Photo By Senior Master Sgt. Cecilio Ricardo | Iraqi army maintainers laugh at a joke told by their instructor, Vic Martinez, during...... read more read more
BESMAYA, Iraq—Airmen and civilian contractors will spend the remaining days of Operation New Dawn advising Iraqi army vehicle maintainers about maintenance and repair procedures, facilitating a self-sustaining unit.
The 10-day course focuses on engine repair, inspections, proper forms and general safety.
“We’re here to give them basic knowledge so they have a foundation to build on,” said Mr. Victor Martinez, the lead instructor and a U.S. Army veteran. “If you teach anybody a skill, you need to mentor them after teaching that skill to make them better -- and that’s the role we’re taking.”
Following the course, Martinez said the Iraqis will be fully capable of performing daily maintenance inspections on Iraqi Army vehicles.
“The program is going to pay off when we see the Iraqis performing their own maintenance and following their own inspection system,” said Martinez. “When we’re getting ready and packing the last (pieces of U.S. equipment), we’re going to have a good feeling that they’ll be able to do this on their own.”
The class is divided into two five-day phases.
The first five days are filled with classroom instruction. Students are taught operating principles, including Iraqi vehicle maintenance systems and inspection forms, as well as how to use technical manuals.
The last two days of the first phase are practical exercises where students are tested on what they’ve learned. These exercises include inspecting vehicles the soldiers will be required to maintain when they complete the course.
“After each part of the training, we assess their progress,” said Tech. Sgt. Sharif Ahmed, a vehicle maintenance adviser for the Iraq Training and Advising Mission-Army who is deployed from Dover Air Force Base, Del. “It’s important for them to learn the processes because they don’t currently have a formal maintenance shop.”
During the second phase of the class, instructors teach engine maintenance.
“An engine is an engine, so by taking this class, the soldiers will be able to troubleshoot better and work on any number of vehicles,” said Ahmed, a native of Hillsborough, N.J.
Ahmed added that while some students are new to the maintenance field, some are experienced mechanics. For those veterans the class is a good refresher course that teaches them to account for their work through inspection forms and checklists.
The final test for the Iraqi soldiers is a hands-on inspection conducted prior to repairing a vehicle.
Teams of three soldiers must complete all the work in less than two hours. During the inspection, one person reads the technical manual, another performs the work and the third person completes the inspection checklist. Instructors predetermine what repairs are needed and the students must figure out the problem in the allotted time to pass the class.
“The students want to learn and want to get out and (practice) what they’ve learned,” said Martinez. “They’re fired up about it because they see it works and they really want to make maintenance a priority.”
Martinez said the Iraqis he’s come in contact with are extremely smart and motivated. When the time comes to depart, Martinez feels the Iraqi soldiers he’s mentored will be able to keep a successful fleet of vehicles operating.
| Date Taken: | 10.12.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 10.25.2011 11:24 |
| Story ID: | 78980 |
| Location: | BESMAYA, IQ |
| Web Views: | 67 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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