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www.TalkingWithHeroes.com
Online Talk Show Program
Aired: January 5, 2010
To Listen 24/7 at your convenience go to: www.talkshoe.com/tc/19487 Episode 131
Marine Colonel Darrell F. Halse Called In from Baghdad, Iraq. Col Halse is Director of Rule of Law, Iraqi Training and Advisor Mission, Ministry of Interior located in Baghdad, Iraq. He talked about progress in Iraq as he and his team are witnessing it! For those who have been wondering what is happening in Iraq and when are we going to hear about the transition - everybody should listen to Col Halse!!
Host: Bob Calvert
Guest:
Colonel Darrell F. Halse - Reserve, Retired, Recalled Marine
Director of Rule of Law, Iraqi Training and Advisor Mission, Ministry of Interior located in Baghdad, Iraq
Col Halse listening to a speaker at the Ministry of Interior, Inspector General, Human Rights Director celebration of the International Human Rights Day
Rank: Colonel
Skill: Staff Officer, Communications Officer
Service: United States Marine Corps
Source and Date of Commission or Appointment: Officer’s Candidate School; 1 Jan 73
Military Education Year Completed
Recruit Training (boot camp) 1972
Officers Candidate School 1973
The Basic School 1973
Basic Communication Officers Course 1974
USMCR Amphibious Warfare Phase I 1985 (2 week)
Landing Staff Planning 1990 (2 week)
Landing Force Combat Service Support 1992 (2 week)
Reserve National Security Course 1993 (2 week)
Landing Staff Planning 1996 (2 week)
Advance Communications Info Systems 1999 (2 week)
US Army War College 2002 (2 year nonresident)
Educational Degrees Year Completed
BS in Education 1971
Masters, Strategic Studies 2002
Chronological List of Military Duty Assignments and Civilian Employment
Junior High /High School Educator 1971 / 72 school year
Active Duty United Stated Marine Corps 1972 – 1977
- Radio Platoon Commander
- Battalion Communications Officer
- Communications Center Officer
Owner / Manager Halse’s Foods, Inc 1977 – 2000
United States Marine Corps Reserve 1977 – Present
- Admin Officer, Mobilization Station (3 years)
- Executive Officer, Marine Wing Support Squadron (1 year)
- Detachment Commander, Marine Wing Headquarters Squadron (2 years)
- Operations Officer, Marine Wing Support Squadron (2 years)
- Staff Officer, Marine Air Control Group (1 year)
- Commanding Officer, Marine Wing Communications Squadron (2 years)
- Asst Chief of Staff G-6, Communications, 4th Marine Aircraft Wing (1 year)
- Deputy Group Commander, Marine Air Control Group (2 years)
- Asst Chief of Staff G-6, Communications, I MEF Augmentation Command Element (3 years)
- OIC, Reserve Support Unit, MCAGCC, 29 Palms, CA (2 years)
- Asst Chief of Staff G-6, Communications, I Marine Expeditionary Element (Rear) Camp Pendleton (1 year)
- Operations and Administrative Officer, Office for the Administrative Review of the Detention of Enemy Combatants (1 year)
- Director, Rule of Law, Iraqi Training and Advising Mission, Ministry of Interior (Apr 2009 – Present)
Board Member, DNB National Bank 2000 - Present
Investigator, South Dakota Department of Revenue 2004 – Present
Council Member, City of Clear Lake, SD 2006 – Present
Rule of Law Director Discusses Iraqi Transitions
By Christen N. McCluney
Special to American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Dec. 29, 2009 - U.S. forces are training and advising Iraqi officials in forensics, evidence collection, human rights and how a legal system is managed in a democracy.
U.S. Marine Col. Darrel Halse serves as the Iraqi Training and Advisory Mission's rule of law director. He discussed the Iraqi transition from dictatorship to democracy during a "DoDLive" bloggers roundtable Dec. 23.
Halse said his directorate's mission is to ensure that Iraq Ministry of Interior leaders and law-enforcement officials become stakeholders in Iraq's post-Saddam, democratic legal culture.
Halse said his legal advisors make an effort to see that Iraqis preserve their unique cultural attributes as they embrace democratic principles of governance and civil law.
Another important factor, Halse said, is making sure the Iraqi people understand that they have their own laws that are to be followed by all citizens.
One of the greatest accomplishments his directorate takes pride in, Halse said, is moving away from the old Iraqi legal system's confession-based template for convictions and adopting the new system's requirement of collecting physical evidence, along with obtaining a confession or a statement.
"That was a huge, huge step forward. I believe in helping the defendant," Halse said.
Halse's directorate also is working to ensure that every Iraqi defendant can obtain a court-provided attorney, if needed, and that all defendants are told of their basic legal rights.
"Not all the Iraqi citizens know that," Halse said. "It's a change from what they've had for 15 to 17 years, or 20 years or more, so it will take time for that to flow down to the average Iraqi citizen walking on the street."
Iraqi-held detainees accused of a crime now have access to the Iraqi judicial system, Halse said. All detainees, he said, are seen by an investigative judge who will decide whether their case will go to trial and if so, are assigned a defense attorney.
Meanwhile, Iraqi lawyers are "building up their experience" that will be useful as they become defense attorneys, Halse said.
Yet, he said, more work remains to be done to correct inconsistencies in service and overcrowding at Iraqi detention facilities.
"The No. 1 thing that I would like to see worked on within the Ministry of Interior is to build additional facilities or move detainees, so the overcrowding does not become the No. 1 issue," Halse said.
Halse said his directorate is proud of the legal strides it is making in Iraq, noting it'll take time for changes to take hold.
"You have to understand that this concept [of law] is so new that it may take up to five years before everyone in Iraq understands that they have these human rights available to them," Halse said.
(Christen N. McCluney works in the Defense Media Activity's emerging media directorate.)
Related Sites:
"DoDLive" Bloggers Roundtable
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