Iraqi army opens training center for soldiers

Photo By Pvt. Deangelo Wells | Retired Iraqi army Staff Maj. Gen. Ali presents words of encouragement to Iraqi soldiers during the 10th Iraqi Army Division Training Center opening ceremony Jan. 1. Ali was the Iraqi army’s head coordinator for the training center construction.  

CAMP DHI QAR, IRAQ

01.05.2011

Story by Pvt. Deangelo Wells 

3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division

CAMP DHI QAR, Iraq – The 10th Iraqi Army Division opened its first training center in southern Iraq on Jan. 1. The Camp Dhi Qar will be the first such center for 10th IA to train its battalions in a combat environment.

The training center was designed by retired Iraqi army Staff Maj. Gen. Ali, Iraqi senior advisor, and was constructed by Iraqi contractors and soldiers assigned to 10th Iraqi Army Division. Soldiers assigned to 3rd Advise and Assist Brigade, 4th Infantry Division., provided oversight during the planning and construction.

“I am very proud of the Iraqis and how well they constructed the training site,” said Capt. Brendan McNichol, of Colorado Springs, Colo., task force engineer, 3rd Bn., 29th FA Regt. “I am happy I was able to be part of it and watch how everything was done.”

The IA soldiers worked nonstop from sun up to sun down for 17 days flattening land, raising tents, and constructing small-arms and artillery ranges near the site.

The new site allows the IA soldiers to train on simulated combat scenarios, allowing Iraqi leaders to evaluate units’ performance on individual and group tasks. Every battalion within the 10th IA will rotate through the 25-day training regimen.

Campo Dhi Qar is capable of housing more than 600 IA soldiers while they train on multiple skills including first aid, sectors of fire, and formations to use in urban areas. The training site is also equipped with a dining facility, a headquarters, and a briefing area.

With 3rd AAB’s eventual withdrawal from Iraq, the new site demonstrates another step forward for the 10th IA in providing security in the southern provinces.

“I believe that the Iraqis may need some improvements in some areas, but I think they are making progress in the right direction to be fully capable to defend their country when we leave,” said McNichol.

• Date Taken: 01.05.2011
• Date Posted: 01.14.2011 15:04
• Story ID: 63572
• Location: CAMP DHI QAR, IQ