DOD News Briefing With Col. Mark Stammer from Iraq

Below is a brief excerpt from a news briefing that took place today; the presenter is Col. Mark Stammer. Please note that Col. Stammer appeared via video teleconference from Iraq:

COLONEL DAVID LAPAN (director, Directorate for Press Operations, Office of the Secretary of Defense): Good morning. We’re privileged to have with us today Colonel Mark Stammer. Colonel Stammer is the commander of the 1st Brigade of the 82nd Airborne Division, Multinational Division- West. Colonel Stammer assumed his current duties in Iraq in August of this year. This is his first briefing to us in this format.

He joins us from al Asad Air Base in Al Anbar province, Iraq. Colonel Stammer has a few comments to begin and then he’d be happy to take your questions.

Colonel Stammer, thank you again for joining us and over to you.

COL. STAMMER: Thank you very much, Dave, for that kind introduction.

Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. I’m Colonel Mark Stammer, commander of the 1st Advise and Assist Brigade of the 82nd Airborne Division, and I’m speaking to you today from al Asad Air Base in Al Anbar province, Iraq. I appreciate the opportunity to speak to you today. Going to be a real pleasure.

I have the honor to lead almost 5,000 of the finest paratroopers and soldiers in the armed forces today in a unit that traces its lineage to World War II and the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment.

When I introduce the brigade to our Iraqi partners, I tell them that we offer all the features of a light infantry brigade capable of full-spectrum operations, combined stability operations, route clearance, intelligence, information operations, even civil affairs.

I tell them that what makes us an advise and assist brigade, or AAB, is a complement of specialized officers to help build civil capacity, specialized partnership training to help our troops increase Iraqi security force professionalization, and a whole new mindset that says everything we do is by, with and through our Iraqi counterparts.

Anbar is Iraq’s largest province, roughly the size of North Carolina, with a primarily agrarian economy. Most of its 2 million predominantly Sunni residents live within the Euphrates River corridor as it travels from the Syrian border southeast to Baghdad. Our mission is to partner with Iraqi security forces and conduct combined stability operations. Our goals are to improve Iraqi security forces’ capabilities and capacity, deny violent extremists opportunities for resurgence and support the growth of political — I’m sorry, support the growth of provincial governance and economic capacity in order to achieve sustainable security. By accomplishing these tasks, we will enable effective governance, political reconciliation, political and economic development, and the advancement of the rule of law.

With the recent passage of the Iraqi election law, we appear to be only two months away from yet another historic election. The brigade will be there to assist the Iraqis, as they ask us to do so and in accordance with the security agreement.

Finally, during all of this activity, we do everything with an eye on leaving Iraq in a responsible manner. Every relationship I make here, I make with the big picture in mind, because ultimately advise and assist is not an entity so much as it is a mindset and process. That process is our mission and, by its execution, we will ensure an enduring strategic partnership and friendship with our Iraqi counterparts.