Spc. Zainah C. Creamer, a driver with the 511th Military Police Company, assembles the tripod of an OE 254 radio antenna on top of the al Kut Iraqi police headquarters, March 31. The IPs and the 511th MP Co. set up a forward tactical operations center at the headquarters to support MP squads and IP patrolling the districts of al Kut in order to maintain security in the city. Photo by Sgt. Carlos Lazo, 302nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment.

The TOC will serve as a Joint Communications Center between the 511th MP Company, from Fort Drum, N.Y., the IP in al Kut, and support elements at Forward Operating Base Delta.

With IPs in the lead, MP squads have patrolled several districts of al Kut. After days of sporadic small-arms fire and clashes with rogue criminals, the IP continues operations to suppress any further violence in the city and to maintain security.

“The purpose of this is to monitor more accurately the events in the city,” said Sgt. 1st Class Herbert Tulip, senior operations noncommissioned officer for 511th MP Co.

Typically, information is passed from checkpoints or stations to the IP headquarters, relayed to the MPs through an IP liaison officer and then passed on to the MP squads. The TOC functions as a direct feed for the information IP collect at their checkpoints, said Tulip. Officers at the IP headquarters provide Tulip and his Soldiers manning the TOC up-to-the minute information from all their checkpoints and stations throughout the city.

During the first day of operations March 31, one improvised explosive device was discovered and two unexploded ordnances were located. Thanks to the forward TOC, this information was immediately relayed to units in the area and an IP explosive ordnance disposal team was called in to handle the threat.