Posted on 03/13/2007 4:12:17 PM PDT by mdittmar
Blackanthem Military News, AN NUMANIYAH, Iraq - The 3rd Iraqi Training Battalion located at An Numaniyah Military Training Base 100 miles south of Baghdad is responsible for shaping the Iraqi Army's future through the training of thousands of Iraqi soldiers.
Iraqi Army Sgt. Maj. Faris, a 19-year military veteran, says that the battalion's mission focuses on all aspects of transitioning a civilian to a professional jundi, or soldier.
"Our mission is to prepare a soldier and give him more experience and make him skilled in his military occupational specialty," he said. "When he finishes his basic training, he will go to (military occupational specialty qualification training)."
Faris said the battalion conducts three basic training courses at Numaniyah and is also responsible for conducting follow-on training in eight military schools to include infantry, transportation, medical, signal school, and military police.
On any given day, the battalion is responsible for training 2,800 jundi in various stages of training, whether that is training for soldiers from Iraqi units, MOSQ soldiers, or basic training.
Riyall, a trainee in the battalion's basic training program, feels he is on his way to becoming a soldier.
"I serve in the army to save my country," he said through an interpreter. "They teach us many skills and I think it will be good. I am learning a lot here."
The basic training cycle lasts 45 days and the transition from civilian to soldier begins.
"We start with processing, and then we go over step-by-step training on weapons, convoys, checkpoints, human rights, Geneva Conventions, shooting courses and physical training," Faris said. "When they graduate, I don't guarantee that they will be fully prepared. We give them about 50 percent of the training they need here and the unit they are assigned to will give them the rest of the skills needed."
Faris said the reasoning for this is because each unit has specific missions and skills that are needed for their particular roles in the army. However, the skills learned by the soldiers in the basic training program are standard military skills that are universal to being an Iraqi soldier.
"When the soldier goes outside, whether his mission is to clear a road or building, kill insurgents or save a comrade's life, we have given him some of the skills to do this," he said. "The same thing (applies) with the MOSQ training."
Iraqi Army Col. Nezar Nemah Aboud, the battalion's commander, says that determining where to assign soldiers after basic training is based upon the needs of the Ministry of Defense.
"We coordinate with MOD and they give us orders and send us soldiers and tell us the training they will get and which unit they will go to afterwards," he said through an interpreter. "Each unit sends a request to MOD. They say 'we need 10 soldiers to go to the medical course,' so we get the word and schedule the slots for the units."
To determine who is best qualified for each MOS offered at the school, Faris said the soldiers are given aptitude tests to determine the best fit for each soldier.
"We give them tests so we know who is qualified for each course."
Iraq is gonna have one good Army within a couple of years.
Yes they will,they were trained by the best.
The main thing that is missing is equipment. General Gardner lambasted those who believe Warsaw pact junk is good enough for the Iraqi Army and said that if we gave them US modern tanks and equipment they would be reliant on us long term for spare parts otherwise their Army would break down.
He also said even if the Pentagon doesn't want to arm the Iraqi Army with US eqipment we should at least get them to where they were in 2002 when they had 7000 tanks instead of 70 like they have today. That may not matter much in a fight against the US, but it will be vital to keeping Iran at bay and keeping fools like Sadr from rising up after the dems force us out of Iraq.
as Gardner said
"Robustly" train, re-equip with American modern arms rather than Warsaw Pact junk and advise all 120 Iraqi army battalions with American combat veterans rather than neophytes.
http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/1206/120406cdam2.htm
Yes, the equipment is only trickling in. I think thye need to buy it though (discounted, perhaps), not us give it to them.
You just came up with a great idea.
The US should agree to a 15 or 20 billion dollar weapons deal with Iraq as part of a long term loan to the Iraqi government with a small rate of interest.
That way we own their asses in the future and we help save American lives in the present.
They are getting plenty of oil revenues these days. Time to pony up some of it.
They have 10 billion dollars extra in their budget this year that they haven't touched.
But, the US has wanted the Iraqi government to spend that all on rebuilding.
The first lump sum of money is actually going to Ramadi to show the Iraqi government though Shia led will hell all of Iraq equally.
The US and the UN are working together right now to create a 50 billion dollar trust fund to help the Iraqi government rebuild. Its estimated that rebuilding costs will be from 70-100 billion dollars.
If Iraq's oil infratructure is rebuilt Iraq will be pumping out more oil in 3-5 years then Saudi Arabia.
I can wait a couple years.
I fully anticipate that we will be there at least in modest numbers for another 5 years. Hopefully, with permanent basing rights forever.
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