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Defending The Defenders

As the Iraq War continues to be a hot topic of debate, many within the U.S. armed forces find themselves defending the United States’ presence in the country, while praising the work troops are doing.

In two informative sessions at ASIS titled “Military Policy and Security Operations in Afghanistan and Iraq,” officials from the U.S. Army, Marine Corps, Air Force and Navy explained the various roles of each military branch in the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

In Wednesday’s session, U.S. Army Col. Eugene Smith discussed the dedication of the Army forces in Iraq. Currently, there are approximately 267,000 Army troops there, and most military police units have experienced three or more rounds in Iraq. In what Smith called a “new type of war,” Army military police have found themselves completing new tasks they have never before encountered.

”We learned this since we went through 9/11. Usually, military police duties include guarding sites, escorting convoys and moving supplies,” he said. “That part of the operation lasted a very brief moment. Then we were on to security.”

Today, military police in Iraq and Afghanistan more frequently serve law enforcement and detaining roles -- with a more intense focus on security than in any other war.

“In this kind of war, those special skills are what make us unique,” he said.

Smith also explained what future roles the military police should expect. These include strategic oversight, training, expertise and other “technical things [Iraqi police] haven’t developed yet.”

In fact, Smith stressed, people should expect Army military police to have a long-lasting presence in Iraq in order to fully prepare the local forces for running the country on their own.

“This is going to be a long-term effort,” he said. “This is something we’re going to have to be involved in, and [learning in] eight to nine months is unlikely. Ten years is more like it.”

About the Author

Megan Weadock is a communications specialist at Monitronics.

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