MOSUL — Third Armored Calvary Regiment Soldiers recently assisted the Iraqi Army in a joint services weapons search mission in villages west of Mosul.  The Iraqi Army conducts these missions periodically to show their presence and to keep insurgents from moving into the villages.

“The mission today was very productive,” said Staff Sgt. Christopher Lewis, a sergeant with Iron Hawk Troop, 3/3 ACR. “We made a presence with American and Iraqi forces working together, showing progress to the Iraqi people, how we work together.”

This weapons search mission was one of the largest joint missions conducted in the Mosul area, said 1st Lt. Jeremy Glosson, the platoon leader assigned to Iron Hawk Troop, 3/3 ACR.

The intent of this mission was to reinforce the Iraqi Army’s training, Lewis said. The Iraqi Army has gone through hours of training, now they are taking the lead in clearing houses and looking for unauthorized weapons.

“This was a step in the right direction,” Glosson said. “The Iraqi Army needed minimal assistance from us and they took the lead for the mission.”

The Iraqi people presented no resistance and even offered smiles and flat bread to the Coalition troops during the searches of their villages.

“Today we were clearing an area west of Mosul,” Glosson said. “The Iraqi Army goes there once a month to search the area for weapons. It is mainly a farmland and fishing market area.”

These security measures are important. Helping to maintain the safety of life in the villages and the surrounding areas of Mosul is vital, said Lewis.