IA soldiers take another step toward Coalition leaving

Courtesy Photo | Col. Samam Talabany, commander 2nd Brigade, 5th Iraqi Army Division, and Lt. Col. Daniel Kessler, military transition team leader, listen to a briefing Aug. 10, at Forward Operating Base Gabe, Baqubah, Iraq.  

BAQUBAH, IRAQ

08.30.2005

Courtesy Story

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By Sgt. Jennifer J. Eidson
22nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

FORWARD OPERATING BASE GABE, Baqubah, Iraq -- Maps line the walls as military officials sit around a "U" shaped table briefing their commander on the mission plan and the intelligence they had gathered.

The commander, dressed in a uniform pattern once worn by U.S. troops and speaking in Arabic, talks to his fellow officers about his expectations as a group of U.S. Soldiers take notes.

Listening and mentoring is what these Coalition troops of the military transition team (MiTT) here are doing to help their counterparts of the 2nd Brigade, 5th Iraqi Army Division prepare to take over operations in their area.

Coalition Soldiers are not only providing advice, but they also lend a hand where the Iraqi army still needs help, said Lt. Col. Daniel Kessler, MiTT team leader.

"We support them with assets that they basically don't have," said Kessler, a native of Latrobe, Pa. "Right now, there are very few operations in our [area of operation] that are Coalition led."

The help the Coalition Soldiers provide isn't something that Col. Saman Talabany, the 2nd Brigade commander said he wants to do without, but he said his soldiers are ready to take over the mission when that day does come.

"When they leave, we have a good capability to do everything, but I don't like to say that because I'm not looking [forward] to when they leave," Talabany said.
Kessler said he believes that Talabany and his soldiers are ready to take over the mission because they have proven that they are capable.

"[We believe] we've got one of the better Iraqi army brigades," Kessler said. "We've got three of our battalions that are almost ready," Talabany said. "Three of our battalions are actually executing independent operations with minimal Coalition Forces" support. I am not aware of another Iraqi army brigade that has the same level of proficiency as our battalion."

Talabany said he has dedicated soldiers who know their mission is important and are willing to fight for the people of their country.

"I have good soldiers," he said. "â?¦ Because they are all ready, they are ready to die for their country as you see in the missions all the time."

Going out on these missions and getting information that may help the country and protect the soldiers is important, Talabany said as he instructed his intelligence officer during the meeting.

"I told him that he cannot get any information if you sit beside your air conditioner in your room," Talabany said. "They have to go out and they have to speak to the people. They don't have to wait for those people to come and tell them this information."

That is just what these Iraqi soldiers are doing said Kessler, going out and making sure their country is a safe place to live.

"Our role is more into supporting the Iraqis, both the army and the police, as they basically start doing the brunt of all operations within our [area of operations]," Kessler said. "They are executing roughly three times as many operations in terms of cordon and searches, raids and executing flash check points and other types of patrols."

These missions are important and that is why the soldiers know they cannot just sit back and ignore the problems in their country, Talabany said. I feel that we have a problem, but we will work it.

• Date Taken: 08.30.2005
• Date Posted: 08.30.2005 11:24
• Story ID: 2861
• Location: BAQUBAH, IQ