Posted on 02/15/2008 5:11:31 PM PST by SandRat
BESMAYA — A graduation ceremony filled with music, marching and speeches marked a tremendous step for Iraq when the Iraqi Army’s 3rd Brigade, 14th Division graduated here, Feb. 13. The importance of the graduation ceremony is the fact that the Iraqi Army is armed with the equipment and training necessary to provide security to the citizens of Basra.
Iraqi Army Soldiers participating in the three-week Unit Set Fielding training could not have trained to the level of providing security if not for the support of the Iraqi Minister of Defense (MOD) and the Multi-National Security Transition Command – Iraq, joint headquarters staff.
“If it were not for the Iraqi Minister of Defense, the Iraqi Army brigades would not participate in the Unit Set Fielding process,” said U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Robin Swan, Multi-National Security Transition Command – Iraq, Coalition Army Advisory Training Team commanding general. “The MOD has embraced the training method in its entirety.”
The brigades are fully equipped and trained to battle the enemies of Iraq because of Unit Set Fielding, a process that takes an entire Army brigade and gives the Soldier the equipment and training they will need to fight.
Purchased equipment for Iraqi military using Iraqi funds is another major step forward for the Iraqi people.
To assist in securing the Diyala province in Iraq, the 4th Brigade, 5th Division is the first brigade to be equipped with military equipment purchased with Iraqi funds.
“The five-ton trucks located in this yard belong to the Iraqi Army 4th Brigade, 5th Division,” said Swan. “They were purchased through the Foreign Military Sales program, which allows foreign countries to purchase U.S. military goods and services.”
According to Swan, the Iraqi government has shown support for the Iraqi military by supporting them with brand new trucks with state of the art technology to transfer the Soldiers around the battlefield.
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