Joint Expeditionary Tasking Airmen help Iraqi army build from the ground up

Photo By Craig Lifton | The main entrance of Multi-National Security Transition Command - Iraq in the Baghdad, Iraq International Zone.  

BAGHDAD, IRAQ

02.16.2009

Story by Tech. Sgt. Craig Lifton 

332d Air Expeditionary Wing

By Craig Lifton
332nd Air Expeditionary Wing

BAGHDAD INTERNATIONAL ZONE, Iraq – Locked away deep inside a tan office building, behind walls, guards and bomb-sniffing dogs, is the home of the Multi-National Security Transition Command – Iraq, and a small group of Airmen that assists in instructing the Iraq military to function independently.

The Coalition Army Advisory Team is comprised of service members and civilian experts from a wide range of nations, to include Joint Expeditionary Tasking Airmen with the 732nd Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron. Members of MNSTC-I coach, mentor and train the Iraqi military.

One of the team members is Capt. Jeffrey Durand, a logistics officer deployed from Wright-Paterson Air Force Base, Ohio.

"We train the Iraqis about logistics," said the Blackstone, Mass., native. "Anything to set up their government, we are partners with them."

Durand and the other members of the CAAT act as subject-matter experts in logistics and advise senior Iraqi military. Durand explained that the Iraqis currently under their supervision are in the capabilities phase and close to running themselves independently.

"We teach the Iraqis how to build a base," said Lt. Col. Eric Ellmyer, a logistics readiness officer from Kirkland Air Force Base, N.M. "Also, we explain how to man the base and keep it running.

"We are helping them rebuild the infrastructure and train the Iraqis on how to provide the life support to their ground-combat unit," said the Niceville, Fla., native. "They are learning how to organize, train and equip themselves."

Ellmyer is also the senior advisor to the Iraqi Director of Location Command. He has helped the Iraqis purchase more than $128 million in equipment for 13 separate locations. In addition Ellmyer also said more than $260 million has been spent so far on the Iraqi military infrastructure.

As the JET Airmen work side by side with coalition partners, they work through challenges in order to complete the mission.

"There are challenges to this job and one of them is the language barrier," said Ellmyer. "I do get a translator to help communicate with the Iraqis.

"The other challenge is learning to understand the current Iraqi process," Ellmyer said. "Their current logistics system is based on paper, relationships and cell phones."

Ellmyer explained the current Iraqi program does move and gets logistics done. He remarked that the Iraqis are learning to push their decision-making down to the lowest-possible level.

"We work with the Iraqi force generation and with the Ministry of Defense," said Capt. Lance Vann, deployed from Scott AFB, Ill. "Then we determine what types of forces are needed to rebuild the Iraqi Army.

"After that, we then determine what is the proper equipment needed," continued the logistics readiness officer from Lufkin, Texas. "Weapons, vehicles, uniforms, everything from the ground up.

"This has been great building my career specialization in a totally joint environment," the captain noted. "I'm here working with all the services, from all of the coalition forces to the Iraqi army."

• Date Taken: 02.16.2009
• Date Posted: 02.16.2009 03:13
• Story ID: 30062
• Location: BAGHDAD, IQ