By Sgt. Mary S. Katzenberger, 1st AAB, 3rd Inf. Div., USD-C

BAGHDAD—The assault on the enemy fighting positions during the live fire exercise began with the explosion of a simulated improvised explosive device.

Iraqi Army Soldiers with 3rd Company, Commando Battalion, 11th Iraqi Army Division quickly exited their humvees and checked for additional threats where they halted. Then, upon receiving “enemy fire,” the squad assembled into an assault formation and advanced toward the enemy under the command of Iraqi Army 2nd Lt. Muhammed Saadi.

“It’s interesting when we come to the range because we can see what they’ve learned when it comes to (their weapons qualifications) and tactical movement,” said Spc. Joel Watkins, an infantryman with 2nd platoon, Company B, 3rd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, 1st Advise and Assist Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, United States Division – Center, and a Moline, Ill. native. “We can see how well they do (and) from there we can … correct them and guide them in the right direction.”

Watkins is one of several Soldiers who has helped teach commando training courses to the IA at Joint Security Station Old MoD and the Muthanna Range in Baghdad.

For the past six months, 2nd platoon Soldiers have been teaching 11th IA Div. commandos Soldier skills and tasks in order to help them reach a higher level of military proficiency. Each course has begun with instruction on the basics, including putting equipment together, performing weapons maintenance, zeroing and qualifying weapons, progressing to individual and squad movement techniques and later to the conduct of dismounted and mounted battle drills.

In addition, the IA Soldiers were provided additional training on how to effectively enter and clear rooms as well as how to search detainees and vehicles. A live-fire exercise that incorporated Soldier tasks of reacting to contact while mounted, reacting to an IED, and reacting to contact while dismounted topped off each training cycle.

Sgt. 1st Class Christopher Williams, a platoon sergeant with Company B and the noncommissioned officer-in-charge of the training, said the live-fire exercise on the last day of each training cycle was important to the IA—and his Soldiers—for two reasons:

“One, it shows that (the IA) are learning and they’re actually listening and taking (the) training to heart,” Williams said. “And two, with … (the U.S. Army) leaving and the breakaway that we’re going to eventually get to, it shows that (the IA) have the capabilities they need.”

Williams, an Albany, Ga. native, said throughout the training cycle, the IA always strove for excellence and enjoyed being provided the opportunities to sharpen skills they had previously learned. He said he credits the IA Soldiers’ dedication to their duty, as well as the hard work of his Soldiers—who overcame the language barrier to provide quality training—for the successes the IA experienced during the commando training courses.

“They (had) fun teaching (the IA),” Williams said of his Soldiers. “To actually give back and pass on that knowledge to someone a little different … they (loved) it.”

Spc. Daniel Brooks, a China Grove, N.C. native, said his favorite part of the training was teaching the IA basic weapons tasks, such as breaking down the weapons and performing function checks.

“It makes me feel better, because we’re leaving something behind so they can use it and they can probably learn to adapt (the training) and change (the exercise) to work out better for them,” Brooks said.

At the completion of the live-fire exercise—the “enemy threat” neutralized—the IA Soldiers rested and talked about their experiences during commando training.

Iraqi Army Pfc. Akram Kasem, serving in his third year with the IA, said the most important part of the training was the emphasis the Company B Soldiers placed on the fundamentals of marksmanship.

“The exciting thing and the important thing in this training is when they (taught) me how to aim and shoot (and) to take my time,” Kasem said. “I thank all the Soldiers for the time here with them—we appreciate what (they) are doing.”

IA Pfc. Ahmed Hatim, a four-year veteran, agreed with Kasem and said the training was both helpful and exciting because it helped him perfect basic Soldier skills he had learned previously.

“I learned (more about) entering houses, holding detainees and checking (vehicles) at checkpoints,” he said. “We had a lot of fun, and (we) liked (the training) a lot.”

Hatim added that the training also brought the IA Soldiers and the American Soldiers closer together as a team.

“Since a long time ago we treat each other like brothers,” Hatim said. “If one of my friends falls, I help him get up … (and) if the gunner is tired or sick I take his position—we are brothers.”