Top NCOs Inform Soldiers in Iraq of Wartime Training Changes

American Forces Press Service ^ | Nov 27, 2005 | Pfc. Jason Jordan, USA

[SandRat]

CAMP LIBERTY, IRAQ, District Of Columbia, Nov. 27, 2005 – The Army is instituting significant changes in how it trains and recruits soldiers, aiming to make U.S. troops more battle ready for the challenges in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere, two of the Army's top noncommissioned officers said during recent visits to Camp Liberty in Baghdad, Iraq.

The two command sergeants major, John Sparks of the U.S. Army's Training and Doctrine Command, and Lonny Wright with Infantry Branch Command, spoke during separate mid-November meetings with solders from the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division.

"We are enhancing the individual soldiers' skills-ensuring they are better trained and more prepared for today's warfare," Wright said. "Each soldier will go through a live-fire convoy exercise and train on more weapons systems."

Army basic training, he added, also now requires soldiers to carry their weapons at all times and includes military operations on urbanized terrain.

Moreover, Wright said, the Army aims to provide units with more experienced and more specialized leaders, including better-trained drill sergeants, to facilitate and enhance soldier training. As part of this effort, the Army plans to provide units with squad-designated marksmen, who will train an extra two weeks, at their unit's request, before being assigned to their unit.

Increasingly, soldiers will not have to leave their unit for training; the training will come to them, Wright noted.

The Army is developing mobile training facilities, which will bring schools like the basic and advanced NCO courses directly to soldiers. Mobile training programs, he explained, allow soldiers to train during the day, while returning home to their families at night.

The Army also plans to make more training courses available to soldiers on compact discs, which can be distributed to units both stateside and in the field.

"We do not want to create a large number of new programs that we will never complete," Wright said. "We would rather... bring the training that is already available down to you -- bring it closer."

In addition, soldier training will have increasing relevance to real-world missions, with feedback from the field incorporated into the curricula, Wright said.

NCOs from the 10th Mountain Division praised these and related changes.

"This concept of constant change and updates will bring a whole new relevance to the training," said Command Sergeant Maj. M. Todd Hibbs of the 1st Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment. "The fact is [these changes] "are being driven by what is happening in the field."

If soldier training is not intensified well before deployment, added 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division Command Sergeant Maj. Brian Carlson, "then it is too late." Pre-deployment, theater-specific, individual readiness training is inadequate; more training must to be done before that, he said.

Sgt. Justin Kerns, 2nd Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, agreed. Improving "basic training and... individual soldier skills is a good thing," he said. "I know that when I went through basic, it was just that - basic. [Wright] talked about more experienced soldiers coming down to provide training, and that is good to hear."

Other changes announced by Sparks and Wright include moving the Sergeants Major Academy from Fort Bliss, Texas, to Fort Leavenworth, Kan.

And, Wright promised, commanders and top NCOs will work more closely before assuming a new command, in order to better serve their soldiers. "This will put everyone on the same sheet of music before taking their positions," he said.

The Army also wants to ensure that NCOs rotate through both garrison and combat tours of duty.

"I will not allow anyone to stay at Fort Benning, [the Army's training command in Georgia], for more than 36 months," Wright said. "No one is going to hide out there, while the rest of you guys are down here doing the tough work."

But by the same token, he added, soldiers in the field need to rest and prepare themselves with stateside, garrison duty.

"We must protect our young leaders and NCOs in the future," Wright said.

(Pfc. Jason Jordan is assigned to the 10th Mountain Division's 1st Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs Office.)

[SandRat]

Keeping the troops informed.

[radar101]

Getting rid of B.S. PC worries like this:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1528833/posts

Will help a LOT!

[Prost1]

"Each soldier will go through a live-fire convoy exercise and train on more weapons systems."

Do we even need artillery anymore? Think of all the troops that would be converted to infantry if we disbanded the arty groups.

[kimosabe31]

bump

[SteveMcKing]

"the Army aims to provide units with more experienced and more specialized leaders, including better-trained drill sergeants,"

You can't keep teaching teachers, who teach teachers, who teach other teachers. Somewhere, true leadership has to take over. The lower the level at which that happens, the better.

Marines certainly know this.

[Gaffer]

...Army basic training, he added, also now requires soldiers to carry their weapons at all times and includes military operations on urbanized terrain.... Every recruit needs to know what to do with his weapon when he's taking a dump, eating, whatever.....it needs to become an extention of your body...

[SandRat]

That's how you reach out and touch someone on a regular basis. FASCAM is great for stoping vehicles and forcing them to go the way you want, then you treat them to airburst TOT. That really can ruin your day if you're on the recieving end.

[JeepInMazar]

My son is at Parris Island now in Marine Corps Recruit Training.

The other day my wife and I were watching a program on the military channel about an Army convoy which came under attack in Iraq. They missed a turn and got ambused. First it seems that the drivers didn't read their maps properly and then when they came under attack, they didn't know how to fight back properly.

It just so happens that they wrong place they went to was an area that the Marines happened to be going to for a surprise attack. The lost truck convoy ruined the element of surprise and the Marines had to first rescue the Army guys before they continued on in making their attack.

I made the comment to my wife that I can't believe that the Army guys driving the trucks were not prepared to fight back properly. It makes now sense to me.

[em2vn]

You can not possibly be serious.

[baystaterebel]

This is some good news. Democrats would whine saying this is further proof our soldiers are not equipped or trained as they should be when in reality this is exactly how it should be done. Putting lessons learned directly in the hands of recruits during basic rather then having them learn it in theater under real "live fire".

I like the idea of squad-designated marksmen. A sort of on call sniper to be deployed as needed.

Gaffer got it right also. Have recruits train with their person weapons with them 24/7 should have been made standard long ago. People who have never been in the service will have a hard time grasping what a pain in the ass it is to do normal daily functions while always keeping your weapon on hand and secure. Its the little things that add up.

[radar101]

The Army should LEARN THIS:

This is my rifle. There are many like it, but this one is mine.
My rifle is my best friend. It is my life. I must master it as I must master my life.
My rifle, without me, is useless. Without my rifle, I am useless. I must fire my rifle true. I must shoot straighter than my enemy who is trying to kill me. I must shoot him before he shoots me. I WILL...

My rifle and myself know that what counts in this war is not the rounds we fire, the noise of our burst, nor the smoke we make. We know that it is the hits that count. WE WILL HIT...

My rifle is human, even as I, because it is my life. Thus, I will learn it as a brother. I will learn its weaknesses, its strength, its parts, its accessories, its sights and its barrel. I will ever guard it against the ravages of weather and damage as I will ever guard my legs, my arms, my eyes and my heart against damage. I will keep my rifle clean and ready. We will become part of each other. WE WILL...

Before God, I swear this creed. My rifle and myself are the defenders of my country. We are the masters of our enemy. WE ARE THE SAVIORS OF MY LIFE.

So be it, until victory is America's and there is no enemy, but peace!

by Major General William H. Rupertus (USMC, Ret.)
(written following the attack on Pearl Harbor)

[SandRat]

Most of this is a relearning of the tenants exposed in General G.S. Patton's book "War as I Knew it." When I first came in our weapons were in ulocked racks in the barracks between the two rows of bunks for 2 Squads, and our bayonets were on our webbing, not locked away in an arms room.

[Criminal Number 18F]

Going to distance learning or mobile teams for the pointless NCO and officer ticket-punch schools is long overdue. not as good as eliminating those schools would be, but that's politically impossible.

I never met anyone who thought he actually learned anything useful at one of those "schools." They were opportunities to network with peers, though, but these days that can be better done online.

d.o.l.

Criminal Number 18F

[68skylark]

Sounds like good news -- thanks for the post.

It's funny how I get better, more useful information from the government than I do from the MSM. And that's not because government PR people are so wonderful! Our MSM has just abandoned their role.

[theFIRMbss]

>In addition, soldier training will have increasing relevance to real-world missions, with feedback from the field incorporated into the curricula

So long as the guys
don't end up staring at goats.
It's happened before!

The Men Who Stare At Goats

[E.G.C.]

BTTT