2nd Stryker Brigade 25th Infantry Division

Story by Capt. Justin Disher

By Capt. Justin Disher
2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division

CAMP TAJI, Iraq – During the month of July, the Soldiers from Headquarters and Headquarters Company "Hellhounds" 1st Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, "Golden Dragons," 25th Infantry Division, Multi-National Division – Baghdad, trained more than 30 Iraqi army soldiers on vital military skills, at Joint Security Station Sheik Hamad Village, northwest of Baghdad, during the month of July.

The training included close quarters marksmanship, room clearing, escalation of force, searching and medical training.

The IA Soldiers are part of 3rd Battalion, 46th Brigade, 12th Iraqi Army Division, and have one company stationed at the Karh Water Treatment Plant in the northern Baghdad region.

The water treatment plant supplies approximately 75 percent of Baghdad's fresh water. The plant is a very valuable resource to Iraq and has been attacked twice in the past by insurgents. The purpose of this training is for the Iraqi Army to enhance and sustain their ability to conduct operations. Since these soldiers have been on watch, they have had great success in preventing attacks.

There hasn't been an attack on Karkh Water Treatment Plant in more than a year.

However, guarding this important resource for Iraq is a tough task. The plant is over one square kilometer in size and the Iraqi soldiers rarely have a chance to recover, let alone conduct training.
To remedy the problem, a special arrangement was worked out between Capt. Eric Burke, a native of Port Orchard, Wash., and commander, HHC 1st Bn., 14th Inf. Regt., and Iraqi Capt. Mahdi Salih Al-Masawi, an IA commander, in order to allow a rotation to occur where 10 Iraqi soldiers could be trained daily for an hour during the month of July.

"Not only will this training keep the Iraqi army sharp, but it helps build relationships between our Soldiers and the Iraqi army," said Burke.

The IA soldiers also appreciate the training.

"The training is a very good thing, it makes our soldiers much better," said Al-Masawi. "I would like to thank the Americans for all their help."

Developing the training fell on the shoulders of two Golden Dragon Soldiers.

Staff Sgt. Keith Simpson, a native of Ponca City, Okla. and Pfc. David Littlejohn, a native of Baldwyn, Miss., took the lead in developing quality training to refresh the IA soldiers on basic skills.

"Training the Iraqi soldiers has been a great experience. Even basic instruction takes a long time, because everything has to be translated. But, the Iraqis respond well to demonstrations and they learn quickly," said Simpson, a vehicle commander, 1st Bn. 14th Inf. Regt.

For Littlejohn, an infantryman, 1st Bn. 14th Inf. Regt., the experience of training the IA has been fun and full of challenges.

"We have a lot of fun when we train the IA; they are very excited to learn and very excited to do something else besides pull security," he said. "Although there is a language barrier, we are still able to joke around together. We have definitely seen the U.S. Army and [Iraqi army] relationship grow closer here over the last month."

Due to the success and the positive feedback from both Iraqi soldiers and US Soldiers, more advanced training is planned for August.

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