Posted on 07/21/2009 5:08:05 PM PDT by SandRat
U.S. and Iraqi Soldiers come bursting out of a CH-47F Chinook helicopter at Forward Operating Base Hammer, July 20. Photo by Spc. Alun Thomas, 1st Air Cavalry Brigade.
TAJI — As the Iraqi military works toward its goal of taking control of its nation's defense, the ongoing joint training between it and the U.S. Army is more critical than ever.
To that end, the U.S. 1st Air Cavalry Brigade is using training and real combat missions to help provide hands-on experience to the Iraqis.
Observing from the front row seat of a CH-47F Chinook helicopter was IqAF Lt. Col. Jassim Mohammed, who was invited by Lt.Col. Ralph Litscher, 227th Aviation Regiment, to observe the joint daytime air assault, July 20.
Just as U.S. ground forces are trying to integrate Iraqi forces into their missions, the aviation side is trying to do the same, Litscher said, which is why Mohammed was invited to observe the air assault.
"We brought him in to show how we do air assault planning and execution with our ground forces and their ground forces," Litscher said. "It will better help them integrate with their ground forces so we don't teach their Air Force one thing and their ground forces the other."
Litscher said the two components should be synchronized and be able to work with each other without difficulty, which he hoped Mohammed would observe and work with and apply in the future.
"One of the end goals we have before we leave here is to do an air assault where it's our aircraft with their aircraft and our ground forces with their ground forces," Litscher said. "We want a true joint operation so when we leave here they'll be able to execute to the same standard we do."
Litscher said it was a good opportunity for Mohammed to learn how the U.S. plans its operations.
"We want him to learn our planning techniques and how we do our briefings and it's obviously a bit different from the way they do it," Litscher said. "They [IqAF] are good, very experienced pilots and we have a lot we can learn from them."
Mohammed said it was an honor for him to be able to fly with 2-227th on a Chinook as they picked up and dropped off the air assault squads to perform their mission.
"I am here to see how they box the Soldiers in the helicopter and take them to their point on the ground," Mohammed said. "In the future I can use this in case we have trouble of our own. We will be ready."
Litscher said he hoped to work again with Mohammed in the future.
"I look forward to working with him more in the future and the rest of the 15th Squadron and the whole Iraqi Air Force wing that's here," he said.
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