Shaffer
03-19-07, 08:15 AM
It may be the infantryman who wins battles, but without supporting units behind him, he cannot continue the fight to win the war.
The 1st Motor Transportation Regiment, 1st Iraqi Army Division provides transportation support for the division as well as many other logistical capabilities to support the Iraqi soldiers on the ground.
The regiment consists of six companies and a headquarters platoon and has numerous capabilities, which include transport of materials, convoy security, maintenance, and recovery, according to U.S. Army Lt. Col. Henry Johnson, the 1st MTR military transition team commanding officer.
Though the team originally provided training, the Iraqis have gained enough proficiency for the U.S. soldiers to step back into an advisory role.
“The Iraqis are motivated to learn and are generally good workers,” said U.S. Army 1st Lt. Harry Horton, the team’s communications advisor.
U.S. Army Capt. Jerome Snyder said what makes training the Iraqis difficult is the old mindset that was in place during Saddam Hussein’s regime.
“The hardest thing to teach the Iraqis is to take charge of themselves,” Snyder explained. “They were so used to being told exactly what to do and not to delegate authority.”
The company Snyder advises provides security for the MTR’s missions and convoys.
The security company can provide security support for up to seven convoys simultaneously, an asset the regiment depends on in Al Anbar province, Snyder said.
The primary workhorses of the regiment are the transportation company. Consisting of four truck platoons, they are the “bread and butter” of the regiment.
The regiment has performed numerous convoys to many places in Iraq from Taji, where the main supply depot for the Iraqi army is located, to as far as the Saudi Arabian border.
With trucks traveling all over the nation, maintenance is essential to keep up with the pace of operations. That is where Support Company steps in.
“We have trained the Iraqis on all aspects of the humvee and 5-ton truck,” said U.S. Army Capt. Harold Young III, the maintenance advisor for the 1st MTR military transition team. “They can change a transmission; drop a motor – most any routine maintenance.”
Young explained that having skillful Iraqis in Support Co. is pivotal to the unit’s success.
“It’s important because they don’t need American or coalition contractors to work on their equipment,” Young said. “We can pull back and let them maintain the equipment they have. It turns the fight over to them.”
This type of logistical capability is something the Iraqi Army Division is still getting warmed up to. The Iraqis took control of the MTR in November of last year, and according to Johnson, they are still learning their role in the new army.
“The division still hasn’t figured out exactly how to use us yet,” Johnson said. “When they do use the regiment to their full ability it will eliminate the need for the use of outside contactors.”
The 1st Motor Transportation Regiment is the key to logistical and possibly overall self-sufficiency in Iraq, said U.S. Army Capt. Anthony Pojawis, the regiment’s logistics advisor.
“Once they are completely trained and understand their mission, all the American service members can go home,” Pojawis said.
The 1st Motor Transportation Regiment, 1st Iraqi Army Division provides transportation support for the division as well as many other logistical capabilities to support the Iraqi soldiers on the ground.
The regiment consists of six companies and a headquarters platoon and has numerous capabilities, which include transport of materials, convoy security, maintenance, and recovery, according to U.S. Army Lt. Col. Henry Johnson, the 1st MTR military transition team commanding officer.
Though the team originally provided training, the Iraqis have gained enough proficiency for the U.S. soldiers to step back into an advisory role.
“The Iraqis are motivated to learn and are generally good workers,” said U.S. Army 1st Lt. Harry Horton, the team’s communications advisor.
U.S. Army Capt. Jerome Snyder said what makes training the Iraqis difficult is the old mindset that was in place during Saddam Hussein’s regime.
“The hardest thing to teach the Iraqis is to take charge of themselves,” Snyder explained. “They were so used to being told exactly what to do and not to delegate authority.”
The company Snyder advises provides security for the MTR’s missions and convoys.
The security company can provide security support for up to seven convoys simultaneously, an asset the regiment depends on in Al Anbar province, Snyder said.
The primary workhorses of the regiment are the transportation company. Consisting of four truck platoons, they are the “bread and butter” of the regiment.
The regiment has performed numerous convoys to many places in Iraq from Taji, where the main supply depot for the Iraqi army is located, to as far as the Saudi Arabian border.
With trucks traveling all over the nation, maintenance is essential to keep up with the pace of operations. That is where Support Company steps in.
“We have trained the Iraqis on all aspects of the humvee and 5-ton truck,” said U.S. Army Capt. Harold Young III, the maintenance advisor for the 1st MTR military transition team. “They can change a transmission; drop a motor – most any routine maintenance.”
Young explained that having skillful Iraqis in Support Co. is pivotal to the unit’s success.
“It’s important because they don’t need American or coalition contractors to work on their equipment,” Young said. “We can pull back and let them maintain the equipment they have. It turns the fight over to them.”
This type of logistical capability is something the Iraqi Army Division is still getting warmed up to. The Iraqis took control of the MTR in November of last year, and according to Johnson, they are still learning their role in the new army.
“The division still hasn’t figured out exactly how to use us yet,” Johnson said. “When they do use the regiment to their full ability it will eliminate the need for the use of outside contactors.”
The 1st Motor Transportation Regiment is the key to logistical and possibly overall self-sufficiency in Iraq, said U.S. Army Capt. Anthony Pojawis, the regiment’s logistics advisor.
“Once they are completely trained and understand their mission, all the American service members can go home,” Pojawis said.