AL RUSTAMIYAH, Iraq " The Iraqi Military Academy Al Rustamiyah recently re-established its training and educational programs after its abandonment in January 2003, with 135 cadets to develop the qualities of leadership, character and intellect demanded of an Iraqi armed services officer.
The Iraqi leadership modeled IMAR after England's famous Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, where its training and curriculum produce some of the world's finest officers. The British and the Iraqi military have very old ties here " the British oversaw the construction of IMAR's first buildings in 1924. Only when the first Gulf War began in 1990 did the British and Iraqis have to break their bonds.
After its abandonment, looting occurred until the U.S. Army occupied the site tha summer. The Coalition Military Assistance Training Team took control of the site in March 2004 and began reconstruction two months later, said British Col. Neil Hutton, a paratrooper from the Royal British Army and consultant here. CMATT members here include 16 British, two Danish, two Polish, three Hungarian, two Lithuanian, one Dutch and 12 U.S. troops.
The academy lies six miles southeast of Baghdad where from aboard a Black Hawk helicopter, extensive transformation is visible from the dust and rubble surrounding reconstruction sites. A small northern section of the military compound houses a U.S. Army brigade while the Iraqi military inhabits the mid-section, and about 5,000 squatters illegally stake the southern portion, officials said.
With a $100 million budget and detailed planning, IMAR will develop into a great training environment, according to academy officials. The base is like many modern military bases and includes a basketball gymnasium, an Olympic-size indoor pool, study halls, base laundry, medical clinic, obstacle courses, weapons ranges, morale welfare and recreation buildings, base exchange, barber shop, motor pool compound, quartermaster store, an armory and warehouses.
The academy's over-arching priorities include the completion of all building projects with the assistance of more than 1,000 Iraqi workers and contractors; the training of the Iraqi staff to take over all logistics functions; the deployment of selected cadets and instructors to British military schools for eight- to 12-week courses; and the commitment to training excellence within the instruction. All of these efforts, projected for December completion, will strengthen and sharpen the one-year concentrated officer basic course, according to IMAR officials.
Until then, CMATT advisors will continue to work hand-in-hand with the Iraqi officers to provide encouragement and advisement to instructors and students alike.
"They are a very proud people " we must let the noncommissioned officers train the cadets without too much interference from Iraqi officers or the advisors," said Danish Army Sgt. Maj. Stefam Nielsem, a former instructor at the Denmark Army Combat School.
Advisors, nonetheless, work closely with the company commanders during the after-action reviews to ensure proper corrective measures are taken for the instructors, he said.
IMAR plans to start a course for Iraq's pre-war colonels in order to show them how the military can be more effective without the old regime's methods of harsh punishments to its troops, he said. With a new frame of mind on how to punish cadets for breaking the rules, morale should remain stable. For example, if they are caught smoking indoors, they are ordered to pick up cigarette butts instead of standing in the sun or remaining in the front leaning rest position for long periods, he said.
Further training outside of Iraq will help its future leaders incorporate new ways of thinking. "There will be 34 instructors going to the Wales's Brecon Infantry Training Center for a 12-week course who will teach the third intake of cadets in September," Nielsem said. "I look forward to seeing how many come back."
"You must admire [the cadre and cadets] because they face a lot of danger " one family got beaten for their son's courage," he said.
"The terrorists killed my friend. My brother told me to quit [the academy]," said an Iraqi staff officer. "I am not ready to die as a slave and will never go back to the old regime. If the bad guys come, I will take some down with me."
"I have been here four days and find [training] good and very easy; I am not afraid to be here," said Saif, a recruit from the second class. On the other hand, another recruit said, "I am very tired and find the jumps (physical exercise) very difficult."
The rigorous training occurs over a concentrated one-year period with three phases. Once the cadets complete the first four-month phase, they are given increased privileges such as moving into four- to six-man room barracks.
"The future of IMAR looks pretty bright," said U.S. Marine Capt. Bryan Esprit, an advisor overseeing the obstacle course. "You can measure the interest of the program from the 40 applicants a week."
Out of the initial 135 candidates, only 90 remain in training. Some quit because they find it too difficult or receive threats from insurgents. Two of those 90 cadets, in their second phase, will receive further training in England.
"I was at this academy as a cadet just before Saddam fell. Now, I notice [IMAR] is more developed, and I have more enthusiasm," said Cadet Ali Moslom al Saddi.
He is following the footsteps of his brother and uncles, who are officers in the Iraqi military.
Acceptance to the academy is merit-based and does not discriminate on the basis of ethnic or religious backgrounds, according to IMAR officials. Kurdish cadets are integrated here as well as Sunnis and Shiites from all over Iraq. "The [Iraqi officials] are quite satisfied they are getting full representation," Hutton said. "When cadets graduate, they can say, "I've been through a tough academy," while holding their heads high."
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