Posted on 11/18/2009 4:43:01 PM PST by SandRat
Sgt. James Glomski, of Alpena, Mich., with the 1434th Engineer Company, observes Iraqi Pfc. Omar Khodair Abbas making his first cut using a circular saw during a "train the trainer" carpentry course for the Iraqi Army in Baghdad, Nov. 14. Photo courtesy of the 16th Engineer Brigade.
BAGHDAD — Iraq Soldiers here ended two days of basic carpentry training with a practical exercise of building dormitory-style rooms in the old Ministry of Defense, Nov. 14.
Soldiers of the 1434th Engineer Company taught a "train the trainer" course to the 11th Field Engineer Regiment, 11th Iraqi Army Division, so the IA engineers will be able to train their fellow Soldiers.
The first day of class covered basic safety instruction on the proper use of power tools, personal protective equipment and safety on the job site. The classes included hands-on training for measuring and cutting boards correctly the first time.
With guidance from the 1434th Soldiers, IA troops put their new skills to use on the second day of class. Split into two groups, the Soldiers practiced measuring and cutting boards and framing the dormitory-style rooms in the existing structure.
"It was great, there was sawdust everywhere; the IA Soldiers were so excited to be working they didn't want to take a break," said Pfc. Raymond Shehata, of Milford, Mass.
Shehata, originally from Egypt, was assigned to the project because of his fluency in Arabic and helped out with the hands-on portion of the class.
Shehata's ability to speak Arabic helped to strengthen the partnership and camaraderie between the IA Soldiers and the 1434th.
Shehata gained valuable insight into the effectiveness of the training because of his comprehension of Arabic. He was crucial to earning the IA Soldiers' respect, which contributed greatly to the success of the mission.
"Being a part of the partnership training gives me a great feeling of accomplishment; knowing I was teaching them new skills," said Shehata.
Would you want to live in a house built by people who had to be taught to use a saw just days before they built it?
To answer your question; No, not especially.
But regarding the news article itself, something that was said about Pfc. Raymond Shehata intrigued me.
“Shehata gained valuable insight into the effectiveness of the training because of his comprehension of Arabic.”
I think humongous insight can be gained into the REAL feelings of these IA Soldiers by Shehata being able to listen to their chatter amongst themselves, understand it, and convey it to anyone in the chain of command who may want to know.
BTW: The article also mentioned Alpena, MI. I have heard that the Alpena area is a big gathering point for Muslims in this Country. FWIW.
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