CENTCOM NEWS RELEASE

September 18, 2003
Release Number: 03-09-18

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

82ND AIRBORNE WORKS WITH ICDC RECRUITS

BAGHDAD, Iraq – Volunteers for the new Iraqi Civil Defense Corps (ICDC) received a medical screening and their first payment of $50 Sept. 18 and are ready to train.

Paratroopers of the 82nd Airborne Division stood up the first company of 120 ICDC soldiers. The ICDC is organized into two 47-man platoons and a 26-man support platoon.

Over the course of three days, a team of five Iraqi physicians gave recruits a basic medical screening to ensure they were ready for training. The doctors reviewed each man’s medical history, checked his motor skills, hearing, eyesight and recorded height, weight and vital signs.

Once the recruits’ physicals were completed, the future soldiers formed into ranks to be paid.

The first two weeks of training will focus on physical fitness, drill and ceremony, basic rifle marksmanship and basic individual soldier skills. The second half of training will focus on basic squad tactics, applying to cordon and search operations and traffic control points.

Once the ICDC training is complete each battalion of the 2nd brigade will be assigned a platoon to help the battalions in their daily operations.