Iraqi, U.S. Soldiers team up to teach leadership basics

Courtesy Photo | BAGHDAD -- An Iraqi Army platoon attends a class conducted by members of the Military Training Team, 1st Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment and a specially-trained Iraqi Strike Platoon. Training includes physical fitness training, first aid, marksmanship and tactical training. (U.S. Army photo by Capt. Dan Cummings, 1st Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment)  

BAGHDAD, IRAQ

10.04.2005

Courtesy Story

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Capt. Dan Cummings
1st Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment

BAGHDAD -- The routine of waking up early in the morning, participating in physical fitness training, taking a break for hygiene, and heading off for a full day of missions or training is familiar to every American Soldier.

But that's not always the case for many Iraqi Soldiers.

Task Force Baghdad Soldiers of the Military Training Team from 1st Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team recently teamed up with a specially-trained Iraqi Strike Platoon to work with different Iraqi platoons of the 1st Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division.

According to one of the MiTT trainers, Staff Sgt. Luis Coriano, one platoon rotates out of the operational patrol schedule to receive training each week.

"We use four instructors from the Iraqi Strike Platoon to conduct training in Arabic," said Coriano, of Toa Alto, Puerto Rico.

On a recent Saturday evening, the leadership from the platoon went to the MiTT to receive a schedule and overview of the week's activities.

Although it appeared to be just an administrative task, Coriano said the meeting was also an evaluation of the platoon's leadership. Simply observing which members of the platoon attended the meeting offered insight into how the platoon is led and who is doing most of the work.

A recurring theme in the MiTT training is to encourage the development of the Iraqi NCOs. Coriano said it is important for the platoon leader to use his NCOs to help run the platoon.

"A good platoon will have leadership involvement up and down the chain of command," he said. "The platoon leader must lead through his NCOs and the NCOs must be counted on to execute the mission to success. Mission accomplishment depends on the ability of the leadership to form a cohesive and responsive team."

Early the next the morning, the platoon training began in earnest with organized physical training, Iraqi Soldiers sweating through the drills side-by-side with their American instructors. Coriano said the regimen of calisthenics and short formation runs was not overly strenuous.

The intent is not to achieve peak physical fitness in just one week. Rather, the goal is to instill the importance of physical training in the platoons and foster the notion of officers and NCOs leading by example in all things.

After a short break for hygiene and breakfast, the day continued with tactical training. One of the primary topics of instruction is marksmanship. Coriano said once the Iraqi Soldiers have properly zeroed their weapons, the Soldiers will fire from different positions and work up to basic reflexive firing techniques and drills.

Another major area of instruction is first aid, which is taught primarily by the 1st Bn., 2nd IA Bde. MiTT medical NCO, Staff Sgt. Dexter Drayton. Like the rest of the training course, instruction in first aid is a shared effort.

"Medical training went well," said Drayton, who is from Brooklyn, N.Y. "Considering the Iraqi Soldiers had minimal knowledge of the subject area, they displayed great desire to learn and train to better manage on their own."

"Training is going great," Coriano added. "The Iraqis put a lot of effort into it, and the four instructors from the Strike Platoon are very disciplined and very professional."

Capt. Mike Dick, the 1-2 IA MiTT commander, believes the week of training will pay dividends long after it is over.

"In addition to the actual training the platoons received, they will also identify individuals in their organization who are skilled enough to teach new Iraqi Soldiers," he said. " Ultimately, achieving self-sustaining Iraqi formations is what we're trying to achieve."

• Date Taken: 10.04.2005
• Date Posted: 10.04.2005 15:42
• Story ID: 3187
• Location: BAGHDAD, IQ