Photo By Sgt. Casey Collier | During a notional exercise June 15th at JRTC in Fort Polk, LA., an Iraqi shopkeeper...... read more read more
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FORT POLK, La.— As the transfer of power in Iraq progresses, Soldiers are finding themselves in new roles.
A Troop, 2nd Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment, took part in street level engagement exercises June 15th at the Joint Readiness Training Center here.
Street level engagement exercises are one way the cavalry troopers from the 4th Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division is helping the Iraqi army and Iraqi police to take a greater role in maintaining peace and stability in the region.
Staff Sgt. James Bell, A Troop, 2nd Sqdn, 1st Cav. Regt., has served three deployments to Iraq and thinks training like this is vital.
"I think it's definitely important training we're doing here, getting out there and actually meeting with the sheiks and imams (tribal chiefs and clerics). We're using Iraqi cultural role players and utilizing a translator, which is great training as opposed to things getting lost in translation," said Bell.
The exercises were carefully constructed to simulate actual scenarios in which Soldiers at all levels will find themselves when they deploy to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
The mock village used for the exercise could easily pass for a Hollywood movie set complete with a mosque, residential structures, and even live goats herded in pastures by role players clad in typical Iraqi dress.
This type of training takes place on every level of rank and assigns responsibility for not just tactical victory, but a tactful outcome as well.
"We build rapport. The troop (or)company commander talks with the mayor, the squadron commander talks with the commissioner, the platoon leaders will be talking with the sheikhs, and then you've got the regular 'Joe' who'll talk to the kids, that sort of thing," said Bell.
Although the exercises were different than what most of the troopers are used to, they executed their mission with finesse, as professionals.
"Any training that will help us get a better understanding of the Iraqi culture is a plus, and that is going to allow the IA and the IP to play a bigger part," said 2nd Lt. Brenton Blair, A Troop, 2nd Sqdn, 1st Cav. Regt.
That is the goal the Raider Brigade is striving to reach.
"The point is what we can do for the Iraqi people," said Bell, "The end-state is to bring stability."
| Date Taken: | 06.20.2009 |
| Date Posted: | 06.20.2009 12:46 |
| Story ID: | 35401 |
| Location: | FORT POLK, US |
| Web Views: | 683 |
| Downloads: | 665 |
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