Mada’in Qada IPs Receive Unique Badges

Military police assigned to the 59th MP Company, from Fort Carson, Colo., issue new identification badges to Iraqi police from Mada’in Qada at the Narhwan police station Sept. 16. The 59th MP Co. is assigned to the 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, during their deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Multi-National Division - Center
Media Release
HQ, MND-Center
Baghdad, Iraq


By Staff Sgt. Sean Riley, 3rd HBCT Public Affairs
Photos courtesy of 59th MP Company

FORWARD OPERATING BASE HAMMER, Iraq – The Iraqi police of Mada’in Qada received new identification badges at IP stations across the Qada Sept. 16 and 18.

Military police have been working with local IPs to make a unique badge for several months.

Following the time-consuming task of processing all Mada’in Qada policemen into the biometric automated tool set and handheld interagency identity detection equipment system databases, the 59th Military Police Company worked with their headquarters, the 759th MP Battalion from Fort Carson, Colo., to design and produce the badges.

All the collected personal and biometric data of the policemen including fingerprints, retinal scans, and blood type, are electronically stored in the new badge, said 2nd Lt. Darrell Jones, from Allen, Texas, 2nd platoon leader for the 59th MP Co.

The 59th MP Co., tasked as the 3rd Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment’s Police Transition Team, has been working with the 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team since the company’s arrival to Iraq in July.

The MP teams arrived early Sept. 16 to issue the badges to IPs assigned to the Jisr-Diyala police station. Jisr-Diyala, located across the Diyala River south-east of Baghdad, is the government center for Mada’in Qada.

Other platoons and teams of the 59th MP Co. conducted badge issuing in their respective areas. Jones’ platoon issued badges at the Al-Ma’amil and Narhwan stations.

According to Jones, the mission originally slated for one day actually took two.

“We handed out 178 badges the first day in Narwhan,” Jones said, “93 at Al-Ma’amil.”

IP station managers and MPs checked the badges to ensure they were correct before issuing them. The policemen were verified through HIIDES, then signed with a fingerprint, and walked away with a new badge.

The new badges, Jones said, offer greater freedom of movement for the IPs in Mada’in Qada. It will also alleviate confusion between IPs and Coalition Forces in the area.

“Now, if they are pulled over at a checkpoint, Coalition Forces can verify that they are one of our guys,” Jones said.

Jones described a scenario where Coalition Forces manning checkpoints may think an innocent IP with a handgun in his possession may look suspicious. He believes the new badges will combat that confusion in similar situations.

“All it will take is for them to check his ID,” Jones said.

In the event the identification badge’s authenticity is questioned, all they need to do is swipe it, Jones said.

“Kind of like swiping your license back home,” Jones said.

Badge issue will continue throughout the Qada until all IPs have the new badge.

The 3-1 Cav. Regt. is assigned to the 3rd HBCT, 3rd Infantry Division, from Fort Benning, Ga., and has been deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom since March 2007.