Iraqi Army Signal Company improve communications through joint training

Photo By Spc. Maurice Galloway | Army Cpl. Heath N. Kennedy, 256th Signal Company 17th Fires Brigade and Marine Sgt. Michael E. Mullins, 14th Division Military Transition Team, draft training based scenarios and significant incident locations on Camp Wessam Basra, Iraq for their week-long training course with soldiers from the 14th Division Iraqi Army Signal Company.  

02.22.2010

Story by Spc. Maurice Galloway 

17th Field Artillery Brigade

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE BASRA, Iraq — "Your reports are a big factor to conducting operations. The information that you provide is essential to getting help to a wounded Soldier or getting support to troops under attack, so it's vital that those reports be precise," said Sgt. Michael E. Mullins, 14th Division Military Transition Team, U.S. Marines Corps.

Over the past few weeks, Marines with the 14th Division MiTT and Soldiers from 256th Signal Company, 17th Fires Brigade have begun training soldiers from the 14th Division Iraqi Army, Signal Company at Camp Wessam on radio communications functions and procedures.

"These IA soldiers are already familiar with the communications procedures. Our job was to ensure that each and every soldier in the company uses the same standardized procedure guaranteeing accurate, efficient and elaborate reports," Mullins said.

The month-long course was broken down into concentrated training cycles designed to teach the IA the standard operating procedures of signal communication.

Two classroom sessions were held weekly; each of which was followed immediately by a hands-on exercise designed to familiarize the IA with the new techniques.

The IA conducted patrols around the base in which they responded to training scenarios designed to test the Iraqis knowledge and utilization of their new found training.

"Practice makes perfect," Mullins said. "Our aim was to engrave these techniques into their daily routine and hone their skills at generating effective communications reports. One of the main things we noticed when we began training them, was the fact that each of the IA soldiers reported differently over the radio," he added.

The classroom sessions addressed the lack of efficiency as each soldier was giving the opportunity to rehearse the reporting procedures before the actual exercise.

"This training will significantly improve the productivity of our operations," said Lt. Akrim Ali, 14th Division Iraqi Army, Signal Company, executive officer. "Already we have begun to notice how much more efficient our soldiers' reports have become," he added.

Each week posed a new challenge for the IA signal soldiers as Soldiers from 256th Signal Company, 17th FiB came to Wessam and linked up with the 14th Division MiTT Marines prepared with a new training agenda.

Spc. Brandon R. Garmon, 256th Signal Company, 17th FiB, instructed a radio, telephone operator course, which focused specifically on medical evacuation procedures.

"The most difficult part in training the Iraqis on MEDEVAC procedures was correlating the classroom training to the actual hands-on exercise," Garmon said. "It was hard to gauge whether they fully understood the concepts I was explaining in the classroom, but once we got out to the field they regurgitated my instructions perfectly," he added.

The following week, Mullins teamed up with another 256th Signal Company Soldier, Cpl. Heath N. Kennedy, and the two built upon the previous MEDEVAC training by reinforcing the grid coordination training and integrating situational awareness reporting.

"Each course is designed to build off of the previous training," Kennedy said. "So my class focused on enhancing their attention to detail while calling up a report of a significant act. By giving a detailed report of the area, the people around and what happened, it all adds to a complete situational report," he added.

As the country prepares for the March 7th elections, an integral milestone in the new dawn of Iraq, the IA will undoubtedly play a significant role in ensuring the safety of Basrawi's that visit the polls.

However, the training highlights the IA's transitioning from a civil capacity to more of a military role in securing their country and this training focuses on their new concentrated scope of responsibility.

"This training was not conducted specifically for the elections, however it will definitely impact our operations during the elections as well as our future operations," said Maj. Abdullah Farhan, 14th Division Iraqi Army Signal Company, plans officer.

• Date Taken: 02.22.2010
• Date Posted: 02.22.2010 02:05
• Story ID: 45657