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Taji Law Enforcement Academy graduates last Iraqi Police class

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Sanjay Allen
  • Air Force Central Public Affairs
CAMP TAJI, Iraq --  Airmen of the 732nd Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron, Detachment 3, graduated the last 15 of more than 400 Iraqi police students at the Taji Law Enforcement Academy on June 3.

With the closing of TLEA, the training is moving from the local level to the directorate level at a regional training center in Baghdad.

"The U.S. Army is still going to be around for a while, the Advise and Assist Brigade, and they're going to continue those partnerships at the directorate levels," said Maj. Shawn Covault, 732nd ESFS, Det. 3 commander, who is deployed from Peterson Air Force Base, Colo. "And they'll continue to push training initiatives down to the district levels."

The week-long intermediate to advanced law enforcement course was taught by Iraqi Police instructors and overseen by the security forces team.

"The training is very good so it can help the Iraqis learn a lot and practice and have more information about what's going on," said Brig. Gen. Emad Ismael Al Shafi, Iraqi Police commander, Taji District. "They are supposed to know exactly what's going on, so they get more training and know exactly what they can do, because there are too many crimes and terrorism around Iraq."

The general's hope is that the Iraqi Police who have come through TLEA will take what they have learned home and spread it to their coworkers.

"I hope that the guys here can take home what they have learned and teach everybody back home what they learned so they can have more guys that know exactly what they can do," he said through a translator. "I hope the experience they get from (the 732nd ESFS, Det. 3) and the coalition forces, they can use when they go back home with all the guys and their friends."

The 732nd ESFS, Det. 3, who have been overseeing the training at the academy, feel the training has been helping to make a difference.

"Some of the most significant changes we've seen in the Iraqi Police are their abilities to secure a scene where there's been an improvised explosive device attack or other violent crime committed and exploit that scene," Major Covault, who hails from Houston, said. "They've vastly improved their investigative skills to follow up and capture those insurgent criminals and terrorists."

The 732nd ESFS arrived here October 2009 and took this training over from the Army's 591st Military Police Company and have been overseeing the Iraqi's teach their own police force skills such as democratic and community policing, human rights, police values and ethics, crime scene management, interviewing and other police tasks.

"(Iraqi instructors have been teaching this curriculum) since day one," said Tech. Sgt. Brandon Neal, Non Commissioned Officer in Charge of TLEA, who's deployed from Charleston AFB, S.C. "We've facilitated their training, but they've conducted all the training."

Sergeant Neal believes they have really improved on protective service details in the ten months his unit has been here.

"They really seem to catch on how to protect their personnel as they move thru the motions of learning protective service details," the Charleston native said.

With the continuous improvement of the Iraqi Police, General Al Shafi is thankful, but ready for his police force to protect the Iraqi people.

"I will thank you forever for all the help and hands you have given to us," he said. "I have a lot of love and respect for what you guys did for us.

"I hope the experience they get from you and the coalition forces, they can use when they go back home ... and make a better life for Iraq," General Al Shafi said.