Officials said the army was moving trailers from the U.S. base in Taji
to FOB Shield to accommodate the new JOC. They said elements of JOC have
already been functioning in cooperation with the Iraqi Defense Ministry.
"This is the first step in the decision of whether U.S. troops operate,"
Defense Ministry spokesman Mohammed Askari said.
Askari said JOC would coordinate the Defense Ministry, Interior
Ministry, all arms of the military and intelligence with the U.S.-led
coalition. He said the facility was designed to ensure coordination and
reduce the time required for mission planning.
Officials said the Baghdad facility would be fully operational by June
30, the deadline for the U.S. military withdrawal from Iraqi cities. They
said 120 out of 157 U.S. military sites have already been transferred to
Iraq.
JOC would be manned by hundreds of U.S. military personnel, officials
said. They said the facility would ensure a U.S. combat presence in Iraq in
wake of the closure of several small bases around the capital.
"We'll still go out [on patrol with the Iraq Army," Jackson said. "But
not every time."
The U.S. military has also established a joint operations center with
the Iraqi police in Mosul. Officials said the Mosul facility began full
operations on May 20.
