AL KISIK, Iraq – The 3rd Iraqi Army Division ceremoniously took the lead here Monday in providing security for Iraq’s people, becoming the seventh Iraqi Army division to assume control from coalition forces and the third division to now fall under the command and control of the Iraqi Ground Forces Command. “This is a proud day for us and for Iraq,” said Maj. Gen. Khorsheed Saleem Hassan Muhammad al-Doskekey, the commander of the 3rd Iraqi Army Division. In front of hundreds of attendees who traveled from as far as Baghdad and Dahuk to attend the ceremony, the posting of the 3rd IA flag represented its full assumption as the lead for military forces in the region.
“The Iraqi army and its brave soldiers have sacrificed immensely”, said Maj. Gen. Benjamin R. Mixon, Commander of Multi-National Division-North and 25th Infantry Division (Light). “I am honored to have served with you over the last several months and I look forward to serving along side you in the future,” said Mixon.