I heard a caller to Rush say that today as well...about splitting the force. He was a combat veteran of Vietnam. Shame they have to learn the lesson this way though. :(
Iraqi, MiTT Soldiers cooperate on, off battlefield
Blackanthem Military News, YUSUFIYAH, Iraq, May 06, 2006
Success in restoring security and stability in Iraq will be measured by how well Iraqis maintain security, sustain themselves and enforce the rule of law after Coalition Forces depart.
It is the job of the Military Transition Team, or MiTT, to ensure that the Iraqi army is ready to take on that responsibility.
MiTT 4, stationed in Yusufiyah, has been preparing Iraqi soldiers to take over an incredibly active area south of Baghdad that had traditionally been a terrorist sanctuary before the Iraqi Security and Coalition Forces began offensive operations there in February.
"The job of the MiTT is to coach, mentor, train and report the activities of the Iraqi army, specifically 4th Battalion, 4th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division," said 1st Lt. Ryan Crosby, executive officer, MiTT 4.
Although the Iraqi army shows continuing progress, there were some difficulties facing MiTT 4 in getting the Soldiers prepared to take over the battlefield.
"In Yusufiyah, our mission differs because we have a fairly new battalion," said Crosby. "We have one of the most active sectors in the "Strike" AO. We have a very high operational tempo, and it’s such a spread-out area with a lot of small villages that we are tasked to support."
The missions that the Iraqi soldiers participate in vary, but it is the intent of the MiTT to see that they take a leading role in executing all missions.
"We try to put them in the lead as much as possible, whenever possible," Crosby said. "We do joint route clearances, joint dismounted and mounted patrols, a lot of work at the traffic control points to try to control the flow of traffic. Right now, there is a mission called Desert Scorpion going on and Iraqi soldiers air assaulted in with the American Soldiers. They are right there in the thick of things with us."
The operational relationship between U.S. and Iraqi troops is not the only sign of improvement. When an electrical fire claimed MiTT 4’s living area back in February, the Iraqi soldiers opened their compound to them, thus strengthening their already burgeoning friendship.
"After the fire on Feb. 5, the Iraqi soldiers opened their doors to us," said Crosby. "They opened up one of their bays to house all 31 soldiers that are here. They gave us room to build a tactical operations center. Our aid station became a joint aid station. Working in such close cohesion with them, we’ve really seen a lot of progress in our relationship and their abilities."
"The Iraqi soldiers are more focused on the mission now, and they are more efficient and they adapt a lot better," added Staff Sgt. Jesus Villegas, MiTT 4’s fires noncommissioned officer. "They are starting to react like we do when they make contact with the enemy."
The Iraqi soldiers aren’t the only ones who are learning from this experience. The American Soldiers have learned much about Iraqi culture.
"We get to learn their culture and little things that they may do in their culture, like certain gestures and phrases. When they see you trying to learn those things, they take it as you are trying to learn and bond with them," Villegas said. "When we try to speak their language, they know that we are trying to have two-way communication and they respect us more for that."
The success of MiTT 4 and 4th Bn., 4th Bde., 6th IAD, in making the Yusufiyah area safe depends on their continued cooperation and willingness to learn from each other.
Story by Spc. George Welcome
2nd BCT PAO, 101st Abn. Div.
http://www.blackanthem.com/TheAllies/military_2006050602.html