AR-RAMADI, Iraq -- AR-RAMADI, Iraq – In an effort to return Ramadi to the Iraqi police, Marines with Combat Logistics Company 51, 1st Marine Logistics Group, have been removing platoon sized outposts from the city.
Combat Logistics Company 51, Combat Logistics Battalion 5, 1st MLG, has worked hard to demilitarize combat outposts with Jumayiah being the most recent, on Aug. 29 and 30.
“(Coalition Forces) are working to give the country of Iraq back to their government,” said Staff Sgt. Jose A. Reyna, the 3rd Platoon Sergeant for CLC-51. “We have recently been removing the platoon sized bases from the cities and returning them to the Iraqi Police.”
Service members worked out of the COPs to provide additional safety and support for the Iraqi people. Now the platoon sized bases are being demilitarized and consolidated with the larger bases outside the cities.
“It feels great that we are turning over the cities to the Iraqi Police,” said Pfc. Ryan M. Raleigh, a logistics vehicle system operator with CLC-51. Raleigh, 29, from Long Island, N.Y., and other Marines with CLC-51, transported 100 “Texas” barriers from the former Cop Jumayiah to al-Sora in only two days.
“There will continue to be less and less American presence (at COPs) in Iraq as we carry on our missions involving the demilitarizing of COPs throughout Iraq,” said Reyna, from Laredo, TX.
Today, Coalition Forces transferred security of al-Anbar province to the Iraqi Civilian Authority and the Iraqi Security Forces. This means Coalition Forces will work from a few larger bases remaining in the province.
The Marines with CLC-51 conduct every demilitarizing mission to the best of their ability to enable the operation to go smoothly.
“My Marines are always working hard together to complete their missions just like the band of brothers that we preach to them so much at boot camp,” said Reyna, who’s 28. Combat Logistics Company 51 is scheduled to demilitarize many more platoon-sized bases during this deployment.