COIN Training

Photo By Staff Sgt. Miles Elder | Iraqi Army Maj. Gen. Ahmed (left) discusses counterinsurgency training with a member of the U.S. Special Forces cadre.  

KIRKUSH, IRAQ

05.15.2006

Courtesy Story

133rd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

KIRKUSH, Iraq (May 1, 2006) " Having seen action in hot spots like Fallujah, Samarra and Baghdad, Soldiers in the Iraqi Army's 5th Division know how to fight, but now they are learning more about the role security forces play in a free society.

Army Special Forces Soldiers, many of them fresh from field operations, are teaching classes to the division's officers at the unit's headquarters in central Iraq. The Iraqi Counterinsurgency (COIN) Leadership Course consists of classes in ethics, human rights and counter-terrorism tactics. These are important lessons for the division as it prepares for a validation and an increased role in Iraq's defense.

"Your sole purpose here is to protect the people of Iraq," one instructor told the class. "By following these principles, the people will follow you.

"By violating them, people will not follow."

Most of the cadre members came from the Counterinsurgency Center for Excellence in Taji. Their presence was requested by the division's Military Training Team.

"It's not only about defeating an enemy now," said Lt. Col. Pete Cafaro, the center's deputy commandant. "It's about establishing a credible government people can support."

The classes are taught by veteran Special Forces operators and some civilian contractors. Classes begin with general theory and students are shown how to apply the newly learned theories to real-world situations.

"You've got to have the basics to go forward," Cafaro said. "We always incorporate these lessons with the host nation, but they still have a strong Special Forces" flavor."

The flavor proves spicy sometimes. Iraqi officers are quick to ask questions and interject their opinions into the subject matter as it is taught to them.

"The questions are welcome," said one instructor whose identity is not printed because he is actively working in the Iraqi theater. "Dialogue is encouraged in class.

"They get excited about the subjects," he said. "These guys are actually hard workers and they want to learn.

"They understand the importance of the lessons we are trying to teach."

The instructor said he enjoys working with his Iraqi counterparts. He praised their work ethic and said he believed they would continue to progress in the coming months.

"This is their country and this is their fight," he said. "We need to empower them to accomplish the mission.

"By doing that, it allows us to go home faster and it leaves a strong country here."

The importance of the courses was reinforced when Iraqi Maj. Gen. Ahmed, the 5th Iraqi Army Division commander, visited the classroom. He sat in on the classes and contributed his thoughts on the subject matter as well.

Defeating an insurgency is a time-consuming process. Cafaro, who hails from Glens Falls, N.Y., said it often takes 9-13 years to put down an uprising so there are no easy solutions.

"We've got to change the present mindset," Cafaro said. "We don't want there to be an OIF 7, 8 and 9.

"The aim is to establish security so we don't have to keep coming back."

• Date Taken: 05.15.2006
• Date Posted: 05.15.2006 14:13
• Story ID: 6391
• Location: KIRKUSH, IQ