CAMP VICTORY, Iraq - As units deploy to Iraq, one of the critical challenges they face is learning the culture and how to effectively interact with the local population.
The Counter Insurgency and Stability Operations Center at Camp Victory provides unit leaders with training that immerses them in the local language and culture to provide them the tools they need to best communicate with the people of Iraq, said Col. Robert Shaw, COINSOC commander.
The center offers two courses, the COINSOC Leader’s Course, and the Iraqi Partnership and Leadership Course.
The Leader’s Course is six days and designed for incoming brigade commanders and their leadership teams. The course allows them to learn area-specific information from the units they are replacing.
“The remarkable thing is they had the theater commander and the commander of the brigade we’re relieving come in and speak about their experiences through the year,” said Lt. Col. Eddie Gillon, commander of the 703rd Brigade Support Battalion, which recently deployed to Al Asad Air Base.
“Hearing them speak about challenges they faced and how they were handled, plus hearing about upcoming challenges we may face, was very helpful,” he said.
“Outgoing leadership will also bring in Iraqi personnel they have worked with over the year,” said Shaw, “This has the benefit of establishing relationships here at COINSOC before they arrive at their final destination.”
According to Shaw, no two classes are the same because they are continuously updated and fitted to each incoming unit.
To prepare for these courses, COINSOC personnel are constantly traveling to keep classes up to date, he said.
“We visit units who have been on the ground for six months and try to learn as much as we can about what they’re doing,” Shaw said. “We come back with that information and we update our classes based upon what we’ve learned during that trip. Then we build a class specifically for that area and the replacement unit.”
“The classes are all relevant and cutting edge,” said Gillon, who recently attended the leadership class with his unit staff. “It’s the latest and greatest about what’s happening in theater and gives us a chance to learn our role in the upcoming year.”
Shaw said that up to 120 personnel can attend the CLC and it can be shortened to four days depending on a unit’s schedule.
The Iraqi Partnership and Leadership Course only allows 50 students into the 10 day class, said Shaw. It is designed for anybody who is going to be partnered with Iraqis. It teaches communication and understanding about the culture in Iraq.
Master Sgt. Gerry Aponte, a member of the COINSOC staff, said the 40 hours of Arabic is the most demanding and rewarding part of the course.
“In ten days, Soldiers learn the basic Arabic Alphabet, writing, and phrases and they are assigned to an Iraqi instructor who they will continue to work with throughout the course,” he said.
“It’s really an immersion course into Iraqi culture,” Shaw said. “Everything they learn is reinforced throughout the day with practical exercises we built with Iraqi nationals who work with us.”
After the end of the day, students have the chance to sit with Iraqi instructors or translators in an environment outside the classroom, he said.
“Here they can learn about the habits and customs from our interpreters that are not discussed in class, or watch the Iraqi news and discuss local politics over a glass of chai,” Shaw said.
These classes help units understand the situation they are going into. Ultimately, the information that COINSOC passes along solidifies our relationship with the Iraqis, Gillon said.
| Date Taken: |
07.17.2010 |
| Date Posted: |
07.17.2010 05:32 |
| Story ID: |
52958 |
| Location: |
CAMP VICTORY, IQ |
| Web Views: |
336 |
| Downloads: |
227 |
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This work, Leaders learn local lessons at COINSOC, by SFC Britney Hiatt, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
