U.S., Iraqi officers conduct command post training

Courtesy Photo | An Iraqi Lt. Col. from the 5th Infantry Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army, directs fellow officers during a command post exercise.  

BAGHDAD, IRAQ

09.27.2005

Courtesy Story

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Spc. Brian P. Henretta
U.S., Iraqi officers conduct command post training

CAMP LIBERTY, Iraq--Iraqi Army officers and command staff, who will soon be responsible for sectors within Baghdad, are now a step closer to achieving their goal.

Approximately 50 officers from the Iraqi 6th Army Division and an additional 20 from the 5th Infantry Brigade participated in a three day command post exercise here, ending July 13. The purpose of the CPX was to train the officers how to run an organized tactical operations center.

The exercise put the Iraqi officers in various scenarios they will encounter in future real-world missions. Their instructors, the 3rd Infantry Division Military Assistance Training Team, presented situations that dealt with improvised explosive devices, vehicle born IED's, prison breaks, and public demonstrations, said Sgt. 1st Class Willie J. Smith, TOC operations sergeant with Headquarters and Headquarters Operations Company, Special Troops Battalion.

"The exercise was done in order to train the officers how to role play normal battle rhythms," said Lt. Col. Brian Duemling, a Coalition Military Assistance Training Team member with the 3rd Inf. Div. "We want them to do the things a normal division staff would do. The end goal is to get them to operate like the 3rd Inf. Division's staff, while maintaining their own identity."

Another significant portion of the exercise was demonstrating how to set up a TOC.

"We didn't want to tell them, "here is how we do it, so you have to do it like this." They have to develop their own style for running things. We demonstrated how to set one up as an example, then tore it down," said Duemling. "We gave the Iraqis all of the equipment they needed and told them to set one up how they wanted. Theirs was pretty similar to ours, with a few changes, but they were very receptive and eager to listen to the suggestions we made"

They learned to set up personnel layout and positioning, installing and using communications equipment, maps and graphics. From there, they began to process and react to information given to them by deploying the necessary Soldiers and communicating the information to higher or lower levels, said Smith. It was a realistic look at what to expect when an event occurs, and they gain confidence by seeing how the U.S. leaders handle the event.

Other topics covered in the CPX included prisoner care and abuse, laws of war and training with members of the media to get them used to releasing information to the public, said Lt. Col. Glenn Kapiloff, a Coalition Military Assistance Training Team member with the 3rd Inf. Div.

"These guys never knew what G5 was. They didn't have anything like that in their old Army, so it's good to give them experience dealing with the media and the public," said Kapiloff.

The instructors were especially challenged by the more experienced officers, said Kapiloff.

"The colonels and other experienced officers had to learn how to break their own ways, and it was hard," said Duemling. "Under Saddam's army, there was no questioning anything. There was one way to do things and you followed those orders. We are teaching them that our Army is so successful because we have people who can think outside the box, and come up with creative solutions to problems."

The trainers showed them how to implement after action reviews; a practice unheard of in the old army.

"It was hard at first to get them to admit shortcomings, because you never used to talk about ways to make things better," said Kapiloff.

Despite their initial hesitation, the Iraqis showed significant growth in their ability to critique themselves over the three days. Now they talk freely about what they did well, what mistakes were made, and what they can do to prevent those errors in the future, said Duemling.

The CPX was merely the latest step for this group of Iraqis of the 6th Army Div. The unit was assembled earlier this year, and has come a long way since their first days, their U.S. counterparts said. The CMATT teachers are happy to work with the Iraqi officers and are thrilled at the progress they have made since arriving.

"When these guys showed up in February, they showed up in civilian clothes, from various backgrounds, and no one really knew each other. Now they work as a cohesive unit," said Kapiloff.

The Iraqi 6th Army Div. is now preparing to be activated and begin their responsibilities around Baghdad. Their future missions include patrols in the city, including assisting the U.S. Army in patrolling the green zone, said Lt. Col. Saber Alobaidy, 5th Infantry Brigade public affairs officer.

"Our soldiers and officers are ready to do the mission. Our unit is a good unit, and we will honor our division," said Saber. "We want to help the people of our country be safe, and we thank our instructors for helping us get ready."

Mutual respect was the key to connecting with the Iraqi officers. This wasn't easy at first, but the persistence of the instructors paid off. This is demonstrated by how far along the Iraqis have come since the beginning, said Duemling.

"If you can earn their respect like we have been able to do, they will try to do everything for you," said Duemling.

The instructors gained the Iraqis respect by treating them as equals, talking to them on a personal level and showing that they genuinely care about them and their country's future, said Duemling.

This group knows the Americans are sincere and trying to help them, said Kapiloff.

"After we get them to trust and open up to us, we learn a lot from them," Duemling added. "One of the most insightful things I've heard came from a colonel who said the key to the Iraqis success was putting the right people in the right leadership positions. It seems like a simple statement, but it really means a lot. He didn't just mean putting experienced officers into a position; he was referring to people of good character."

Good character is something exemplefied by the officers of the Iraqi 6th Army Div. According to Kapiloff, these are the right officers in the right positions.

As such, this training exercise brings these Iraqi officers one step closer to the leadership roles that will help the 6th Army assume its future responsibilities.

• Date Taken: 09.27.2005
• Date Posted: 09.27.2005 16:06
• Story ID: 3130
• Location: BAGHDAD, IQ