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7th IA Commandos Begin Grueling Course
Multi-National Force - Iraq ^ | Lance Cpl. Jason Hernandez, USMC

Posted on 03/29/2009 10:49:44 AM PDT by SandRat

CAMP MEJID — Military Transition Team (MiTT)-7, working with the Reconnaissance Platoon of Regimental Combat Team (RCT)-8, recently launched a month-long training course designed to hone the skills of the 7th Iraqi Army Division’s Special Operations Battalion.

The training program began with a five-day marksmanship refresher, which reminded the Iraqi commandos how to properly zero their weapons, fire at extended distances, and rapidly assess and engage close-range targets with their assault rifles.

“I’d say they’re giving everything they’ve got,” said Robert Wise, MiTT-7’s special operations foreign internal defense specialist. “They come out here, and in their own way, they try to prove to us that they’re capable of taking over security of the country.”

Wise, a former Marine and retired Army special forces Soldier, said that despite not having an established rifle training program, the commandos were showing excellent progress and were ready to take control of security operations throughout Iraq.

Working through language and education barriers, the RCT-8 Marines were able to properly instruct the Iraqis on how to rapidly and effectively engage a close-range target. By day five, the commandos were conducting combat reloads and effectively removing any stoppages or jams of their AK-47 assault rifles. The training undertaken by the Iraqis is akin to the Combat Marksmanship Program, a rigorous shooting course completed by Marines before deploying to Iraq.

“We are very happy to be having the U.S. Marines training us,” said IA 1st Lt. Amer Mowfuc, an infantry officer with the 7th IA Division. “We come out here so the men could practice with their rifles and grow more confident in both their weapons and weapons training.”

When asked whether he felt that the Iraqi military was nearly ready to take the lead in military operations across Iraq, Mowfuc could only reply, “We’re almost there, we just need some more training, and to get our technology and logistics more in line like the Americans.”

By the completion of their training, the 7th IA Division’s Special Operations Battalion will have taken another step toward fulfilling its quest of having a well-trained, disciplined and skilled group of Iraqi commandos to lead their country into the next phase of its history.


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: commandos; frwn; iraq; iraqiarmy

1 posted on 03/29/2009 10:49:45 AM PDT by SandRat
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To: MozartLover; Old Sarge; Jemian; 91B; HiJinx; MJY1288; xzins; Calpernia; clintonh8r; TEXOKIE; ...
FR WAR NEWS!
If you would like to be added to / removed from FRWN,
please FReepmail Sandrat.

WARNING: FRWN can be an EXTREMELY HIGH-VOLUME PING LIST!!

2 posted on 03/29/2009 10:50:12 AM PDT by SandRat (Duty, Honor, Country! What else needs said?)
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To: SandRat

A five day course with 3 hot meals and 8 hours of sleep a day is “Grueling”????

A grueling course is 60 days of little food, little sleep and missions everyday.


3 posted on 03/29/2009 10:52:20 AM PDT by 2banana (My common ground with terrorists - they want to die for islam and we want to kill them)
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To: 2banana

I know.. we put the older Boys Scouts through a tougher 5 day Junior Leadership Course than that.


4 posted on 03/29/2009 10:58:49 AM PDT by SandRat (Duty, Honor, Country! What else needs said?)
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To: SandRat

Note: This is a new formation.

The IA is finally expanding the Divisional Scout Companies into Intelligence, Surveilance, and Reconnaisance Battalions. Half of the IA divisions are adding this component ATT.

Except in 9th Division. 9th is modular and already has a recon battalion in each brigade (4th Battalions). Also, the 9th was the first to get a battalion sized recon element (4-37th).


5 posted on 03/29/2009 11:32:37 AM PDT by DJ Elliott
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