Posted on 03/19/2008 5:31:27 PM PDT by SandRat
BAGHDAD, Iraq — “I need to train about 4,000 soldiers and officers and with only about 400 graduating each year it will take me 10 years to teach just the basic course at the school,” Maj. Gen Ahmed Sa’ad Abdul Mohsin said.
His blunt remarks about the Iraqi Signal School summarized one of the many challenges he faces.
Maj. Gen. Ahmed Sa’ad Abdul Mohsin, Iraqi M6, a top official in the Iraqi Ministry of Defense visited Camp Victory, Iraq, March 11. Maj. Gen. Sa’ad currently has oversight of the Iraqi Signal School in Taji, Iraq. His visit with his staff was to learn more about Baghdad Signal University, sponsored by Task Force Thunderbird.
Task Force Thunderbird is comprised of the 11th Signal Brigade from Fort Huachuca, the 44th Expeditionary Signal Battalion from Mannheim, Germany, and the 63rd Expeditionary Signal Battalion from Fort Gordon, Ga.
Maj. Gen. Sa’ad wanted to visit Baghdad Signal University when he started hearing of the advanced training his soldiers were receiving there. Many of the soldiers entering the Iraqi Signal School did not grow up around computers and it is teaching from the beginning, Sa’ad noted.
The ISS teaches basic signal classes, but Sa’ad and his team were interested in the more advanced courses BSU offers, such as advanced networking and fiber splicing/installation. Sa’ad’s visit was to learn how Task Force Thunderbird teaches these advanced courses to soldiers, suggesting that one day he would like the ISS to offer some of the same advanced courses.
Commander of Task Force Thunderbird Col. John B. Hildebrand spoke proudly of BSU, “We will continue to modify our courses to meet the needs of signal soldiers.” BSU will have both day and night courses available to students starting next month and will be able to accommodate rapidly increasing enrollment.
Maj. Gen Sa’ad noted changes he would like to implement into the ISS with priority toward increasing the level of technical training. “Currently, training is broken down into three areas at the ISS: technical aspects and specialized training, morals and the teaching of human rights,” Sa’ad stated. “The soldiers must get (morals and human rights training) in the basic course, not at the specialized schooling,” he added. This would allow more soldiers to get through in one year.
Currently, signal officers in the Iraqi Army start off taking the basic communications course and are not promoted to 1st lieutenant without the platoon signal commander course. Then, to attain the rank of captain, officers attend the company commander course where they choose between two paths, either technician or combat.
Maj. Gen Sa’ad noted that just as much emphasis should be placed on technical training as it is on combat training by the coalition forces. An interesting fact, Sa’ad mentioned, is that every piece of signal equipment brought into theater for Iraq is evaluated by the Iraqi signal soldiers to see if it is beneficial to the Iraqi Army before it is approved for use.
This includes equipment from radios to push-talk phones. This being said, the Iraqi Army has final approval on all equipment their Army is using. “No company can bring any equipment into Iraq for integration into the Iraqi Army without a demonstration,” Sa’ad noted.
BSU’s main focus is to train soldiers and leaders in data and communication operations, and provide technical expertise for forces in Iraq. The university is seeing many successes, remarked Maj. Gen Sa’ad. “This is the best school here. My people come out of this school equipped with great knowledge on signal operations.”
This partnership between BSU and the ISS will continue to improve, “We look forward to continued training of the Iraqi ground forces and will continue this support to all signal soldiers,” Col. Hildebrand said.
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