Iraq Army benefits by Joint Planning

Courtesy Photo | Staff Brig. Gen. Salam Jabber (left), 39th Brigade, 10th Iraqi Army Division commander, discusses plans and operations with Lt. Col. Scott Kendrick, 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment commander, at Contingency Operating Base Adder near Nasiriyah, Oct. 25, 2008. The two units traded information on criminal activity and discussed future military operations in Dhi Qar province. Lt. Col. Abbas Hadi Jabbar (right), 39th IA Bde. deputy commander, participated in the sharing of information.  

TALLIL AIR BASE, IRAQ

10.25.2008

Courtesy Story

4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs

By Capt. Robin Worch
4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division

CONTINGENCY OPERATIONS BASE ADDER, Iraq - Soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division hosted a joint-planning meeting with their Iraqi army counterparts, Oct. 25, 2008.

Leaders from the 39th and 40th Brigades of the 10th Iraqi Army Division met with 2-12th Cav. Regt. "Thunder Horse" Soldiers to cover administration and training for Iraqi units operating inside the Dhi Qar and Muthanna provinces.

"It gives us all a chance to talk about common problems and different ways to solve them based on different cultural views and military regulations," said Lt. Col. Scott Kendrick, a native of Spartanburg, S.C., and commander of the Thunder Horse Battalion.

Several times throughout the meeting, the IA commanders asked questions concerning discipline and retention of Soldiers in the U.S. Army. The goal was to give the Iraqi commanders insight into the workings of a combined U.S. Army unit, along with demonstrating how those units solve administrative and logistic issues common within a large military organization.

"The ability to see that the U.S. Army has some of the same problems that we do, and handles many of them in the same way is encouraging," said Staff Brig. Gen. Salam Jabber, commander of 39/10th IA Div. "It shows that we have been successful in our efforts as an Army for the Iraqi people."

The ability of the Iraqi army leadership to learn from the Thunder Horse Battalion in very short periods of time has increased the 10th IA Division's ability to function independently in the southern Iraq.

• Date Taken: 10.25.2008
• Date Posted: 10.27.2008 12:11
• Story ID: 25593
• Location: TALLIL AIR BASE, IQ