January 26, 2007

Transition Team Braves Attacks to Train Police


Story and photo by Spc. Daniel Bearl
25th Combat Aviation Brigade Public Affairs


TAL AFAR — The morning is chilly as Sgt. Alexis Medina briefs his squad on its mission.

Medina and his Soldiers, from the Florida National Guard's Company D, 2nd Battalion, 124th Infantry Regiment, are one of several squads that make up the police transition team working in Tal Afar. Their mission is to see that the Iraqi police are properly trained so they can operate on their own.

As they prepare to go to a meeting with local Iraqi police leaders, Medina updates his squad on route conditions and recent enemy activity.Once he's done, the Soldiers don their protective armor and climb into their vehicles. It's a short drive to the police station, but recent suicide bomb attacks give reason for extra caution and vigilance as they roll out.
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(Photo: Second Lt. Ryan Swinford directs Iraqi police officers as they gather a delivery of ammunition in Tal Afar, Iraq. The police transition team in Tal Afar brought the ammunition to the police officers to re-supply them after they ran short on ammunition during a fire fight with insurgents earlier that day.)

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