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Iraqi NCOs train at Q-West

Photo By Sgt. Marshall Thompson | Sgt. 1st Class Wesley Derrick, a senior instructor at the NCO Academy from the 172nd...... read more read more

QAYYARAH, IRAQ

02.10.2006

Courtesy Story

207th Public Affairs Detachment

Q-WEST BASE COMPLEX, Iraq " About 30 Iraqi soldiers are learning to be leaders as they work to graduate from the NCO Academy run by NCOs from the 172nd Stryker Brigade.

Their training is especially important because the old Iraqi army didn't put much of an emphasis on the role of noncommissioned officers.

"The Iraqi NCOs aren't respected as NCOs," said Sgt. Marki Hall, an instructor with the 172nd Stryker Bde. "We're trying to train the NCO corps so they'll have more respect, just like American NCOs " we're the backbone of the Army."

During the three-week course, Iraqi NCOs train on things like urban combat, hand-to-hand combat, leadership development, movement techniques and rifle marksmanship.

"I've seen soldiers come [out to the range] who can't even hit targets. At the end of the day, they're hitting all black," Hall said. "It's good when you wake up every day knowing that you're going to do something constructive with the Iraqi soldiers."

Although this class is about half the size of a normal 60-soldier class, they make up for it in their dedication. The academy instructors said that 100 percent of the trainees returned after a recent break. They said it's a good sign that the Iraqi soldiers appreciate the training.

"I like the training," Awa, a platoon guide at the academy, said through the help of an interpreter. "I'm here to learn how to train other soldiers and protect my country. The instructors train us hard, but they are good instructors. They make me strong."

Not all of the Iraqi soldiers at the academy come in with the same motivation as Awa.

"A lot of them tell us they just joined for the paycheck, but a lot of them, you can just feel they have a sense of pride," said Staff Sgt. Robert E. Lee, an instructor at the academy from the 172nd Stryker Bde.

He added that the instructors work hard to instill a feeling of patriotism in all the Iraqi soldiers and, by the end of the training, they are usually successful.

"When they graduate and walk across the stage, you see the big, significant changes " the great sense of pride the Iraqi army soldiers have," said Sgt. Maj. Walter Murrell, commandant of the academy from the 172nd Stryker Bde.

"Their sense of accomplishment and their motivation throughout training is something that we were led to believe they did not have. Their pride in country and their pride in their army are beyond description."

The Iraqi NCOs" motivation was apparent on Jan. 31 when the two platoons trained on individual movement techniques and ran an obstacle course. First platoon beat second platoon on the obstacle course with a time of just over four minutes.

Instructors said it was the fastest time ever. Upon setting the record, all the Iraqi soldiers from first and second platoon ignored their fatigue and erupted in celebration. They even lifted up Sgt. 1st Class Wesley Derrick, a senior instructor from the 172nd Stryker Bde., and carried him around while cheering.

Murrell said that training is going well, but cautioned observers to be patient with the new Iraqi army and not expect their training to be an overnight process. He said that over two centuries ago, the U.S. Army was in the same position.

"It's just like a little over 225 years ago where the American military hired out a foreigner to come and teach," Murrell said referring to Baron von Steuben, the Prussian officer who came to the U.S. in 1778 to train the new American Army. "That's the point we're at right now. It may take them just as long as it took us to be the powerful military that we are."

Instructors need to be patient as well, especially when it comes to the language barrier.

In 1778, Steuben spoke no English and only a little French. A few Americans who spoke French translated his commands into English. Instructors at the NCO Academy today work with a team of translators who speak Arabic as well as Kurdish. They also have two Iraqi instructors who run many of the training sections.

Lee keeps a dog-eared copy of an English-Arabic dictionary on his desk.

"In junior high I never thought I would leave New York. Why would I need to learn another language? But here I am," Lee said. "I can say, "hurry up" and "do push-ups" in Arabic."

The instructors all said that they were proud to help the Iraqis take over their country and they appreciate getting to know the Iraqis better.

"You make a lot of friends when you're done," said Staff Sgt. Alvin Cates, the combatives instructor from the 172nd.

"I think it's very interesting to work with them and know that someday, our efforts here will be something historic," Lee said. "Years down the road, when we see them and they're actually running the show, I can look back and say I had a part in it."