Post southwest of Baghdad building on better security in 'triangle of death'

Spc. James Dusenbery, 22, of Spokane, Wash., watches over his observation point on the roof of the Joint Security Station in Yusufiyah, Iraq. Forty soldiers from 3rd Platoon, 65th Military Police Company (Airborne), 720th Military Police Battalion, 18th Military Police Brigade are assigned full time to the outpost.


Post southwest of Baghdad building on better security in 'triangle of death'
By Vince Little, Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Wednesday, January 30, 2008

YUSUFIYAH, Iraq — For this unit, the third time has to be the charm.

Forty soldiers assigned to 3rd Platoon, 65th Military Police Company, 720th Military Police Battalion, 18th Military Police Brigade will spend the next 14 months living and working alongside Iraqi police and other coalition forces at a joint security station in Yusufiyah, a city southwest of Baghdad once plagued by violence.

The outpost sits on a point in the old “triangle of death” and it’s twice been taken down by suicide car bombers.

“We must hold this ground,” Lt. Col. Frank Rangel, the 720th Military Police Battalion commander, told the platoon during a recent visit.

According to the brigade, soldiers are fanning out in larger numbers to shared duty locations with Iraqi security forces as a way to boost joint patrols, improve community relations and elevate stability in neighborhoods. It also allows military police to be better mentors.


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=52036



uhc comment: Previous threads about the 720th -->

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=259&topic_id=9859
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=259&topic_id=10196