Photo By Sgt. Barbara Ospina | Sergeant Mitchell Levart, from 2nd Platoon, Company A, 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry...... read more read more
By Spc. Barbara Ospina
1st BCT Public Affairs
Bastogne Soldiers of the 101st Airborne Division took the task of training Iraqi Soldiers to a higher level, by incorporating training into their combined missions.
Although the Soldiers from 2nd Platoon, Company A, 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, fight the insurgency near Hawijah, Iraq on a daily basis, the military's main mission in Iraq is to train the Iraqi Security Forces so that one day they will be able to stand independently in protecting their country.
"We can capture bad guys all day; it's training the Iraqi's to capture the bad guys that will make a difference," commented 1st Lt. Tom Koh, the Platoon Leader for 2nd Platoon, Company A.
During a recent combined patrol, Koh and his men took the opportunity to teach the Iraqi soldiers traffic control point (TCP) tactics.
The first TCP was a little rough. Koh relied mostly on hand and arm signals along with his platoon's interpreter to help the Iraqi soldiers understand how to set up and conduct the control point.
As the military vehicles rolled to a stop, the Iraqi soldiers quickly jumped out of the back of their open-bed truck, leaving the driver and a gunner with the vehicle to provide security. Koh assigned one of his Soldiers to watch and guide an Iraqi soldier.
A team of three Iraqi soldiers signaled for the civilian driver and all passengers to exit the vehicle and stand on the opposite side of the road. An Iraqi soldier searched the men, emptying their pockets and patting down their whole body as one of their comrades pulled security for the search. The third soldier on the Iraqi team searched the vehicle efficiently checking everywhere for potential danger.
Once Koh felt confident that the TCP training was well absorbed he took the opportunity to integrate the Iraqi soldiers with his men while clearing a building. Though the structure turned out to be abandoned, the Iraqis proved their ability to conduct a cordon and search.
Koh believes that incorporating training into actual missions is one of the best ways to enhance the training of their Iraqi comrades.
"It's in our best interest to take the time to train the Iraqi soldiers," he stated. "They will see us taking the initiative to further train them, and will want to perform better."
Whether the training takes place at a range, alongside a road, or at an abandoned house, it is all significant to the professional development of the Iraqi soldiers.
"Our main mission in Iraq is to train the security forces," Koh commented. "The only way to get that done is time and dedication."
| Date Taken: | 05.02.2006 |
| Date Posted: | 05.02.2006 10:54 |
| Story ID: | 6227 |
| Location: |
| Web Views: | 178 |
| Downloads: | 35 |
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