64th BSB Soldiers, LTAT give Iraqi army the power to succeed

Photo By Pvt. Deangelo Wells | Iraqi army officers listen to the briefing lead by Capt. Tiffany Bilderback, of Milwaukee, Wis., LTAT officer-in-charge, 64th BSB, 3rd AAB, 4th Inf. Div., during an Iraqi army sustainment conference at Camp Adder, Dec. 1.  

NASIRIYAH, IRAQ

12.01.2010

Story by Pvt. Deangelo Wells 

3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division

NASIRIYAH, Iraq – Soldiers assigned to 64th Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Advise and Assist Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, along with the Logistics Training and Advisory Team, have trained the 10th and 14th Iraqi Transportation and Field Factory Brigades since the beginning of their deployment in March.

Along with supporting the 3rd AAB with critical supplies and transportation missions, the 64th BSB has executed the additional mission of advising and assisting the Iraqi army.

According to Lt. Col. Geoff DeTingo, commander, 64th BSB, the battalion has completed more than 50 missions alongside the transportation and field factory brigades.

“Honestly it’s not about how many missions we have completed with the IA while deployed, it’s about the quality of the things we have done in conjunction with them,” said DeTingo. “The LTAT is made up of volunteers who truly wanted to do this and help. So it’s not really about how much we do but the partnership between the soldiers of 64th and the Iraqi army.”

The LTAT, which has 15 full-time personnel, trains the Iraqi army on logistics in order to improve its capabilities and effectiveness.

The support battalion, in conjunction with the LTAT, continues to train the Iraqis on everything from combat life saving skills to maintenance for military vehicles.

“We have offered the field factory and the transportation brigades a wealth of training and knowledge,” said Capt. Tiffany Bilderback, of Milwaukee, Wis., LTAT officer-in-charge, 64th BSB.

Although under the great supervision of professional leaders, the Iraqi army still has room for improvement, said De Tingo. The IA brigades still have problems with faulty equipment being shipped out to different Iraqi army bases and need more qualified mechanics to work on the growing number of vehicles, he said.

In order to help the Iraqi army improve in these areas, 64th BSB held a conference for the three divisions in southern Iraq. The conference at Camp Adder allowed Brig. Gen. Salah, a senior logistics officer in the Iraqi ministry of defense, to listen to each division and facilitated a productive, two-way dialogue aimed at finding solutions.

Many of the officers from the Iraqi army raised the need for more mechanics, better equipment and better quality control. They also brought up the need for internet at their compounds to improve communication and information sharing.

Identifying their issues to the ministry of defense is the first step in improving to a point where the Iraqis can sustain themselves without U.S. assistance.

“When we first started working alongside the Iraqi army, there was not a very viable logistics unit. I believe we helped them establish what they have now,” said De Tingo. “The conference had three division logistics units come into one room and discuss their suggestions and requests, where they had the most honest dialogue I’ve ever seen[among Iraqi leaders].”

At the end of the conference, many of the Iraqi officers walked away smiling, optimistic about the way forward.

“Every problem that has stopped us from being able to work or be effective, was presented and brought to Brig. Gen. Salah’s attention,” said Brig. Gen. Ali, chief assistant for the 8th Iraqi army Division.

• Date Taken: 12.01.2010
• Date Posted: 12.12.2010 18:32
• Story ID: 61823
• Location: NASIRIYAH, IQ