C-IED Training Building handed over in Binaslawa

Courtesy Photo | The inside of the new Counter Improvised Explosive Device training building has various items that may be found in the average building and could be used as IEDs. Located at the German Village in Binaslawa training area near Erbil, Iraq, the facility was handed over to Kurdish Zeravani forces on Jan. 11, 2016. The previous building was completely empty and lacked the necessary furnishings to train IED recognition. The German Army is part of the Kurdistan Training Coordination Center which works with Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve building partner capacity as a global coalition dedicated to enabling local security forces to counter ISIL as they continue to liberate their homeland. CJTF-OIR is the global Coalition to defeat ISIL in Iraq and Syria. Photo by Bundeswehr Staff Sgt. Daniel Richter, German Army  

ERBIL, IRAQ

01.11.2017

Courtesy Story

314th Theater Public Affairs Support Element

Story by Capt. Claudia Birkholz, Bundeswehr, German Army Press Officer

ERBIL, IRAQ - Since mid-2016 the German Contingent for the Training Mission in Northern Iraq has been committed to Counter Improvised Explosive Device (C-IED) training within the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. The main focus lies in identifying improvised explosive devices as well as conducting the required countermeasures. Today, during a ceremonial event, the newly built C-IED-building was officially handed over to the responsible local Zeravani unit at the Training Centre at Binaslawa.

A part of the training area in Binaslawa aptly named “The German Village” has already been successfully used for infantry-related training courses. At this site Colonel Georg Oel, Commander of the German Contingent for the Training Mission in Northern Iraq and Commander of the Kurdish Training Coordination Center (KTCC), welcomed the invited guests who attended the opening ceremony of the new training facility.

"Improvised explosive devices (IED’s) are a terrible and deadly threat in all the conflict zones around the world. Therefore our C-IED specialists have furnished a showroom in which they pool and summarize all of their experience from other missions in order to demonstrate how IEDs are being used," said the German Commander, Col. Georg Oel, in his opening words addressing the audience.

"Until recently practical scenarios were trained in abandoned villages such as Tiger Town or Sin Chala," said Captain Patrick G. who is leading the German specialized C-IED training for the Peshmerga. Furthermore he expressed that "realistic training in an urban environment was not possible, because these training houses were not furnished."

As a consequence a concept has been evolved to establish a more realistic training facility aiming at centralizing the C-IED training at the Training Center in Binsalawa. Focusing on the long term the delivery of the new C-IED training house is just another step on the way forward to hand over training in this specific field, currently still under the lead of the multinational coalition, to their own skilled and educated Kurdish C-IED specialists.

"The advantage of this new C-IED training house is that it provides the possibility to vividly demonstrate and display IEDs to the Peshmerga to impart the potential risks caused by IEDs," said Captain Patrick G. during the inspection tour. At the moment 25 IED dummies are planted at the training house that have been used and are still being used in Iraq. Once triggered a beep is sounded. In this way the Peshmergas’ awareness regarding potential IED threats increases. This will provide them with knowledge and therefore the possibility to practically counter potential and current threats all embedded in realistic training scenarios.

It is hoped that this training facility will sustainably contribute to less casualties in Northern Iraq caused by hidden booby traps that were being planted by DA’ESH after abandoning formerly held villages.

• Date Taken: 01.11.2017
• Date Posted: 02.04.2017 13:32
• Story ID: 222533
• Location: ERBIL, IQ