June 4, 2007

First Women Graduate from Kirkuk Police Academy

By Spc. Amanda Morrissey
5th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

KIRKUK — The first women to train at Kirkuk Police Academy were among the 980 police officers and non-commissioned officers (NCOs) to graduate from the academy, May 27.

Nisreen Hama Amin and Mirvat Amin, no relation, have joined their male counterparts in donning the blue uniform of the Iraqi police force to answer what they see as the patriotic call to duty.

“I want to help the people and do something good for my country,” Nisreen said. “I saw female police officers in Irbil and other places, and decided that this was the way to do it.”

Nisreen, who graduated from the basic police course, is new to the field of police work while Mirvat, a graduate of the NCO course, has nearly three years of experience working with the Iraqi police.

Although female police officers may still be uncommon in Iraq, they provide a vital function within the police force in their dealings with civilian women.

“The Iraqi police need female officers to be fully effective,” said Staff Sgt. Amaury Garcia, an advisor with the Police Transition Team from Forward Operating Base Warrior.

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