Photo By Staff Sgt. Zachary Mott | Members of the Iraqi police from Baqubah, Iraq, practice the proper procedures for...... read more read more
BAQUBAH, Iraq (April 4, 2006) - Army training is typically broken down into three phases: crawl, walk then run. As Soldiers continue to train the Iraqi Security Forces to protect and secure their country, they have adopted the same crawl, walk and run philosophy.
"We go there, we teach (the Iraqi police) a certain thing and we'll just work on that for a couple days," said Sgt. Frank Zavala, who was the lead instructor for this training, 2nd Platoon, 978th Military Police Company which is attached to the 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Task Force Band of Brothers. "Then we'll just keep building up on that until they get it down."
Zavala and other members of 2nd Platoon conducted training on proper procedures for room clearing at a police station in Baqubah, Iraq. The 978th MP Co. is responsible for training more than 15 Iraqi police stations in Diyala Province. The unit instructs on everything from the most basic police procedures such as hand cuffing a suspect to securing and conducting raids. But, today's training was clearing rooms.
"The toughest thing to grasp is your fields of fire," said Spc. Robert Stearns, 2nd Platoon, 978th MP Co. "You don't want to hurt your own buddy and those are the guys on your left and right you have to make sure they're coming out with you every time.
"The learning curve for the new IPs can be likened to that of a new enlistee learning the ropes through basic training and advanced individual training. For a U.S. Soldier, that training can encompass upward of six months. The Soldiers are now trying to pass that training, as well as lessons learned through experience, along to the IPs.
"We can obviously tell that a lot of these people have not done this before," Stearns said. "When we do our own AIT in the MP corps, it is very similar.
"During each lesson, the Soldiers are concerned not just with ensuring everyone understands the basics principles of what they're doing, but also understands that even the smallest details can be fatal.
"I was picking up on certain little aspects that might get their buddy hurt or somebody killed or an innocent bystander," Stearns said. "Like putting a finger on a trigger or not paying attention where their sectors of fire were.
"The Iraqi police will continue to be an important part of the future stability in Iraq. Because of this, each station is responsible for varying tasks. Some stations might be assigned as a quick reaction force while others are primarily responsible for patrolling the roads or conducting traffic control points.
"We try to do training that is suited to that station and plus a little outside the boundaries," said Sgt. Andrew Turner, an instructor from 2nd Platoon, 978th MP Co. "If you're doing a checkpoint you might have to stop and search a vehicle which might lead to an arrest. We'll also teach them how to search a person and hand cuff a person as well because obviously that will be applicable.
"Iraqi army units are increasing their presence in both size and location and becoming more integrated into coalition forces missions. And, as the grass-roots training efforts of Police Transition Teams, such as the 978th MP Co., continue to take hold, the intent is for IP units to become fully integrated into coalition forces missions as well and ultimately assume some of those missions completely.
"In the overall picture, what we're trying to do is to get the IPs to transition to working by themselves instead of (with) coalition forces," Zavala said. "(We want them) to be independent so they can know how to train and they can train other IPs and they can become efficient."With each new technique the IPs can master, it brings them one step closer to assuming control of the security and future of Iraq.
"We don't want them to fail," Stearns said. "We want them to be able to stand up on their own to make sure they know what they're doing every time."
| Date Taken: | 04.04.2006 |
| Date Posted: | 04.04.2006 11:41 |
| Story ID: | 5947 |
| Location: | BAQUBAH, IQ |
| Web Views: | 95 |
| Downloads: | 27 |
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