FORWARD OPERATING BASE FALCON, Iraq – Where once a U.S. Soldier stood guard, an Iraqi National Police officer removes a chain to the entrance of an NP Patrol Base. The cordoned check point is the next stop for the Soldiers of Comanche Troop, 7th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, who have come for reinforcements.

Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers of the 7th “Ghost” Sqdn., 10th Cav. Regt., 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, are working side-by-side with the Iraqi National Policemen of the 7th Brigade, 2nd NP Division, in Abu T’shir to assist the Iraqis in their ongoing efforts to provide security for the predominately Shia community in the Rashid district of southern Baghdad.

Each element of the platoons that live at the Combat Outpost in Abu T’shir, co-located with the Comanche Troop Command Post, conduct checkpoint inspections, meet with ISF commanders, and link up with NP dismounts twice-a-day to conduct combined operations, checkpoints and patrols throughout Abu T’shir, said 1st Lt. Isaac Hedtke, a platoon leader assigned to Troop C, 7-10 Cav. Regt.

“It depends on the Iraqi noncommissioned officer leadership that takes charge of the patrol, but we are getting a really good experience with this group of National Police,” said Hedtke, a graduate of Loyola University in Chicago, Ill.

“We kind of police each other up and help them out with the little things, and they are a tremendous asset to us – especially overcoming the language barrier,” said Hedtke, who hails from Monticello, Minn. “They are pretty squared away.”

On this particular day, the Soldiers of Comanche Troop threw up a hasty traffic control point with a squad of National Policemen from the 7th NP Bde., the principal Iraqi Security Force responsible for southeastern Baghdad, to include the well-known communities of Al Doura and Abu T’shir.

A’areef (Sgt.) Ahmed, a National Policemen, worked four years in the Iraqi Police before transferring over to the Iraqi Ministry of Interior National Police.

“My job is to enforce the Rule of Law and ensure that the rights of Iraqis are protected,” Ahmed said. “I work as a police officer because there are really not any other jobs in Iraq; but really, there is a need for security forces until Baghdad is made safe for the Iraqi people like before.”

It is critical for the Iraqi people to build confidence in their security forces, said Staff Sgt. Jessie Rickey, a section team leader, assigned to Troop C, 7-10 Cav. Regt.

“To the Iraqi people, it’s really important,” said Rickey, who hails from Walnut Ridge, Ark. “It’s not just a (Public Relations) thing. Our presence allows the Iraqi people to be able to feel confident about their security.

They want to feel secure that their military and their security elements are able to take care of the people.”

The Soldiers of Comanche Troop conducts two to five hours of combined patrols and operations with the ISF in the area, maintaining a 24-hour presence in sector every day, explained Rickey, who is on his second deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

“They are doing our job, and they are doing it right – mirroring us,” added Staff Sgt. Gregory Wright, a section team leader assigned to Troop C, 7-10 Cav. Regt. “The National Police seem to be very capable, seem to need very little instruction from us and go out there to do the job.”

An average day in sector for the Soldiers of Comanche Troop includes at least eight hours of patrol and approximately eight hours of serving as the troop quick reaction force, ready to assist at a moment’s notice, said Wright, who hails from Mulvane, Kan.

The platoons conduct atmospherics, or quality of life surveys, with civil affairs teams in the area to make assessments for areas of southeastern Baghdad that need improvement.

The Soldiers also perform “Close Encounters,” a term used for interviewing local residents and entering their personal identification information into computer databases for Iraqi Security and Coalition Forces records, said Wright, a combat veteran of ten years.

“The ‘Close Encounters’ portion of our task is basically going door-to-door to talk with the local Iraqis at their homes and ask basic questions about demographics to get an idea of what the people need or what they are lacking,” he explained.

The local Iraqis are more aware of the militias and extremists in their communities, who are trying to pit the Sunni and Shia sects against each other, said Wright.

The Soldiers of Comanche Troop are finding that the people of Abu T’shir live in a combined environment, with both Sunni and Shia living together, without incident, he added.

“It’s not like before, when we were focused on the fighting,” he explained. “Now, we are focused on the people, the infrastructure of Iraq and trying to create solutions to helping people get back on their feet.”

Wright said that he believes there is progress in the security situation, but it is important to remember that it will take more time and more work to make the change a lasting one.

“I mean, it’s an odd role for a combat Soldier to play,” Wright said. “We’re just trying to show the people that yes, we’re here as a security element; we’re here to protect the people of Abu T’shir, but we work very hard to go out there and show these people that we care.”

The biggest challenge for the Iraqi Security and Coalition Forces working in Abu T’shir is getting the Iraqi people to recognize that there are leaders who represent them and are working in their best interest, said Wright.

“The (7th Bde., 2nd NP Div.) are good men, these National Police,” said Mark, an Iraqi translator, who has worked for U.S. Soldiers and with the ISF for approximately one year. He accompanies the Soldiers of Comanche Troop on their daily patrols and combined operations in the muhallas.

“They talk with more respect, not just to me but the people in my country,” he explained. “With more respect – I really appreciate that.”