"Commandos" in the Iraqi Security Forces

There are some common misperceptions concerning the use of the term "commando" with regards to the Iraqi Security Forces. These misperceptions are furthered by the traditional, political, and exaggerated uses in reporting and press releases. Over 100,000 Iraqi Security Force personnel, one-sixth of the forces. are commonly referred to as "commandos" by reporters, US military public affairs, and the Iraq forces. Fewer than 9,000 are "commandos" in the western sense of the term."

The western usage of the term "commando" is for highly trained, highly capable shock troops used primarily in small unit raiding. In Iraq, to quote Major Jason Bender, Executive Officer 10th Iraqi Army Division Military Training Team: "...it's a status symbol over here to call a unit commando. Iraqis will name all their units "commando" if they can in print, it makes them look special."

US Military Public Affairs Officers (PAO) also facilitate this exaggerated use of the term "commando" by mis-using it in their releases when reporting on the activities and training of Iraqi Army line battalions. Thus the PAOs further promulgate an exaggeration of the capabilities of many Iraqi units.

Exaggerating your side's strength and capabilities, especially when talking to press, is normal throughout the world. In Bolivia, brigade and even battalion sized units are listed as divisions. In the Middle East, this exaggeration is even greater, it is an art form. Unfortunately, most western reports and reporters do not recognize or filter for these exaggerations in their reports.

In the old Iraqi Army, the units designated as "commando" filled the role that cavalry, scouts, reconnaissance, and designated quick reaction force units fill in the conventional US military. This is still mostly true in the current Iraqi Security Forces.

In all of the Iraqi Ministry of Interior (MoI) Forces, there is only a small number of Department of Border Enforcement (DBE) battalions actually designated "commando". These are the motorized DBE battalions used as quick reaction forces. Most of the DBE is static based in small forts and not motorized. Other than being more mobile, these "commando" battalions are no more capable than the rest of the DBE battalions.

The western press still mistakenly refers to the Iraqi National Police as "commandos." The Iraqi National Police was formed when the Special Police Commandos and the Public Order Police were merged in May 2005. Even then, those forces were not "commandos" except in name. The Iraqi National Police has not had a legally designated "commando" formation since 2005.

The only formation in the Ministry of Interior that could be called commando in the western sense of the word is not called “commando”. The Emergency Response Brigade is the Ministry of Interior's high-end special operations force. But they are not called "commandos." They do not require that status symbol. They are just the ERB.

There are three services in the Iraqi Ministry of Defense that use the term "commando" to designate units. In each case the definition of "commando" is different. Only one of those services has commandos in the western sense of the word.

In the Iraqi Marines, the term "commando" is used to identify the boarding party and platform security trained 1st Marine Commando Battalion. The 2nd Marine Battalion is responsible for port security and is not currently trained in waterborne boarding operations.

In the Iraqi Army, the common use of the term commando is the same as the old Iraqi Army. It is primarily the term used for what the US military calls the scouts, cavalry, reconnaissance, and quick response battalions. In most cases, the only common advanced training is in helicopter-borne operations. Airmobile operations are part of the “Warfighter” refresher training program that is eventually being given to all Iraqi Army battalions.

Some Iraqi Army units are wearing "commando" markings only because their commander is politically connected and sent his troops to school to get the shoulder flash. The 17th Iraqi Army Division is somewhat of an exception to that rule. One of only two official Commando schools is co-located with the 17th Division headquarters. Until the summer of 2008, the Iraqi Army 4-6 Brigade (now the 17th Division) was the recruiting source for commandos in the Iraqi Special Operations Force. However, the 17th Division is more like the equivalent of airborne/air assault troops, not commandos.

The Iraqi Special Operations Force (ISOF) is the only Ministry of Defense commando force in the western sense of the term. They are small unit raid forces originally trained by US Special Operations Forces. They still work with US Special Operations Forces in Iraq.

Until 2008, ISOF normally got their recruits from the Iraqi Army 4-6 Brigade. In the fall of 2007, only 36 out of 1,200 students graduated the three-month training program. Those 36 went to the 2nd Iraqi Counter Terrorism Force Battalion. The top 10 percent of the failures went to the ISOF regional commando battalions being formed. The remainder returned to the 4-6 Brigade. The practice at that time was to run four classes per year.

The new recruiting and training program receives nominees from the civilian community. They go through the Selection Course at the Iraqi Special Warfare Center and School (ISWCS). The top 10 percent of the selection course go on to the Operator Training Course, those in the 70-90 percentile go on to the ISWCS Commando Course, and those in the 50-70 percentile go to ISOF support units. The bottom 50 percent go home. The Operator Training Course (OTC) has a high fail rate and graduation is mandatory to get into 2nd Battalion. Those that fail OTC get a chance at Commando School which still has a fairly high fail rate. Those that fail the Commando School, go to support units or go home.

Of all the "commandos" claimed in all of the Iraqi Security Forces, only two brigades totaling less than 10,000 personnel are commandos in the western sense of the term. Those two brigades are the 1st Iraqi Special Operations Force Brigade and the Ministry of Interior's Emergency Response Brigade.

All of the other "commandos" in the Iraqi Security Forces should be looked at as reconnaissance, scout, cavalry, or quick reaction forces. They are just mounted conventional troops, probably with airmobile training. If the Iraqi Security Forces had the US Army's traditions, these "commando" units would be called “cavalry.”

Unfortunately, this misuse of the term "commando" by reporters, US military public affairs, and the Iraqi Security Forces will probably continue to confuse reporting on Iraqi unit capabilities, roles, and missions.

The article is quite wrong: the Iraqis are using the term "Commando" correctly, it is just a word that has several different meanings, and the meaning that many people are accustomed to -- the one referring to elite/covert forces -- is just one of the perfectly valid meanings.

For example, it was common for mercenary units in Africa to designate themselves as "Commando", such as Col Mike Hoare's "5 Commando" AKA "The Wild Geese".

Wikipedia has a useful discussion of the subject.

2 posted on 05/13/2009 4:16:32 AM PDT by DieHard the Hunter (Is mise an ceann-cinnidh. Cha ghÃ©ill mi do dhuine. FÃ g am bealach.)

DJ...just to muddle the mix for ya...quite a number of Iraqi troops were 'special forces' trained by US personnel during the late '70s and up until the mid '80s. The island in the river which flows thru the middle of Baghdad, was a well known SF training area for Iraqi SF troopies.

Ain't life special?

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