

“It’s about really tightening the shot group.”

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An Iraqi family stands in the doorjamb of the empty house, where once they lived before the specter of sectarian violence overwhelmed their lives. The residence once used by insurgents as part of a network of anti-Iraqi forces’ safe houses now stands empty in a suburban muhallah of closely-knit houses characteristic of the Rashid District’s Hadar community — but not for long.

Soldiers of the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division are working with Iraqi security forces commanders, local community leaders and Sons of Iraq in southern Baghdad to return Iraq’s displaced families home.

The fact that nearly 6,000 Iraqi families have returned to their communities and neighborhoods in the Rashid District of southern Baghdad since April when the “Raider” Brigade assumed responsibility for the mixed Shia, Sunni and Christian area is a good indicator that security is improving for the area that is home to approximately 1.6 million Iraqi citizens, said Capt. Dave Lombardo, commander of Troop B, 7th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 1st BCT, 4th Inf. Div., MND-B.

When the Soldiers of “Bulldog” Troop began patrolling the streets of the predominately Sunni community in southeastern Baghdad, Hadar was like a “ghost town,” said Lombardo, with only approximately 15 percent of its houses and buildings occupied.

That is changing now that Rashid’s displaced Iraqi citizens are returning by the hundreds, explained Lombardo, who estimated nearly 50 percent of Hadar’s structures to be occupied.

The troop’s current mission to support Iraqi security forces with offensive operations and secure the Iraqi people keeps the enemy out of the Hadar community, said Lombardo, who hails from Kennesaw, Ga.

“We are security plain and simple,” said Lombardo. “We keep the people safe, set the conditions to be able to perform civil affairs projects, and at the same time transition the ISF to the lead.”

The Soldiers of ‘Bulldog’ Troop ensure that the displaced Iraqi citizens can move back to their homes safely, and works to ensure there is a good representation of security forces in the communities, which will allow returning Iraqis to rebuild their lives and return to a sense of normalcy, said 2nd Lt. Jon Byrd, a platoon leader from Gulf Port, Miss., assigned to Troop B, 7th Sqdn., 10th Cav. Regt., 1st BCT, 4th Inf. Div., MND-B.

“The ISF and the coalition forces are doing a good job securing the area, and it’s a good time to move back, that plus the microgrants are making the economy a lot stronger, so jobs are getting better,” Byrd said.

The Soldiers of ‘Bulldog’ Troop patrol the streets of Hadar daily conducting combined patrols with Iraqi national police of the 1st Bn., 7th Bde., 2nd NP Div., and Sons of Iraq, a citizens-led security program that assists ISF in securing the District, said Staff Sgt. Jesus Villareal, a cavalry scout from Chico, Calif., and section sergeant assigned to Troop B, 7th Sqdn., 10th Cav. Regt.

“The area is a lot safer now,” Villareal said. “The ISF are doing their part, so that these families can return home.”

Villareal said that the collective efforts between ISF and CF, circulating throughout the community, handing out flyers and talking with the Iraqi residents, recruits the support of the local citizens, who continue to report weapons caches, special groups criminals and intimidation attacks in Hadar.

“We have been saturating the area,” said Sgt. 1st Class Joaquim Garcia, a platoon sergeant from Converse, Texas, assigned to Troop B, 7th Squadron, 10th Cav. Regt. “We constantly visit the families that are moving in, so we have constant eyes on the people in the area. There are small intimidation cells that are trying to stop these movements and they will get caught.”

Their mission is still the same but the situation has changed, said Garcia, who is serving his third deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and seventh deployment, since entering active service more than 16 years ago.

Most of the Soldiers, leaders and non-commissioned officers in the platoon have two and three tours to Iraq, explained Garcia.

“The NPs and all the Sons of Iraq have cleaned up the city,” Garcia said. “We all know what it was like, and we all see the major change and how security is now.

“Doing small operations like this right here to help resettlement and help bring the people back to their home — that makes us happy, because we know that our mission is almost complete.”

The key to reinforcing security during the resettlement phase is working with the ISF and maintaining contact with the people in the communities, said Garcia.

The Iraqi national police of the 1st Bn., 7th Bde., 2nd NP Div. conduct educational classes with the Iraqi citizens of the community that is part of the Doura area in Rashid, said 2nd Lt. Hassan, an Iraqi NP, who works to secure Hadar with his forces.

“The National Reconciliation in our country under the leadership of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki has played an effective role in returning safety and security to all Iraq and especially in the Doura area,” Hassan explained.

The curfew has been canceled, and ISF commanders are using community leaders, Iraqi media and word of mouth to ask Iraq’s displaced families to return to their homes in Hadar, he explained.

“Today, in a secure Doura, we see cars moving freely, displaced families start to return, as well as shops are staying open for late hours, all confirming the security improvement in Doura,” he said.

The security and stability in Hadar and surrounding areas has prompted more than 1,000 families to return to southeastern Baghdad, said Lt. Col. Troy Smith, commander of the 7th Sqdn., 10th Cav. Regt., 1st BCT, 4th Inf. Div., MND-B.

“It’s a huge difference,” said Smith, who hails from Culpepper, Va. “People are moving in where people are, and the resettlement just keeps spreading. As more families move in, the place gets more populated; therefore, it’s even more secure, and as resettlement comes back, more resettlement picks up because the security gets better.”

DVIDS
By Staff Sgt. Brent Williams
1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division

Sons of Iraq members and Iraqi Police in Riyadh thwarted an attempt by terrorists to place a bicycle laden with explosives near a busy market area Sept. 21.

SoI and IP, at a nearby checkpoint, observed a truck whose occupants unloaded a bicycle then left it as they departed the area at a high-rate of speed. Upon further investigation, they noticed a suspicious white bag attached to the bicycle’s frame, and immediately notified Soldiers of Delta Company, 1-87 Inf. Regt., located nearby at Patrol Base Howell. SoI and IP commonly work together in this city.

“We are grateful for the brave public servants of Iraq to include the Iraqi Police and the Sons of Iraq who acted quickly to avert what might have been a horrendous attack against the citizens of Riyadh as felt today in another attack just outside the city of Kirkuk, the provincial capital,” Lt. Col. Christopher Vanek, commander, 1st Battalion, 87th Inf. Regt., 1st Brigade, 10th Mountain Division said.

A Coalition forces explosive ordinance disposal team was dispatched to the scene and confirmed the presence of an improvised explosive device. The EOD team safely facilitated its removal—detonating the device at a secure location.

“Today’s event symbolizes everything the terrorist and insurgents represent. While Iraqi Security Forces and the Coalition force do everything possible to respect the significance of Ramadan, the terrorists use a child’s toy to potentially cause death and destruction to the innocent, unsuspecting residents of Riyadh during this sacred, holy month,” Vanek said.

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A U.S. Soldier from 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, walks with two young girls during a visit to the Sons of Iraq Headquarters near Fursan, Iraq, on Sept. 17, 2008. Photographer: Spc. David Marshall

A road in a Western Baqubah neighborhood that had been closed to local travelers for more than a year reopened Sept. 1.

“This was in the works since early May,” said Capt. Kevin P. Ryan, the officer who coordinated the opening. “My idea was to transition this area of operations back to the Iraqi people and to open the roads up, to give something back to the people.”

To do that, though, he had to work with Iraqi Security Forces to set up a series of three checkpoints and meet conditions required to reopen the road to local traffic. The checkpoints will allow the ISF and their Sons of Iraq partners to search vehicles headed to the western part of the area, long off limits to civilian traffic for security reasons.

“This was the foothold of Al Qaida in Iraq,” Ryan said. “So, they banned all traffic due to clearing operations and never allowed it to come back in because the situation didn’t allow it.”

Ryan also said the road opening was a step forward for ISF members who are increasingly taking on responsibilities in the area.

“For the most part, right now, ISF is in the lead and U.S. Forces have been over-watching,” Ryan said. “The Iraqi dependency on the U.S. is decreasing. That’s the way we need to keep going. Today was one of the steps in the right direction. A big step.”

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