‘Moving out,’ Marines Demilitarize Station in Ramadi

Story by Lance Cpl. David Weikle

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RAMADI, Iraq (March 12, 2008) — Marines with Company C, 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 1, have de-militarized Joint Security Station Steel, which was their home for months.

Joint security stations are designed to embed Marines with their Iraqi Security Forces counterparts, developing a close working relationship in a unified effort to protect and serve the city.

This kind of integration has yielded positive results and has helped the Iraqi Police take responsibility for protecting their community as they develop into an effective law enforcement organization capable of providing municipal security. 

The neighborhoods the Marines protected while operating from JSS Steel are safer than in years past and have consistently shown less need for the Marines’ presence.

“We started out constantly patrolling when we first got here, mostly by ourselves,” said Lance Cpl. Chris Hopkins, a 21-year-old machine gunner and native of Norfolk, Mass.  “After months of hard work alongside the IPs, they’ve taken the lead role and we’re serving more as advisors.”

Along with allowing local Iraqi Security Forces to take a more active role in providing security in the city, the demilitarizing of JSS Steel will have a significant impact on the local economy.

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“We were leasing residential buildings and our presence affected the shops around our station,” said 1st Lt. Matthew Johnson, Company C’s executive officer.  “The people will have more freedom of movement and civil military operations projects will allow people to return their businesses to the surrounding neighborhoods.”

As Marines cleared out of JSS Steel they removed the posts and barricades which had previously fortified the joint security station.  The sight of the Marines leaving offered Iraqis confidence, knowing their neighborhoods are safe with a strong local police force.  The people will have access to an area which will no longer be a joint security station, and as families return to their former homes, businesses will open back up.

“Just opening streets will affect the entire town,” said Johnson, who supervised much of the company’s civil military operations during the deployment.  “New stores opening will encourage people to come back.”

The Marines’ presence at JSS Steel has been felt throughout the community, as they routinely patrolled the area with Iraqi Police providing security.  With JSS Steel gone, the citizens will reclaim part of their city. 

The long process of demilitarizing the joint security station took over two months once the decision was made because it required local leadership to notify displaced homeowners and businesses before the joint security station was dismantled, allowing them to retake their buildings.

“The decision to ‘de-mil’ came down in late December,” said Johnson.  “We told the city council so everyone affected could be notified.  People can file claims and there are programs that can help them restart their business.”

The demilitarization of JSS Steel is another sign of progress in the capital of the Anbar province.  The demilitarization marks progress in Ramadi of which the Marines and sailors of 1st Bn., 8th Marines can be proud as they continue their deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

“We’ll continue our operations in the area,” said Johnson about the Marines’ continued presence in the area.  “I’ll come back in a couple of weeks to see how much the area has changed for the better.”