Iraqi Army Maj. Gen. Ahmed (left) grasps his division's colors during the 5th Division's Transfer of Authority ceremony. He was given the colors by British Maj. Gen. Peter Everson, deputy commanding general, Multi-National Corps-Iraq.

KIRKUSH — The Iraqi Army’s 5th Division officially took charge of military operations in northern Iraq’s Diyala province from Coalition forces during a ceremony on July 3.

The division’s colors, a symbolic flag, were unveiled and presented to its commander, Maj. Gen. Ahmed Klepos Awad Majhool al-Kozaee by British Maj. Gen. Peter Everson, who serves as deputy commanding general, Multi-National Corps - Iraq.

The Iraqi division earned its colors after being trained and recognized as a viable fighting force by the 101st Airborne Division.
“I’d like to say that this division will be successful because it is composed of the full spectrum of Iraqi people,” al-Kozaee said. “It represents the hand of the government that carries the weapon and the olive branch at the same time.”

The Iraqi unit, also known as the “Hadeed” Division, was formed in April 2004 and was fully operational in February 2005.

The division has a headquarters and three brigades.
Al-Kozaee promised his division would be “the strong hand of the Iraqi people in defeating the insurgency.” He pledged to remain with the division as their “brother, teacher and commander.”
Everson said the 5th Division was the first Iraqi Army division in the Multi-National Division - North qualified to conduct independent combat operations. It is the fourth division to attain that status.

“Gen. (al-Kozaee)’s Soldiers have worked hard for the day that this division would be prepared to assume responsibility for this large complex province,” Everson said.
“And that day has come.”

Diyala province spans from the eastern edge of Baghdad to the Iranian border and covers 70,000 square miles. It is home to more than 1.7 million Iraqis.
One of the division’s units, the 1st Brigade, was qualified in April, and has maintained security for the eastern part of the province.

The qualification, or 'validation' in military terms, changes the roles of both Iraqi and Coalition forces. The division will now assume full responsibility for the province while Coalition forces will take on a supporting role.

Col. William Gothard, an Army Reserve Soldier with the Richmond, Va.-based 80th Division, commands the Military Transition Team in charge of training the division.
His unit members work and live with their Iraqi Army counterparts and prepared them for the responsibility.

"They conduct combat operations on their own with us providing support where they request it,” Gothard said.

He said the walk toward validation has not been an easy one.
In addition to training, the division’s Soldiers have seen combat in Diyala and in neighboring Fallajah, Samarra and Baghdad.

Both al-Kozaee and Everson praised the efforts of Coalition forces to train the division. A moment of silence was observed for both Coalition and Iraqi forces who have lost their lives in combat operations with the division.

“I would like to express my thanks and appreciation to my brothers in the Coalition forces - the 101st Airborne Division; 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division and all of our other friends,” al-Kozaee said.