Iraqi Government Prepares to Take Control of ‘Sons of Iraq’ Program

Multinational Division Baghdad calls them “Sons of Iraq.” Their countrymen call them the “Volunteers.” Both are fitting namesakes for the 28,000 Baghdad residents who formed citizen militias last year, in coordination with the Iraqi security forces and Multinational Division Baghdad, to protect their communities against al-Qaida in Iraq and other violent extremists.

“They risked their lives and fought a common enemy,” said Army Col. Richard Welch, reconciliation and engagements team chief for Multinational Division Baghdad, who has been involved with the Sons of Iraq program since its earliest days and has watched it grow and change.

Under the new initiative, the Iraqi government will assume the payroll for the Sons of Iraq. To ensure a seamless transfer, officials are undertaking deliberate but paced efforts, beginning with payroll registration at joint security stations throughout Baghdad.

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