From MNF-I, Concerned citizens lead Iraqi Army recruiting drive.
KALSU — As concerned citizens stand up and secure their homes and communities against terrorists and militias all across North Babil, they are also standing up and leading the push for legitimate security forces in the area.Iraqi Army recruiting has reached a near record in the city of Iskandariyah and the surrounding areas thanks, in large part, to concerned citizens wanting to do more to help their families, friends and neighbors in the fight against militants.
“More than 1,400 people have made the decision to join the Iraqi Army during the five-day recruiting drive,” said 1st Lt. Tyler Mitchell, of Wasilla, Alaska. “Due to sectarian violence, this is the first recruiting drive we have had this year.”
The drop in sectarian violence can be attributed to an increased presence of Iraqi and Coalition Forces patrolling the area. With the increased patrols, ordinary citizens feel more secure and are willing to come forward and help the Security Forces, Mitchell said.
One major area of help has come from volunteers in the Concerned Citizens Program, providing security against the Sunni insurgents and Shia militias that have plagued the region.
“As the citizens began standing up and taking back control of their communities and villages, the Ministry of Defense said it was finally time to hold a recruiting drive,” Mitchell said. “Once the recruiting drive was OK’d, we started publicizing it pretty heavily.”
Using fliers and loud speaker announcements, 2nd Battalion, 4th Brigade, 8th Iraqi Army Divisioin and 1st Battalion, 501st Airborne, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, spread the word throughout the area, and people turned out in droves. Not everyone was accepted because of age limitations, weight problems or illiteracy, but those not accepted were told about the Concerned Citizens Programs sprouting up across the region.
“If the men who were turned away by the initial recruiting drive are accepted into one of the Concerned Citizens Programs and prove their worth, hopefully that will lead to a contract in the Iraqi Security Forces,” Mitchell said.
“The men who signed up are the same men who have lived under the threat of murder and intimidation for nearly a year,” he continued. “They are tired of being scared and they want to be a part of something bigger. They want a change and they realize that the time is now.”
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