B*N*S*N3

Iraqi instructors take the reins at KMTB

Written by Sgt. Shawn Miller, 109th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment,
U.S. Division-North Public Affairs Thursday, March 10, 2011 13:59















US Army picture by Sgt Shawn Miller
109th MAPD USD-N PAO


KIRKUSH MILITARY TRAINING BASE, Iraq - After several months of guiding 5th Iraqi Army Division soldiers through the 25-day training cycles of Tadreeb al Shamil, U.S. advisors took a step back, allowing Iraqi instructors to take charge of the exercises at Kirkush Military Training Base.

U.S. Soldiers of Company A, 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, "Gimlets," 2nd Advise and Assist Brigade, 25th Infantry Division led Iraqi cadre through a dry run of the day's live fire maneuvers, March 9, 2011, providing guidance before allowing the Iraqi Army units to run their own classes.

Cadre hand-picked Iraqi instructors, alumni from previous Tadreeb al Shamil training rotations at KMTB, to lead the development of Iraqi soldiers as U.S. forces transition the base to the control of the Iraqi Army.

"As we know, the U.S. Army is going to pull out from Iraq, so we need to be our own army and be dependent on ourselves," said Staff Sgt. Ayad, a 5th IA Div. instructor at KMTB.

Ayad said leading classes at a fundamental level will help the Iraqi jinood, Arabic for soldiers, retain the information and bring the training to their respective duty stations.

"We realized we were giving these guys training, but they really had nothing to sustain it after they received the training," said Sgt. Christopher Mola, an infantryman attached to Company A, 1st Bn., 21st Inf. Regt.

Mola said U.S. Soldiers hand-picked Iraqi jinood, who displayed leadership potential during previous Tadreeb al Shamil training cycles, to be used as instructors at KMTB. Tadreeb al Shamil, Arabic for All Inclusive Training, is an Iraqi training program to build IA units' capability to conduct national defense operations. ...

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