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COMBAT OUTPOST CASHE, Iraq (March 25, 2008) - One hundred and
seventy-five Iraqi men waited for their opportunity to join the
police force during a recruiting drive at the 3rd Battalion, 1st
National Police Brigade headquarters in Tameem, a town southeast of
Baghdad, March 22.
Prospective policemen went through a rigid screening process to
find the best possible applicants, said 1st Lt. Kurt Cheeseman,
from Greenwood, S.C., the targeting officer for 3rd Squadron, 1st
Cavalry Regiment. Men between the ages of 18 and 35 had to bring a
national identification card, proof of intermediate education and
pass a reading and writing exam, medical screening and physical
fitness test. Additionally, the men were registered in the
biometrics enrollment system and the Handheld Interagency Identity
Detection Equipment System and interviewed by the Mada'in Qada
chief of police.
"It is a very thorough process. It is a four-day event, but we
have a lot of men that want to be policemen," Cheeseman said.
The event is part of an effort to help fill the Mada'in Qada's
police ranks with former members of the Sons of Iraq. There are not
yet jobs for all of the applicants, Cheeseman said.
"A good thing is," he said, "we will have 100 applicants already
processed and ready to be hired when jobs become available."
Maj. David Guthrie, from Hampton, Va., the operations officer
for 3-1 Cav. Regt., believes the recruiting drive helps both the
SoI and the police force.
"I think it legitimizes both programs," he said. "It will expand
the police force with qualified candidates. These are men that have
been helping protect their neighborhoods and have proven that they
want to help their neighbors. People from the area will have their
trust … The Sons of Iraq, in turn, see that the effort they are
putting in could lead them to a better job. It really benefits
everyone."
Cheeseman was happy with the candidates' efforts.
"They all tried very hard," he said. "There were a lot of good
efforts by the men out here. You can tell they all really want to
serve the qada and help their neighborhoods."
The 3-1 Cav. Regt. is assigned to the 3rd HBCT, 3rd Infantry
Division from Fort Benning, Ga., and has been deployed in support
of Operation Iraqi Freedom since March 2007.
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