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Army Col. Swengros, from Coxsackie, rebuilds Iraqi police

By Hilary Hawke

He remembers water-skiing in the Hudson River, horseback riding through the Earlton countryside and meeting and marrying his high school sweetheart, Kathleen Muller of Coxsackie.

His high school friends remember an exceptional student, an outstanding athlete and an all-round high-caliber guy who was sure to be a success and do great things in the world.

But Col. Richard Swengros’ remarkable rise from army recruit in 1976 to Provost Marshal, Multi National Corps, Iraq, has far surpassed the level of ordinary success. He’s affected the lives of all Americans both directly and indirectly.

Before his deployment to Iraq in 2004, Swengros had already racked up an impressive list of achievements including a BA in Criminal Justice from the FBI National Academy. He also earned an M.A. in Organizational Systems from Pacific Lutheran University and another in Strategic Studies from the US War College. His many awards include the Bronze Star, the Army Superior Unit Award and the Meritorious Service Medal with seven oak leaf clusters.

During his 32-year army career he and his family have lived in states from Virginia to Missouri, Washington to Kansas. He spent several years in Germany, and was deployed to Bosnia from 1995-1996. In 1999 he went to Kosovo where he played an important role in re-establishing the Kosovo Police Force including controlling two of the major border crossings in his area of operations.

But perhaps one of his most far-reaching positions was as Commander of the 42nd Military Police Brigade to help rebuild the Iraqi Police Force.

In remarks before the May 24, 2007 Committee on Armed Services Oversight and Investigation Subcommittee on Iraqi Police Transition Teams, he said, “From my experiences in Kosovo and now in Iraq, I’ve observed that building police capability in a third world nation that is encumbered by fallen regimes and police that were part of the repressive societies is absolutely the most complex thing I’ve ever done in my life. I’ve done it twice the first rotation in Kosovo and then in the third rotation in Iraq.”

When Swengros arrived in Baghdad in November 2004, the police force was in shambles. Convicts and mental patients had been released, public records had been destroyed and there was a fierce battle for power between insurgents, criminals and tribal groups.

As commander of The 42nd MP Brigade, Swengros was responsible for supporting army forces in Baghdad and Mosul and stabilizing and rebuilding the Iraqi Police Force.

It was a daunting task.

When brigade leaders first walked into Iraqi facilities they found hundreds of damaged or broken vehicles and few employees with substandard tools. Swengros and his troops tracked down weapons, ammo, military equipment and parts. Within weeks they were able to repair 300 vehicles a month, manage parts bins and schedule regular maintenance. They restocked and resupplied weapons warehouses and ammo storage units.

The job was neverending.

To help meet the challenge, Swengros and his staff formed “teams that would match the Iraqi Police hierarchy to the extent possible and partner with their headquarters at the highest levels in a province down to the local police station, Swengros said from Baghdad in a recent telephone interview”

They trained police, assigned them to locations where they were needed and then confirmed they had shown up. They monitored personnel movement without the benefit of a National ID card while coping with difficulties such as language barriers, translation problems and cultural peculiarities. They improved radio communication systems and taught Iraqis how to maximize computer capabilities and software.

Essentially, Swengros and his brigade performed a top-to-bottom restructuring of the police force from headquarters to stations, traffic cops to criminal investigators. An across-the-board hierarchical reorganization, it was like building a police force from scratch.

One of their most important missions was overseeing the 2005 Iraqi elections.

The collaboration of the 42d Military Police Brigade with the Baghdad Police and the Ministry of Interior proved significant in jump-starting the PPP (Police Partnership Program) Swengros helped develop. From 70 teams in place when he left Iraq in 2005 there are now more than 230 Police Transition Teams (PTT) covering 310 stations with an 85 percent nationwide participation rate.

In his article “The 42nd Military Police Brigade,” Swengros wrote, “Without a legitimate police force the government will not succeed.”

He and his brigade were so successful in their mission of creating a functioning Police Force that when he left Iraq General George W. Casey Jr., commander of the Multinational Force-Iraq, declared 2006 the “Year of the Police.”

Swengros returned to the United States in 2005 to serve as Assistant Commandant of the US Army Military Police Academy in Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. There he supervised the training of Army Police Transition Teams, instructing recruits in techniques he had pioneered in Iraq during his 2004-05 tour of duty.

Over the summer of 2008 he returned to Iraq as Provost Marshal, Multi National Corps, Camp Victory. A prestigious position which oversees the military police not only of the US but also of coalition forces, the Provost Marshal is the senior law enforcement officer responsible for establishing law and ordering policies and procedures.

In a recent telephone interview the Colonel was asked about the progress he’d seen in Iraq since his last tour of duty three years ago. He said the accomplishments of service members are mind-boggling.In 2005 the Iraqi infrastructure was in ruins. The police had been disbanded. The Police Partnership Program (P3) and Police Transition Teams for training everyone from top level officials to Iraqi traffic cops was in its infancy.

In contrast, today many of the programs Swengros helped develop and implement are in place. “The Iraqis are now capable of basic police work,” he said.

As a result, markets, schools, parks and even swimming pools are open.Electricity and water service have returned to normal. Insurgent attacks and IED attacks have decreased by 85 percent. In surveys, the civilian population reports increased optimism about the future

Swengros is especially impressed with the Iraqi Police Force, saying they are now in the lead and the Americans are providing support and conducting operations with them. “In 2004 and 2005, there were a lot of attacks on the civilian population,” he says. “Right now, taking the brunt of it is the Iraqi Army and Iraqi Security Police.”

Because of their more visible presence, the Iraqis suffer three times more casualties than the Americans. But fear of attack doesn’t stop them from reporting to work. They want to rebuild their country under the new concepts of democracy and the rule of law. They understand the importance of monitoring insurgents and terrorists so they can’t regroup.

“There are a great majority of Iraqis and Iraqi police who are forever grateful for our efforts and are trying to effect change,” Swengros says. “You see it in their efforts and you can see it in their eyes.”

While he can’t predict how much time it will take the Iraqi’s to rebuild their country, Swengros sees a bright and positive future. “Just because it’s a long process doesn’t mean it’s a wrong process,” he says.

When asked whether he would recommend a military career to young people, he responded with an unequivocal yes. He sees military service as an opportunity for individuals to grow morally, physically and intellectually. The sense of bonding and camaraderie is unparalleled, he says, and the feeling of contributing to something greater than oneself is unmatched.

He has great respect for today’s recruits. They crave patriotism and want to serve their country, he says. They’re not just interested in money. They know what they’re getting into and they want to make a difference.

Referring to his own career, Swengros says one reason he stays in the military is to help make sure the United States doesn’t suffer another tragedy like 9/11.

“It’s part of our mission to do everything possible to make sure that doesn’t happen,” he says.

When asked what the public can do for the troops Swengros said the support of family and friends back home makes a huge difference. Urging everyone to write, e-mail and thank them for their service, he said, “It means a lot to the troops and it gives them energy.”

Naturally, one of the most difficult parts of his job is dealing with death and injury.

Although he doesn’t dwell on that, a high school classmate, Bart Wallace, recalls watching an HBO documentary on the Iraq War a couple of years ago called “Baghdad ER.” When the scene shifted to an Iraqi hospital where doctors were treating wounded soldiers from a recent attack he recognized his high school buddy “Rick” Swengros. In full battle gear and still carrying his grenades, he went from bed to bed, handing out purple hearts.

“It was so moving,” Wallace says. “His MP unit had been patrolling the road from the Iraqi Airport to Baghdad when the attack occurred. It was clear Rick had lost soldiers that day.”

Swengros’ prominence comes as no surprise to Wallace, who played on the soccer team and the basketball team with him. “He always showed leadership qualities,” Wallace says, “and I’m not surprised he has advanced to this level. We are very proud of him in Coxsackie.”

Former classmate Dawn Smith recalls being in the band with Swengros during high school. She played clarinet and he played trumpet. Recalling him as one of the top students, she says she and several other local residents have remained in touch with him. A couple of years ago some of the 1975 alumnae met at the Blue Bistro restaurant in Coxasackie to reminisce about their childhood. Swengros spoke at Coxsackie-Athens High School for Veteran’s Day a few years back. This year Smith is involved with organizing a care package drive for the colonel’s troops. Some of the items he specified were needed include shaving cream, hand cleaner, DVDs, crackers, cookies, snack packs and chips.

John Muller of Earlton remembers Swengros as a quasi-big-brother when he was dating John’s sister and the colonel’s future wife Kathleen. “He had a VW bug,” he said. “He showed me how to work the stick shift but he wouldn’t let me drive it.”

From Military Policeman to Squad Leader, Platoon Leader to Executive Officer, Brigade Commander to Provost Marshal, Colonel Richard Swengros has spent his life protecting and serving the United States. Coxsackie residents have long followed “Rick” Swengros’ brilliant career and they’re filled with pride at his accomplishments.

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