CAMP AL QA’IM, Iraq (March 24, 2006) -- They came from far and near and waited hours in long lines under a hot Iraqi sun in hopes of joining the Army.
Nearly 400 Iraqi males – some as young as 15 – showed up for an Iraqi Army recruiting drive held at the Marines’ battle position in this region along the Euphrates River in western Al Anbar Province.
Of the 400 men who showed up to enlist, 179 were accepted – a substantial number, according to Coalition and Iraqi Army officials.
The drive, conducted by Iraqi soldiers and Coalition Forces, was an attempt to bolster numbers in one of several Brigades within the Iraqi Army’s 10 divisions, according to Army Capt. Jack S. Rebolledo, one of the Military Transition Team training advisors for the Iraqi Army unit here.
The recruitment drive was part of an Iraqi Army recruiting campaign aimed at incorporating more Sunnis into Iraqi Security Forces, according to Coalition officials.
The Iraqi Army unit partnered with Marines from 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment to provide security in this region of the Sunni triangle, spent the day screening potential future soldiers.
The Iraqi Government wants to have a better ethnic mix of Iraqis in its Army, and hopes to recruit 5,000 new soldiers by year’s end.
Not much I can add to that other than to say that we are winning in Iraq and the terrorists are losing. Just don't expect to hear about it in the media.