Iraqi, US Army leaders engage in staff training to strengthen planning

Photo By Sgt. Robert M. England | Maj. Andrew Sherman, left, the logistics trainer with the Mobile Transition Team, attached to Task Force 2-11, 2nd Battalion, 11th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Advise and Assist Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, discusses long-term plans for training Iraqi army soldiers during the Leadership Training Program at Contingency Operating Base Khamees, in the Diyala province, Feb. 14. The LTP partnered staff officers of the 2nd AAB with their Iraqi counterparts, to address deficiencies in the Iraqi army forward-planning process and develop a long-term training schedule for the 5th Iraqi Army Division.  

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE WARHORSE, IRAQ

02.23.2011

Story by Pfc. Robert M. England 

2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE WARHORSE, Iraq – Leaders of the Mobile Training Team, attached to Task Force 2-11, 2nd Battalion, 11th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Advise and Assist Brigade, “Warriors,” 25th Infantry Division, conducted the first rotation of a leadership training program at Contingency Operating Base Khamees, Feb. 14.

The MTT led the training meeting with senior leaders in the 5th Iraqi Army Division to develop strategies outlining goals for creating a long-term training plan for IA units.

The purpose of the leadership training program is to assist the IA leaders in correcting minor issues at battalion, brigade and division levels, said Maj. John Ripa, officer in charge of the MTT conducting the training with assistance from the staff officers of TF 2-11.

The LTP helped to prepare the 5th IA Div. staff to develop plans for independent training and operations, creating a self-sustaining force capable of accomplishing the mission, he said.

Since assuming responsibility for the advise and assist mission in support of Operation New Dawn, soldiers of 2nd AAB led IA units in training exercises, ranging from basic rifle marksmanship to battalion-level collective infantry tactics, said Ripa.

Held in conjunction with the ongoing Iraqi led-training initiative, Tadreeb al Shamil, Arabic for All Inclusive Training, the LTP assisted Iraqi staff officers to plan for deficiencies identified by U.S. trainers and IA units during the first two 25-day training cycles conducted at Kirkush Military Training Base in Diyala province.

“The goal of this staff-on-staff training was to address those weaknesses so that the IA could project throughout the year as opposed to only planning a week or two in advance,” Ripa said.
During the training, Warrior Brigade staff officers teamed up with IA leaders from different staff sections of the 5th IA Div. for one-on-one sessions in their respective areas of expertise to identify and correct deficiencies.

The combined effort allowed each IA leader to focus on individual tasks before compiling collected data into a single plan to be presented to staff Maj. Gen. Diyah, the 5th IA Div. commander.

“Staffs have only been focused on how to run day-to-day operations,” he said. “We hope to help them change that for the better so that the Iraqis can stand up an army with an external focus. One of our key points is to leave behind programs of instruction which they can continue to use, build on and make their own.”

Capt. Mark Awad, a military intelligence officer assigned to the MTT, worked closely with his IA counterpart on the roles of an intelligence officer, identifying measures to effectively plan training for Iraqi military intelligence soldiers.

“Our focus was simple: to identify those tasks for the IA intelligence soldiers that fall into the analysis platoon, the [human intelligence] platoon or the reconnaissance platoon, and add those tasks to the short-term and long-range planning calendar,” said Awad, a native of Union, N.J.

Awad said the brigade intelligence section is responsible for collecting all intelligence from the battalions and developing a common operating picture for the brigade commander to make an informed decision about what the enemy is doing.

During the staff training exercise, IA leaders learned how to effectively compile data and synchronize efforts across each staff section to operate more efficiently.

At the division level, the intelligence section gathers information from the battalions, builds reports and briefs the general, explained Awad.

“All the IA staff already understands most of this training. They already have a very strong foundation for what we are teaching them,” Awad said. “[The training] is going to allow them to truly move forward and be able to properly plan and execute training events in the future at a more disciplined and manageable level.”

Ripa said that the LTP is a new concept for 2nd AAB and the 5th IA Div., and has the potential to greatly assist IA units in becoming completely self-sustaining from the planning stages through the execution of training.

The division staff training program will eventually become an IA-led event, so Iraqi officers and noncommissioned officers can shape their training plan into what works best for the IA units, Ripa said.

“It will give the baseline for the [Iraqi] army to sustain itself over the long-term,” he explained. “It’s going to show them how to identify mission-essential tasks, and resource and train the division throughout the year so they can meet those tasks.”

• Date Taken: 02.23.2011
• Date Posted: 02.25.2011 08:39
• Story ID: 66063
• Location: CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE WARHORSE, IQ