Iraqi Police Service officers had the chance to hone their skills on a live-fire weapons range for the first time with the help of soldiers of the 382nd Military Police Detachment. The Army Reserve unit from San Diego is assigned to the 18th Military Police Brigade, part of Task Force 1st Armored Division. The weapons training is part of a three-week course called the Iraqi Police Integration Program. The program is intended to teach the existing Iraqi Police basic weapons fundamentals and tactics and for the Iraqi police to brush up on their skills. âThey are going to be more effective police officers,â said Cpl. Kenneth Johnson, a military policeman with the 382nd and the weapons range noncommissioned officer in charge. âMany of them have never fired a weapon.â Johnson said the weapons portion of the training consists of two days in the classroom to learn how to use the weapons and safety measures for their use and four days on the actual weapons range. The last day on the range is weapons qualification day. âNobody taught them the basics of shooting a firearm,â said Johnson. âThey were taught to put rounds down range and pray it hit the target.â
According to one police officer, the Iraqi police rarely practiced with a weapon at all. âThere was no shooting and there were no good pistols before,â said police Capt. Sammad Al Hayani. The fundamentals that are taught to the Iraqi Police include the basics of marksmanship such as breath control, the proper way to squeeze the trigger and sight alignment. Basic muzzle awareness is also taught. The firing range consists of paper targets containing human silhouettes and is at the rear of the police academy in Baghdad. The Iraqi Police practice their target shooting from three distances, with the longest distance being 15 meters using Glock 19 Series pistols. âThey had no idea of the capabilities of the weapons,â said Johnson. âI have to believe that under the old regime they were given no self confidence. It is good now to see them confident in their own abilities. They are going to be a more valuable asset when they learn to use their weapons.â
| That's about the situation we'd expect from Sammy's regime: all guns and no maintenance... |
âI think it is very good to help protect ourselves and our citizens,â said Hayani. âWe will now be able to do that.â |