Written by Pfc. Emily Knitter, 1st Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division
Tuesday, October 19, 2010 BAGHDAD—Contingency Operating Site Falcon, located in the southern portion of the Iraqi capital, was transferred from U.S. control to the Government of Iraq during a formal transfer ceremony, Oct. 10.
Sameer Al Haddad, the secretary of receivership for the Iraqi government, smiles alongside Lt. Col. Richard Hansen, commander of Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 1st Advise and Assist Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, United States Division – Center, as they sign the paperwork transferring control of Contingency Operating Station Falcon from the U.S. to the Iraqi government, Oct. 10, 2010. USA photo/Pfc. Emily Knitter.
The handover of COS Falcon, the last scheduled base transfer for the 1st Advise and Assist Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, United States Division – Center, marked another milestone in the increasing sovereignty of Iraq and the ever-increasing capabilities of the Iraqi Security Forces.
“Over the past 10 months, we have worked hand-in-hand with our Iraqi brothers for the citizens of the Rasheed district,” said Lt. Col. Kirk Dorr, commander of 5th Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 1st AAB, 3rd Inf. Div. “It has not been an easy journey to this point and undoubtedly we will see more challenges ahead, but together there is nothing we cannot accomplish.”
During the ceremony, Lt. Col. Richard Hansen, commander of Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 1st AAB, 3rd Inf. Div., and Sameer Al Haddad, the secretary of receivership for the GoI, signed the final documents which gave control of the base to the GoI. In addition to Dorr, staff Maj. Gen. Ameed Rukn Shakir Laftah Abdalretha Al-Assadi Akeed, commander of the 2nd Iraqi National Police Division, and Col. Kareen Auda Kadham Ashoor Almehna, commander of the 5th Brigade, 2nd Iraqi NP Div., were present for the signing.
COS Falcon is scheduled to be the last of nine bases the 1st AAB, 3rd Inf. Div., has given back to the GoI. It is also the largest base transfer on record for USD-C. As most bases are under official control by a company- or battalion-sized element, COS Falcon was under the control of an entire brigade.
This transfer is the result of an almost year-long partnership between 5th Sqdn., 7th Cav. Regt., and the 2nd Iraqi NP Div. A contingent of American forces will remain on the base in a smaller compound in order to continue their partnership and their role of advising and assisting the ISF for the duration of their deployment.
“It was the joint work that has had a significant positive impact on the capabilities of our unit’s training, logistics and intelligence,” said Shakir
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