Story by Sgt. Daniel W. Bailey
22nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
FORWARD OPERATING BASE O'RYAN, BALAD, Iraq -- None of the soldiers of Task Force Konohiki realized how challenging and rewarding performing the job of a Military Transition Team would be.
"Nobody was ever made aware of or even heard about MiTT" till they were told to report," said Command Sgt. Maj. Lanky Morrill, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 29th Brigade Combat Team.
Since February the 40 Soldiers that came from units assigned to the 29th Brigade Combat Team to comprise TF Konohiki are building up the 4th Battalion, 1st Brigade, 4th Division of the Iraqi army at Forward Operating Base O'Ryan, near Balad, Iraq to become capable of functioning on its own.
"Our job is to help the Iraqi army stand up, specifically with the battalion staff cells, to define what the cell does and to put together an officer and noncommissioned officer cadre of people who are capable of and willing to do that job for the new Iraqi army," said Morrill, a resident of Kaneohe, Hawaii.
"We do this by meeting with them daily which establishes a personal rapport that has been tremendously rewarding, and allows us to gauge their strengths and weaknesses."
Task Force Konohiki also works with Task Force 1-128 by supervising and assisting in the training of 4th Battalion soldiers at the squad and platoon levels at FOB O'Ryan and on patrols in the area.
"We're working with 1-128 right now, and they have a scheduled plan of things to do, such as squad drills, moving to contact, using their weapons better, zeroing their weapons, shooting at targets, just basic soldier skills," said Staff Sgt. Henry Choy, Task Force Konohiki.
"They are also assisting and improving those basic soldier skills by performing security check points, active patrols and searching homes."
The Iraqi army soldiers are in turn learning to be more self sufficient.
"They're beginning to learn how to be more soldier-like," said Staff Sgt. Taasulisia Tilo, TF Konohiki. "The discipline was hard at first, but being a soldier is serious business.
Now we're trying to teach them command and control, to take responsibility of their soldiers, which their picking up. The Iraqi NCOs are pretty much taking responsibility now during the training."
The Soldiers of TF Konohiki have realized there is a sense of pride and accomplishment that comes with training the Iraqi army.
"Every day is a different day as it has its own challenges in a way," said Choy a native of Waianae, Hawaii.
"But it's a better, more meaningful challenge. I think we have more meaning, or feeling of accomplishment than most soldiers here."
Konohiki Soldiers have bonded together to meet their challenges head on as a group.
"We try and eat dinner together every night as a family," said Morrill. "In Hawaii it's called "ohana" where you try and cultivate the family atmosphere in everything you do.
It really helps people bond and realize their problems may not be so bad or someone might have similar problems."
When the 4th Battalion assumes control of the TF 1-128 area of operations it will have Konohiki to thank for getting it there.
"What an honor it is to be able to represent America here in Iraq," said Morrill.
"These are tremendously professional people who just want to take their country back and who appreciate the support of the Americans helping them do it."
| Date Taken: | 06.13.2005 |
| Date Posted: | 06.13.2005 12:38 |
| Story ID: | 2136 |
| Location: | BALAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 74 |
| Downloads: | 5 |
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