Photo By Sgt. Armando Monroig | Welding course bonds Iraqi, U.S. troops - An Iraqi soldier from 1st Battalion, 2nd...... read more read more
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By Sgt. Armando Monroig
5th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
BAQUBAH, Iraq – U.S. troops in Baqubah, Iraq, help train Iraqi soldiers everyday, with one example of this being a new welding course held at Forward Operating Base Warhorse. The course not only teaches the basics of welding, but also helps forge a strong bond between Iraqi and U.S. troops.
Soldiers from 215th Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, out of Fort Hood, Texas, are teaching Iraqi soldiers how to properly weld so they can better maintain and improve the armor on their vehicles, helping to keep Iraqi soldiers safer. The training also allows Iraqi and U.S. troops to get to know each other better.
"Welding is a process, and the way they were doing it is, you have two pieces of metal and then you weld it. Well, it's not that simple," said Spc. Aaron Cash, a shop foreman in the service-and-recovery section of Company B, 215th BSB.
"You have to prep the metal, then clean it off. You might have a 10-minute welding job that may take two hours. We had to teach them that because the better the welds are, the better it will stay together."
And the stronger their vehicle armor will be, said Cash.
Cash and others in his unit instruct five soldiers from 1st Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 5th Iraqi Army Division. They have created a six-week course that includes familiarization with different types of metals and hands-on welding instruction.
The day began with a classroom presentation on the properties of metals. Later in the day, the Iraqi soldiers applied that knowledge during a practical exercise.
This is the first group of Iraqi soldiers to attend this class. All five are infantry soldiers who were selected to be vehicle maintenance personnel. They have been through two classes so far. The classes are four hours a day, once a week.
The Iraqi soldiers began operating their own shop three months ago near Khalis. They have improved the armor of three vehicles at FOB Warhorse and several more at their shop.
Iraqi Cpl. Fathel, one of the students, said the training they received from coalition forces is a step in the right direction to helping rebuild their country.
"With the help of the coalition and (transition teams), we opened our own maintenance shop," said Fathel. "We applied what we learned here. We learned to up-armor vehicles here. The coalition has been doing a great job with us."
Chief Warrant Officer Joshua Welton, trades technician, with Company B, 215th BSB, said working with the Iraqi soldiers has helped create a bond, both personally and professionally, between the Iraqi trainees and the soldiers that train them.
"They're enthusiastic about us helping train them," said Welton. "I now have a better understanding of them and their culture."
He said it has also helped form a bond among the trainees themselves.
"Some of them are Sunni and some are Shia – and they work together."
Cash said helping train Iraqis to weld is just a small part of the puzzle that will eventually help them be self-sufficient. The more they can do themselves, the more Iraqi soldiers are going to be fighting for their own country, without the help of coalition forces, he said.
"Even welding – as long as they can do it on their own, then they don't need us," said Cash.
"That's very important. I think these are just stepping stones."
| Date Taken: | 05.25.2007 |
| Date Posted: | 05.30.2007 12:32 |
| Story ID: | 10581 |
| Location: | BAQUBAH, IQ |
| Web Views: | 443 |
| Downloads: | 412 |
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