By Sgt. 1st Class Tami Hillis
4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division
FORWARD OPERATING BASE KALSU, Iraq – Approximately 50 coalition forces, Iraqi Army leadership and logistics personnel attended the 8th IA Logistics Conference May 14, at FOB Kalsu, approximately 60 kilometers south of Baghdad.
The 703rd Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, hosted the conference to identify issues and concerns regarding 8th IA Division logistics operations and generate solutions.
Attendees included leadership and logistics representatives from the 30th, 31st, 32nd and 33rd Brigades in the 8th IA Div., 8th IA division-level logistics, Location Command and 8th Motor Transport Regiments (MTR) leadership and 4th BCT key logistics representatives.
Commander of the 703rd BSB, Lt. Col. John Chadbourne, said the conference allowed each of the IA brigade G4 sections to present their status and issues to the IA division's G4.
It also afforded the Local Command, belonging to the Iraqi Ground Forces Command, and the 8th MTR, under the 8th IA Div., the opportunity to brief each brigade on ways they can help with logistics capacity building, Chadbourne said.
The leaders discussed the IA division's needs for logistics facilities, calibration tools and other high-end equipment to meet their repair demands. Because their fleet is comprised of vehicle models from other countries, parts are difficult to acquire.
The MTR and location command can provide fleets of medium and heavy trucks for moving equipment, ammunition and troops at the request of commanders. The MTR and Location Command also provide commanders a responsive and effective means to sustain their fighting force, including maintenance, supplies, equipment, ammunition and fuel.
Chadbourne said leadership at the conference discussed a train-the-trainer program, also known as the T3 program. This program allows coalition forces to teach IA Soldiers how to take care of different logistics issues. In turn, these IA Soldiers will become the trainers of their own forces.
The T3 program includes tasks such as: first responder, equipment maintenance, storage and distribution, unit supply, fire marshal, safety, field sanitation, recovery operations and more.
The 703rd BSB will provide personnel to conduct and execute the T3 program once each IA brigade decides on a date and participants to receive training.
Each of the four IA brigades works with military transition team (MiTT) members who specialize in different logistic tasks. Each MiTT will receive notes and a tentative timeline from the conference so they can help in the training program and meet logistics needs, Chadbourne said.
This will help IA logistics become self-sustaining so they won't have to rely on coalition forces in the future.
Also, the 8th IA G4 and the MTR are going to address shortfalls in equipment and personnel required for the IA division to become self sustaining.
"The conference was an overwhelming success and has opened the door to future operations to build logistics capacity for the 8th Division Iraqi Army," Chadbourne said.