It seems safe to say that never before have so many New York City cops departed at the same time and from the same place to fight not the war against crime on city streets but the war against terror on distant shores. That’s what was happening the afternoon these photographs were taken this April when eight NYPD police officers and one sergeant gathered at a military post in Uniondale, L.I., to begin a journey destined to lead to the dangerous deserts and strife-torn streets of Iraq.

They are all members of the 310th Military Police Battalion, and they were leaving for training in Texas, followed by transport to Kuwait, and from there to Iraq, where, last we heard, they had landed in early July. “We are an internment/resettlement military police battalion,” said 1st Lt. Chris Dede, a P.O. in the 79 Pct. “Our job in Iraq will be to run a massive prison of thousands of ‘detainees.’ These are people ranging from criminals, soldiers, terrorists to plain civilians who were in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

It doesn’t sound like a very pleasant job — but New York City police officers are used to that.

Above: Police officers from other U.S. departments have also joined the fray. Pictured are (kneeling in front, l-r) Kevin Sloas, Lawton, OK, PD; and Ryan Shady, Dept. of the Army PD; Anthony Caruso, 71 Pct.; Chiwai Bao, 67 Pct.; Capt. Lloyd Blackburn, 40 Pct.; Quinton Larkin, TD 33; Lee Macklowe, MNND; Joseph Richman, 46 Pct.; Christopher Hays, 10th Pct. (ret.); Angela Green, 76 Pct.; Chris Dede, 79 Pct.; Jean Pierrendel, 70 Pct.; Andre Joseph, 60 Pct.