Photo By Tech. Sgt. Lionel Castellano | Maj. William Gunter, Logistics Training Institute senior advisor of administrative...... read more read more
Subscribe
CAMP TAJI, Iraq — U.S. Airmen, Soldiers and civilians at the Iraqi army and Service and Support Institute are working to train Iraqi soldiers on the safe operation of motorcycles to assist them in day-to-day communication and mission accomplishment.
"[Iraq doesn't] have their infrastructure built up as far as phones and Internet capability," said Air Force Maj. William Gunter, Logistics Training Institute senior advisor of administrative affairs and motorcycle-course field instructor. "The motorcycles are actually a bridge gap, to where [Iraqi soldiers] will be acting as couriers between units and their headquarters and divisions, so that messages will be received and sent out to the field so everyone is on the same page to act as one."
During this particular phase of training, Iraqi soldiers are being trained as instructors so they can teach the Iraqi students who are set to be a part of the first Iraqi motorcycle unit.
"Right now, we have the 10 instructor students," said Maj. Gunter, who is a 732nd Air Expeditionary Group Joint Expeditionary Tasking or JET Airman. "This course is to train them. [The Iraqi army] currently doesn't have any motorcycle riders, nor has a unit yet. We are building the very first one right now. These are going to be the instructors for the Iraqi army, and the students follow from here."
Following this course, 800 Iraqi soldiers are set to become the first in this up-and-coming motorcycle unit, said the major, deployed here from Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.
"Per course, they are talking 30-60 students to be taught at one time," said Maj. Gunter, a San Antonio native. "It all depends on the student-to-instructor ratio [that is decided], but they are talking about fielding about 800-plus motorcycles to send out to the various units that are here in Iraq.
"Once we finish training them or advising them as trainers, they are able to take the reins away from us to teach their own and sustain the military force for the Iraqi army and continue to build their force," he added.
The course is currently being taught by Air Force, Army and Department of the Army civilians, each with more than 20 years of motorcycle-riding experience. Overall, IA students are excited at the opportunity to work with such a diverse group of teachers.
"What we are learning is a benefit for all," said Kadhm, an IA warrant officer and IASSI student. "We will be able to teach more students from what we've been taught.
"The coalition side is training us because they have more experience and are better-trained," he continued. "It is good for all Iraqis and this country. It is great to have Army, Air Force and civilians training us; it is more experience for us."
During the field portion of the course, Students are taught a variety of skills to prepare them for Iraqi roads and traffic.
"We are teaching them how to make turns on motorcycle, do weaves to avoid potential accidents, and improve their riding ability in general," said Robert Adams, U.S. Army Materiel Command project manager and motorcycle-course instructor.
In part, students are verbally walked through each motorcycle maneuver.
"We walk through the training with the Iraqi instructors to ensure that they know what they are supposed to be doing," said Army Maj. Joe Valdrow, Multi-National Security Transition Command - Iraq senior medical advisor and motorcycle-course instructor. "We have the walk-through showing them what 'right' is like, and then we have them go through the course and have them repeat what they've been taught to ensure they have learned the skill."
In addition, students are taught hand-and-arm signals as well as road signs during the eight-part classroom portion of the course. Of all the motorcycle skills that are taught in the field or in the classroom, safety is the most important one, according to the instructors.
"We are concerned about their safety," said Mr. Adams, who is from Terre Haute, Ind. "The Iraqis have to do a lot and be very dedicated. We just want to make sure they stay safe. We know how the traffic is here in comparison to the United States."
Maj. Gunter concurred: "Safety has to be tantamount in anything that you teach because you have to show the students what 'right' is and the only way you're going to do that is by teaching them your basic elements.
"A basic element is always going to be safety no matter what it is — whether you are turning a wrench on a vehicle or whether you are driving or you are sitting on a motorcycle; safety has to be first," he added.
As the Iraqi instructors complete training and prepare to teach on their own, their teachers feel confident in their abilities.
"I'm sure by the end of this course [the Iraqi students] will be able to professionally train their forces so that their riders will be able to leave here with a good knowledge and safety base to be out on the roads riding and be able to avoid any dangers they run into," said Maj. Valdrow, who is deployed from Fort Wainwright, Alaska, and is a native of North Pole, Alaska.
| Date Taken: | 05.06.2009 |
| Date Posted: | 05.06.2009 13:03 |
| Story ID: | 33272 |
| Location: | TAJI, IQ |
| Web Views: | 321 |
| Downloads: | 258 |
This work, Motorcycle course prepares Iraqis as teachers for their own, by SSgt Dilia Ayala, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
LEAVE A COMMENT