Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Eric Pahon | Iraqi soldiers from the 2nd Brigade, 4th Iraqi Army Division talk through an after...... read more read more
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By Staff Sgt. Eric Pahon
5th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
KIRKUK, Iraq - The effects of Saddam Hussein's regime are less evident in the current Iraqi army as a group of officers conduct an after-action review (AAR) during training at the Counterinsurgency (COIN) Academy at Iraqi army post K-1 near Kirkuk.
Weakness was not something that Iraqi army officers were able to discuss openly under dictatorial control, but these assessment skills are becoming stronger in the 4th Iraqi Army Division as COIN training progresses, said Capt. Patton Nix, a Military Transition Team (MTT) advisor stationed at K-1.
AAR sessions like this are standard for U.S. troops following any operation, providing an informal action-level assessment of operational strengths and weaknesses, which affect future training and mission planning. Basically, leaders have a chance to discuss what their units did well and what they need to improve upon next time.
"Positives and negatives are their equivalent to our sustains and improves" explained Nix. "So if they say something is negative, that means they did it completely wrong; they didn't perform to the standard at all. So, we're trying to steer them towards a sustain/improve mentality. It might have gone O.K, it might have gone bad, but we want them to think about how they can improve it next time. How can we continue to make what we learned better?"
Only a handful of American MTT Soldiers are stationed at K-1. Iraqi soldiers now conduct almost all of the training here, not only at the COIN Academy, but also at the basic training academy across post. The team still interjects occasionally during the AAR session, guiding the discussion to develop constructive criticism. But this is a small role in terms of overall operations at the academy.
"The whole point of the COIN Academy is to teach the companies to effectively conduct counterinsurgency operations on their own," Nix said. "A big part of this is to not involve coalition forces at all with any portion of the training. The only time we're involved in the training at all is the rehearsals, the OPORD (Operations Order) briefing and the AAR. It gives them a chance to analyze the mission as they see it, and really take a look at themselves and figure out where they need to improve and where they did well."
The COIN Academy is a non-traditional school for the Iraqi army, going beyond basic combat survival skills and weapons training. Company-sized elements rotate through the school every 10 days learning advanced counterinsurgency techniques.
"We teach them the right approaches," said Lt. Col. Fatah Latif Abdarahman, training officer for the 2nd Brigade, 4th Iraqi Army Division, currently instructing at the academy. "We focus on the right way to conduct an operation, especially cordon and search operations, taking care to safeguard human rights. All these points improve and enhance the picture of the Iraqi army to the populous."
The brigade has sent half of its 16 companies through the training so far. Abdarahman says that while the units are initially leery of the training they're about to encounter, they quickly settle in to its unique approach and value.
"Normally the first day, when the company reports to the base here, I can see that all the soldiers are angry and bored and complaining," he explained via an interpreter. "They think that the kind of training they will get here in this academy is just the regular drills, or combat drills, marching, or weapons systems. But they are surprised the first day, sitting in the classrooms. And these points, they provide security to the soldiers, like he will be able to learn to protect himself and show a good picture for the Iraqi army."
Abdarahman also found that this value has produced more students who want to attend the training. At first only 30 or 40 soldiers from each company showed up for training. But once word got out about the curriculum, complete companies bombarded the academy with trainees. Their input, garnered from newly developed AAR procedures, helped the school expand and include first-aid and lifesaving courses.
The Iraqis continue to develop the training at K-1 as American advisors take a backseat role in daily operations here. The goal, said Nix, is to show the Iraqi army that they are ready to take control without constant coalition involvement.
"It's getting the Iraqis to take ownership of their training and of their army." Dix said. "It really builds a sense of pride and a sense of camaraderie in their soldiers and I think that the companies have accepted that better because they're getting trained by their own guys now. It's not just the coalition that's that good anymore."
| Date Taken: | 03.12.2007 |
| Date Posted: | 03.23.2007 16:05 |
| Story ID: | 9599 |
| Location: | KIRKUK, IQ |
| Web Views: | 238 |
| Downloads: | 200 |
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