thedrifter
08-12-05, 07:43 AM
From wingers to Iraqi soldier trainers, Marines ensure Iraqis are combat-ready
2nd Marine Aircraft Wing
Story by - 2nd MAW (Fwd) Military Transition Team
AN NUMANIYAH, Iraq (Aug. 12, 2005) -- On June 9, 2005, the forward deployed 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing sent an 11-man Military Transition Team (MiTT), to An Numaniyah, Iraq, a training base in southeastern Iraq. The team’s mission is to stand up the 2nd Brigade of the 7th Iraqi Army Division and serve as advisory staff in the training of the 1st Battalion.
The MiTT concept is modeled after the combined arms platoons that were employed in Vietnam from 1967 to 1974. Using this model, Multi-National Security Transition Command-Iraq formed three specialized teams to embed with the New Iraqi Army brigade. The teams bring infantry, artillery, intelligence, logistics, and communications expertise as a foundation in building the brigade.
The wing’s team is led by Maj. Keith “Cheerio” Chirico, an AV-8B Harrier pilot. “I feel extremely fortunate to have been given the opportunity to serve as team leader with some of the finest Marines I have ever known,” he said. “They have indeed carried the lion’s share of the responsibility and deserve all the credit.”
Chirico said his Marines’ professionalism, confidence and capability to train Iraqis during this challenging mission are unmatched. “The day-in, day-out dedication required of the Marines to successfully carry-out this demanding endeavor, has exceeded my wildest expectations,” he said. “Their ability to mentor and integrate into this culturally diverse environment has had a significant impact on the battalion’s core skill progress.”
Assisting Chirico are Capt. Dan Colvin, aircraft maintenance officer; 1st Lt. Alden Hingle, intelligence officer; 1st Lt. Mike Berger, combat engineer officer; Gunnery Sgt. Karl Garrett, communications repairman; Staff Sgt. Joaquin Alvarado, artillery support coordinator; Sgt. George Carter, communications chief; Petty Officer 2nd Class Jarrett Garland, corpsman; Sgt. Jacob Laskowski, intelligence chief; Sgt. Charles Evanson, motor transportation mechanic; and Cpl. John Perkins, artillery support coordinator.
The team was assembled in late May and after a short combat arms and convoy operations refresher deployed here, where they serve alongside two other transition teams. One team is from Regimental Combat Team-2 and the other one is a Border Fort Transition Team, which is a composite team formed in Camp Lejeune, N.C., and specifically trained for the BTT mission.
The Marines of the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing (Fwd) hit the ground running. Immediately upon arriving on June 11 they began establishing force security policies and procedures while simultaneously developing a plan to overcome the lack of infrastructure available for the incoming Iraqi cadre.
The day after they arrived, the team received over 300 soldiers, noncommissioned officers and senior leadership, the first of over 1,000 new Iraqi Army recruits that would arrive over the coming days. Dividing the team’s assets into administrative and logistical cells, the Marines organized the brigade and prepared the recruits for what was to be a three-week course designed to provide refresher training to the noncommissioned officers, most of which had vast previous experience in the Iraqi Army during Saddam Hussein’s regime.
Within days, the number of new soldiers, noncommissioned officers, and officers had risen to over 1,200. While managing the newly formed army through the use of interpreters assigned to the brigade, the 2nd MAW (Fwd) and RCT-2 MiTTs began assembling the brigade staff sections, drafting a training plan and working out logistical challenges of supporting a forward deployed unit of that size. The team developed a training schedule based on the time available to train the unit and a few very clear objectives.
Following an intense three-week “train the trainer” course that was completed July 4, the wing’s MiTT began in-processing the first group of recent enlistees, who would comprise the majority of the 1st Battalion. A comprehensive training plan was developed to get the battalion trained in concert with the unit’s training objectives. The ‘crawl, walk, run’ approach was used due to the fact that many of the new soldiers, despite their years of experience, were lacking in most of the basic military skills. The 2nd MAW (Fwd) MiTT’s approach was built on three fundamental pillars: discipline, marksmanship, and basic infantry skills.
On July 8, the 1st Battalion began its eight-week training schedule, which started out with individual responsibilities and quickly worked up to platoon level operations.
“It is great feeling to have a direct impact on the outcome of the war,” said Evanson. “When this army goes out and begins to defend their nation’s freedom successfully it will be a great day for the Iraqi people and the American forces alike. It gives me a great sense of pride knowing that I’m helping build an army that will keep a nation free and send our brothers and sisters in arms home to their loved ones.”
The mission of the MiTT is extremely challenging. The conditions the team met when they arrived were well short of optimal. The situation on the ground required the Marines to take an active role in resolving key issues such as coordinating the repair of tents that were designated as billeting areas, ensuring ample food for the soldiers, setting up a communication network, and coordinating an acceptable logistics support capability.
The tents, erected over a year ago, were wind beaten, torn and filthy. Many of them were without air conditioning, causing the internal temperatures to be well over 100 degrees. Scorpions, spiders and snakes were present in many of the tents due to the poor state of cleanliness. The camp’s two generators were barely maintaining the load and broke down daily. Communications were difficult as well.
The food, prepared in a centralized kitchen and served in containers, was most often under- or overcooked, in insufficient quantity, and served in less than ideal conditions.
One of the biggest challenges was overcoming the language barrier amidst a myriad of tasks that needed to be accomplished. Identifying the responsible activities to get things fixed and then working through the cultural and language differences demanded patience and persistence. The most visible cultural difference encountered by the MiTT was that of time and sense of urgency. When so many concerns existed and so little time was available prior to the start of the training evolution, sense of urgency was paramount, however, in Iraqi culture time does not hold the same importance as it does in America.
Through the persistent efforts the Marines established a rapport with the Iraqi leadership cells across the base, and with the help of II Marine Expeditionary Force and the logistical support that was in place, they were able, slowly, to improve the conditions of “tent city.”
“These are the first steps to stabilizing a free nation so our brothers in arms can return to their loved ones,” said Laskowski. “There are still several challenges ahead in our missions but I’m confident we will have the battalion ready to fight beside Marines, earning their freedom by overcoming each obstacle or enemy they face.”
The Marines’ day starts at approximately 5 a.m. and ends somewhere around 11 p.m. Most mornings start with battalion physical training, which is conducted in boots and utilities. The Marines, despite the language gap, are usually found at the front of their units, leading the morning routine. After physical training the units march to morning chow, after which the day’s classes begin.
“What we’re doing here will have effects far in the future and it’s hard to see the fruits of our labor now,” said Carter. “We’re building an army that will secure a free and independent Iraq in a not so far future.”
continued.....
2nd Marine Aircraft Wing
Story by - 2nd MAW (Fwd) Military Transition Team
AN NUMANIYAH, Iraq (Aug. 12, 2005) -- On June 9, 2005, the forward deployed 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing sent an 11-man Military Transition Team (MiTT), to An Numaniyah, Iraq, a training base in southeastern Iraq. The team’s mission is to stand up the 2nd Brigade of the 7th Iraqi Army Division and serve as advisory staff in the training of the 1st Battalion.
The MiTT concept is modeled after the combined arms platoons that were employed in Vietnam from 1967 to 1974. Using this model, Multi-National Security Transition Command-Iraq formed three specialized teams to embed with the New Iraqi Army brigade. The teams bring infantry, artillery, intelligence, logistics, and communications expertise as a foundation in building the brigade.
The wing’s team is led by Maj. Keith “Cheerio” Chirico, an AV-8B Harrier pilot. “I feel extremely fortunate to have been given the opportunity to serve as team leader with some of the finest Marines I have ever known,” he said. “They have indeed carried the lion’s share of the responsibility and deserve all the credit.”
Chirico said his Marines’ professionalism, confidence and capability to train Iraqis during this challenging mission are unmatched. “The day-in, day-out dedication required of the Marines to successfully carry-out this demanding endeavor, has exceeded my wildest expectations,” he said. “Their ability to mentor and integrate into this culturally diverse environment has had a significant impact on the battalion’s core skill progress.”
Assisting Chirico are Capt. Dan Colvin, aircraft maintenance officer; 1st Lt. Alden Hingle, intelligence officer; 1st Lt. Mike Berger, combat engineer officer; Gunnery Sgt. Karl Garrett, communications repairman; Staff Sgt. Joaquin Alvarado, artillery support coordinator; Sgt. George Carter, communications chief; Petty Officer 2nd Class Jarrett Garland, corpsman; Sgt. Jacob Laskowski, intelligence chief; Sgt. Charles Evanson, motor transportation mechanic; and Cpl. John Perkins, artillery support coordinator.
The team was assembled in late May and after a short combat arms and convoy operations refresher deployed here, where they serve alongside two other transition teams. One team is from Regimental Combat Team-2 and the other one is a Border Fort Transition Team, which is a composite team formed in Camp Lejeune, N.C., and specifically trained for the BTT mission.
The Marines of the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing (Fwd) hit the ground running. Immediately upon arriving on June 11 they began establishing force security policies and procedures while simultaneously developing a plan to overcome the lack of infrastructure available for the incoming Iraqi cadre.
The day after they arrived, the team received over 300 soldiers, noncommissioned officers and senior leadership, the first of over 1,000 new Iraqi Army recruits that would arrive over the coming days. Dividing the team’s assets into administrative and logistical cells, the Marines organized the brigade and prepared the recruits for what was to be a three-week course designed to provide refresher training to the noncommissioned officers, most of which had vast previous experience in the Iraqi Army during Saddam Hussein’s regime.
Within days, the number of new soldiers, noncommissioned officers, and officers had risen to over 1,200. While managing the newly formed army through the use of interpreters assigned to the brigade, the 2nd MAW (Fwd) and RCT-2 MiTTs began assembling the brigade staff sections, drafting a training plan and working out logistical challenges of supporting a forward deployed unit of that size. The team developed a training schedule based on the time available to train the unit and a few very clear objectives.
Following an intense three-week “train the trainer” course that was completed July 4, the wing’s MiTT began in-processing the first group of recent enlistees, who would comprise the majority of the 1st Battalion. A comprehensive training plan was developed to get the battalion trained in concert with the unit’s training objectives. The ‘crawl, walk, run’ approach was used due to the fact that many of the new soldiers, despite their years of experience, were lacking in most of the basic military skills. The 2nd MAW (Fwd) MiTT’s approach was built on three fundamental pillars: discipline, marksmanship, and basic infantry skills.
On July 8, the 1st Battalion began its eight-week training schedule, which started out with individual responsibilities and quickly worked up to platoon level operations.
“It is great feeling to have a direct impact on the outcome of the war,” said Evanson. “When this army goes out and begins to defend their nation’s freedom successfully it will be a great day for the Iraqi people and the American forces alike. It gives me a great sense of pride knowing that I’m helping build an army that will keep a nation free and send our brothers and sisters in arms home to their loved ones.”
The mission of the MiTT is extremely challenging. The conditions the team met when they arrived were well short of optimal. The situation on the ground required the Marines to take an active role in resolving key issues such as coordinating the repair of tents that were designated as billeting areas, ensuring ample food for the soldiers, setting up a communication network, and coordinating an acceptable logistics support capability.
The tents, erected over a year ago, were wind beaten, torn and filthy. Many of them were without air conditioning, causing the internal temperatures to be well over 100 degrees. Scorpions, spiders and snakes were present in many of the tents due to the poor state of cleanliness. The camp’s two generators were barely maintaining the load and broke down daily. Communications were difficult as well.
The food, prepared in a centralized kitchen and served in containers, was most often under- or overcooked, in insufficient quantity, and served in less than ideal conditions.
One of the biggest challenges was overcoming the language barrier amidst a myriad of tasks that needed to be accomplished. Identifying the responsible activities to get things fixed and then working through the cultural and language differences demanded patience and persistence. The most visible cultural difference encountered by the MiTT was that of time and sense of urgency. When so many concerns existed and so little time was available prior to the start of the training evolution, sense of urgency was paramount, however, in Iraqi culture time does not hold the same importance as it does in America.
Through the persistent efforts the Marines established a rapport with the Iraqi leadership cells across the base, and with the help of II Marine Expeditionary Force and the logistical support that was in place, they were able, slowly, to improve the conditions of “tent city.”
“These are the first steps to stabilizing a free nation so our brothers in arms can return to their loved ones,” said Laskowski. “There are still several challenges ahead in our missions but I’m confident we will have the battalion ready to fight beside Marines, earning their freedom by overcoming each obstacle or enemy they face.”
The Marines’ day starts at approximately 5 a.m. and ends somewhere around 11 p.m. Most mornings start with battalion physical training, which is conducted in boots and utilities. The Marines, despite the language gap, are usually found at the front of their units, leading the morning routine. After physical training the units march to morning chow, after which the day’s classes begin.
“What we’re doing here will have effects far in the future and it’s hard to see the fruits of our labor now,” said Carter. “We’re building an army that will secure a free and independent Iraq in a not so far future.”
continued.....