A local Iraqi woman receives a humanitarian assistance package from an Iraqi Army Soldier in the Shulla community in northwest Baghdad, Sept. 10, 2008. Photo by 1st Lt. Christopher Taylor, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (AA) Public Affairs.

Iraqi security forces (ISF) and Coalition forces (CF) have conducted numerous HA drops throughout Shulla, but this one was unique because it was planned and executed by the IA with minimal CF oversight.

“It is crazy to think that just a few months ago this place was completely off limits to Coalition and Iraqi forces,” said Staff Sgt. Perry Transue, while watching his platoon pull security for the event.  “If you had asked me a few months ago if I’d be standing in the streets of Shulla watching the IA conducting operations this soon after the hostilities, I would have said, no.”

The IA has improved exponentially since the Strike troops took over the area in November 2007, said Transue.

“It is great to be given the opportunity to supply all these people with food, but this is just a small sample of the things we [the Iraqi Army] want to accomplish here in Shulla,” said Iraqi Army Maj. Muhammad.  “We still need to clean the streets of trash, repair the streets, and provide better medical services to the residents of Shulla.”

The IA troops set the example for IA battalions across Baghdad, said Muhammad.

“People are beginning to see the strength of the Iraqi Army. The people see that we are beginning to conduct operations on our own, without the help of Coalition forces. Residents of Shulla no longer hesitate to bring issues to us because they realize we are capable of providing security for them,” said Muhammad.