The 732nd Security Forces Squadron, Det. 3, at Camp Tiji, Iraq, was inactivated during a ceremony July 3. The detachment worked with the Iraqi police so the Iraqi army could move away from the cities toward the border, according to a base release. The police transition mission, which historically belonged to the US Army, is new for the Air Force, although USAF is looking at making it a core competency for security forces airmen. The 824th Security Forces Squadron from Moody AFB, Ga., was the first team to fill that role when it stood up as Det. 7 in 2006. The detachment and the Iraqi police provided security for six million people in half of Baghdad and the surrounding areas. Four of the eight security forces airmen who died during the war were assigned to Det. 3, according to the release. (Camp Tiji report by SSgt. Sanjay Allen)
The U.S. military is maintaining a beefed-up presence in the Middle East, including fighters and air defense assets, following the U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities June 22 and subsequent retaliation by the Iranians against Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.
