Posted on 05/09/2006 4:57:46 PM PDT by SandRat
FORT BENNING, Ga. (Army News Service, May 9, 2006) – He calls himself “Capt. Arkan.” Arkan is his first name, and he prefers not to have his picture taken.
More than a year ago, Arkan arrived at Fort Benning, Ga., to attend the Infantry Captain Career Course and Airborne School – the first Iraqi soldier to do so. Last week, Arkan also became the first Iraqi to attend Ranger School and earn the coveted Ranger tab.
As the aide to a three-star Iraqi general, Arkan is aware that divulging too much of himself puts others at risk. But he's effusive with praise for the Ranger Training Brigade and the training he'll take back to Iraq's new army.
"I've learned a lot – tactics, teamwork – all that good stuff," said Arkan, who "saw a lot of war action" as a member of an Iraqi quick-reaction force before becoming the general's aide. Soon, he said, he'll be assigned to a tactical or training unit.
"This was a big hit for me. It changed my leadership 100 percent," he said. "I will apply what I learned on the ground for my new army.”
"My new army" is the army Arkan's served in since 2003. The 25-year-old graduate of the Baghdad Military Academy was a former member of the "old Iraqi army" under the Hussein regime. That army was one million strong, he said, but he never considered it a career option.
"You had to be close, you know, to Saddam and his people. Now it is very different," he said. "There are a lot of opportunities. They value the soldier now.
Before, the connection between officers and NCOs was not good," he noted. "Now they let the NCOs do their jobs and support them 100 percent. Now they value their lives, their worth – it is a different Army."
And the NCOs value their jobs as well, Arkan said.
"They believe in what they're doing. It's a volunteer army, and even though the recruiting stations are being bombed all the time, they still keep coming," he said. "They still want to serve."
In spite of what the media would have the public believe, Arkan says morale in the Iraqi army is quite high, and that bodes well for the future of a free Iraq.
"I have a big, huge faith in the future," he said. "It's going to be good. It's just a matter of time."
Arkan hopes he has paved the way for other Iraqi soldiers to train in the U.S. He's the first to graduate the ICCC, Ranger School and Airborne School. Another Iraqi started Ranger School this week, he said.
"When I was here before, I saw my classmates had the Ranger tab, and they were different. I knew I wanted it then," he said. "It is good training to pass on to our units. There will be a big use for what we learn here."
(Editor’s note: Bridgett Siter writes for the Bayonet staff.)
Darby's RANGER PING!!!
Cool.
Oooorah! Captain Arkan.
Outstanding!
Rangers Lead the Way! Bump.
Indeed. All the way.
Hey SandRat, Add me to the ping list as well. Got the tab in '83 with the 1st Ranger Batt.
Regards,
RGRX
you're added
Cool! I wonder what the equivalent Iraqi term is for Ranger...
God bless him.
Becki
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