Iraqi trainers learn rules of the road

Photo By Staff Sgt. Andrea Merritt | Cpl. Jeffery Schmeltz, a mechanic with Headquarters Battery, 1st Battalion, 143rd Field Artillery, 1st Sustainment Brigade, teaches Iraqi army instructors the basics of operating a Humvee with the help of an interpreter during the new drivers training course at the Iraqi army Service Support Institute on Taji. "The language barrier has been difficult so far, but they're learning pretty well with the cooperation of the interpreters," said Schmeltz.  

TAJI, IRAQ

03.01.2008

Story by Sgt. Andrea Merritt 

316th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary)

Spc. Andrea Merritt
1st Sustainment Brigade, Public Affairs Office

CAMP TAJI, Iraq – The Iraqi army Service Support Institute on Taji is comparable to a U.S. Soldier's advanced individual training school, where Iraqi soldiers can learn their jobs to better serve their army.

The school offers thirty different service support courses that range from food service, maintenance and transportation to supply.

In addition to those courses, the institution recently added a drivers training program to their agenda. During the class, U.S. Soldiers teach Iraqi instructors the basics of operating the Humvee so they can teach the drivers training course to their own soldiers.

"It's like new equipment training. They need to get oriented with the vehicle so they get classes on the controls and indicators that are specific to the HMMWV," said Chief Warrant Officer Daniel Barclay, the officer in charge of the maintenance section at IASSI. "This is all tied in with the HMMWV fielding initiative, in which we're going to be fielding several thousand HMMWVs to the Iraqi army."

U.S. Army units are trading in their Humvees for the new mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles. The old Humvees are then given to Foreign Military Sales and sold to the Iraqi army to help them increase their maneuverability.

While in the course, the Iraqi instructors receive basic driving instruction, roll over training, night-driving instruction, self-recovery lessons, off-road driving instruction, and they also learn how to conduct preventative maintenance checks and services on the vehicles.

"It's progressing better than expected. Several of these guys show a lot of promise. They will be great instructors," said Sgt. Brandon Monk, supply sergeant with 377th Transportation Company, 1103rd Combat Sustainment Service Support Battalion, 1st Sustainment Brigade, who is one of the instructors for the drivers training course.

Many of the U.S. Soldiers who are teaching the Iraqi instructors are truck drivers and mechanics who come from different units within the 1st SB.

"They're not only familiar with the vehicle from a maintenance standpoint, but an operational standpoint as well," Barclay added.

One of the biggest challenges that the Soldiers faced while teaching the course to the instructors was the language barrier.

"The language barrier has been difficult so far, but they're learning pretty well with the cooperation of the interpreters," said Cpl. Jeffery Schmeltz, a mechanic with Headquarters Battery, 1st Battalion, 143rd Field Artillery, 1st SB.

Although working past the language barrier has been an adjustment for everyone, the Iraqi instructors are doing well in the class.

"The (Iraqi) instructors have picked up on the classes pretty well, very quickly. Of course, the instructors that we have are already seasoned instructors. They have been teaching over at the basic training for a while. All they had to do was get the equipment specific information and run with it, which they're prepared to do," Barclay said.

"We've given them all the material and trained them up on the equipment. Now, we've turned it around and they're actually teaching the coalition the class so that they can get practice at instructing the course," Barclay stated.

Once the instructors complete the course, they will be able to take their new-found knowledge to their troops. It will be one small step toward the bigger focus of making an independent Iraqi army.

• Date Taken: 03.01.2008
• Date Posted: 03.01.2008 07:58
• Story ID: 16864
• Location: TAJI, IQ