Clear, Hold, Build

We just successfully wrapped up a large, 6 day combined operation with Iraqi National Police (INP) with Transition Teams and Coalition Forces (CF) in one of the most densely populated areas of Western Mosul. It was successful in many ways with the INP Leadership focused on Battle tracking and command and control and letting their junior Officers lead their men and reporting higher, also it was a joint effort with ISF and CF Soldiers searching together instead of the US Soldiers leading the way as they're accustomed to. We saw a lot of progress in the area as well, there were construction crews remodelling homes, sanitation workers cleaning some garbage (if they can start getting it into dumpsters...) and road crews. All the shops were open too, the only problem with that is if you are shopping you might end up getting stuck inside the cordon for 8 hours, small inconvenience. You can buy anything from sandals (how do they fit, Top?) to soccer balls (someone tell the Sherta), fresh meat (on the hoof one minute and on the hook the next) to falafel (Hello Kitty missed out on this round). After the missions the INP handed out about 150 humanitarian aid packages per day to some of the families in need. All in all, some great signs of progress that don't reach the newspapers and I'm glad to be a part of it.