Lt. Col. Mario Diaz, a native of Sierra Madre, Calif., who serves as the commander of the 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment “Gimlets,” 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, Multi-National Division – Baghdad, shakes hands with Sheik Larens in front of the 19 detainees who were released in Ibrahim Bin Ali, northwest of Baghdad, April 25.
U.S. Army photos by Spc Dustin Weidman, 1st Bn., 21st Inf. Regt., 2nd SCR, MND-B
By Capt. Benjamin Roark, 1st Bn, 21st Inf. Regt., 2nd SCR, MND-B
BAGHDAD – As part of national reconciliation efforts, 19 detainees from the Abu Ghraib district, south of Baghdad, were re-incorporated into society and reunited with their families in a ceremony April 25.
The ceremony was hosted by elements of 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment “Gimlet,” 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, Multi-National Division – Baghdad at Coalition Outpost Ibrahim Bin Ali, which is north of Abu Ghraib.
At the ceremony, the men pledged in front of friends, family and local leaders, that they will maintain their allegiance to the Government of Iraq, give support to the Iraqi Security Forces and work for the stability of their country. They signed an oath of allegiance in front of the people and sealed it with their fingerprint.
“Today is a great day for me,” said one of the released Iraqis. “I’m so happy to finally reunite with my family.”
Before the ceremony, Soldiers verified the former detainees’ information and had a local leader sign as a guarantor for their release as a testament of their readiness to return to society.
The Gimlet Soldiers will be involved in many more release ceremonies in the future.
“The reintegration of these Iraqi citizens into the community is an important part of the reconciliation process,” said Capt. Jon O’Dea, a native of Providence, R.I., who serves as the battalion assistant operations officer, 1st Bn., 21st Inf. Regt. “The most important aspect of this reintegration process is the role that the ISF, GoI and local leaders have in the future of those released.”
Capt. Rafal Stachowski, a native of Warsaw, Poland, and military intelligence officer, 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment “Gimlets,” 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, Multi-National Division – Baghdad, watches as a former detainee signs an oath to maintain peace. Nineteen men were released in Ibrahim Bin Ali, northwest of Baghdad, April 25.
Nineteen former detainees and their friends and family listen to Lt. Col. Mario Diaz, a native of Sierra Madre, Calif., and commander of 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment “Gimlets,” 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, Multi-National Division – Baghdad, and Sheik Larens, a local sheik from Ibrahim Bin Ali, northwest of Baghdad, during a release ceremony April 25. Diaz and Larens encouraged the men to start a new life and help rebuild Iraq.
A former detainee greets a friend with a hug after a release ceremony in Ibrahim Bin Ali, northwest of Baghdad, April 25. The Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment “Gimlets,” 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, Multi-National Division – Baghdad, coordinated the release.
