Photo By Spc. Amanda Solitario | KIRKUSH, Iraq - Col. Christine M. Gayagas, the deputy commanding officer of the 13th...... read more read more
by Spc. Amanda Solitario
KIRKUSH, Iraq - The Iraqi 5th Motor Transport Regiment is rolling right along.
On their own for the first time, the soldiers in the 5th MTR stood with their heads held high as the Iraqi Army regained control of its regiment during a Nov. 1 ceremony.
"It has been a tremendous privilege and honor for me and my team to be here," said Maj. Todd Offill, a 13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) Soldier assigned to the Military Transition Team leader, as he addressed the soldiers.
The ceremony marked the completion of their vigorous training with coalition forces, and a new addition to the Iraqi Army.
Under United States control for the past eight months, the 700 Iraqi soldiers lived and worked with the MiTT as they trained and prepared for missions on some of the most perilous roads in Iraq.
"Hats off to all of these guys," said Capt. Thomas Smith, an advisor in the MiTT. "They go over some of the most dangerous highways, and many have seen their family members killed by terrorist groups. They still come back, put on their uniform, and serve their country proudly."
The primary job of the 5th MTR is vital to the continuity of the Iraqi Army, Smith said. The soldiers in the unit operate heavy and light-wheeled trucks and are capable of moving personnel and equipment throughout the country.
Although the Diyala province is the main area of operation for these soldiers, their missions are not limited to the confines of one place, Smith said, a native of Raleigh, N.C.
In addition to the transportation of the Iraqi Army's logistical support, the regiment maintains the serviceability of all the vehicles and provides the security for the convoys when they are on the move.
During the ceremony, the unit showed off some of their vehicular assets by circling the motor pool slowly making their way past the stage, which was lined with Iraqi officers.
Smith said the job of the 5th MTR is an important one, and its transfer will have a significant impact on the coalition forces fighting in Iraq. "We have trained them the best we can, and now it is time for them to take the reins," he said.
Smith said the MiTT faced many obstacles throughout the training process. Besides language and cultural barriers, he said it was a challenge to try to get the Iraqi soldiers to transition to better ways of doing things.
He said the U.S. Soldiers did not necessarily want to impose their ideas, but just wanted to show the Iraqis that there are different ways of accomplishing a task.
One principle they tried to enforce was the concept of the noncommissioned officer corps. Smith said the Iraqi Army has an NCO corps, but it is not as strong as it is in the U.S. Army.
Smith said the 10-man embedded transition team tested the unit on everything from basic soldier skills to logistical management, and invested endless hours in the development of the regiment.
"The 5th MTR was the only MTR to validate their soldiers in the amount of time we had and with very limited resources," he said.
Smith said he is confident in the abilities that he helped to instill in the soldiers of the 5th MTR, and the unit will stand up next to any other MTR in the Iraqi Army and shine.
"They are all natural leaders and are very good at what they do," Offill said.
Many of the soldiers in the 5th MTR were recognized for their hard work and dedication to the fight.
Col. Megan P. Tatu, commander of the 164th Corps Support Group currently deployed to Camp Anaconda, and an Iraqi officer handed out certificates of achievements to those soldiers before the close of the ceremony.
Smith said the next step for his team will be to sit as advisors for the Iraqi unit, giving advice, making suggestions, and monitoring the progress of the MTR.
| Date Taken: | 11.18.2006 |
| Date Posted: | 11.18.2006 10:00 |
| Story ID: | 8332 |
| Location: | KIRKUSH, IQ |
| Web Views: | 375 |
| Downloads: | 179 |
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