It Takes An Army

June 22, 2008 By CJ
Posted in Military News

Iraq’s military is progressing by leaps and bounds. With the surge producing the best possible environment for the government to plant their feet in the sand and put their shoulder to the wheel of progress, a lot is being done to ensure that the nation can defend itself. We all know that a military needs more than just combat troops. There is a saying, at least in the Army, that it takes ten support Soldiers for one combat arms Soldier to be effective. That Soldier has to be armed, fed, rested, paid, etc. The Iraqi military is quickly accomplishing that piece on its own.

Almost 200 students graduated from an advanced intelligence course at the Iraqi Military Intelligence Academy in Taji, June 18. Each had completed the four-week Basic Military Intelligence Course and a five-week specialty course. Eight of the students were the first to graduate from the new geospatial and mapping course. Having the Iraqi’s gather their own intelligence is much more efficient and effective than we could ever provide. Most of our intelligence collection comes from technical means. Sure, we have some human interaction (a lot actually), but it’s impossible for an American to melt into the environment and “one of them.” Iraqis are more capable of blending in which will lead to more accurate and timely intelligence that will passed on to the warfighter.

The Iraqi Military Intelligence Academy has trained almost 3,000 personnel since it was founded in August 2005. By 2010, the academy expects to have 3,000 graduates per year and to expand the faculty from 24 to 135.

Having been in some very tight combat situations, I know the value of air support. I vividly recall being practically surrounded when the unmistakable sound of an A-10 cannons roared through the sky and shook the ground, clearing the way for our unit to gain the advantage. Similarly, it’s important that the Iraqis regain control of the skies so they can defend against enemies both within and bordering their country. The Iraqi Air Force is making great strides as it continues to train and begins supporting Iraqi Army and Police forces.

The Iraqi Air Force provides intelligence that ground forces can act upon. The air force has 11 surveillance aircraft, with five more coming this year. The aircraft are capable of flying photo reconnaissance missions and video surveillance, day and night. The video can be transmitted live, and the Iraqis have used it against specific targets as well as for battle space surveillance in Sadr City and Mosul.

The aircraft also provide support to the Oil and Electricity ministries, using the surveillance capability to monitor power lines and oil pipelines.

Without logistics, a military cannot sustain itself in combat, training, or garrison activities. Logistics keep a military supplied and moving. During the next few months, the Iraqi Army will merge its two main spare parts depots for military equipment into a new facility at the Taji National Depot. The new Class IX warehouse building is up and the shelves are scheduled to be installed July 7, but already most of the parts purchased through the Foreign Military Sales program have been moved from their old warehouse. Several hundred shipping containers of materiel purchased with Iraqi Security Forces Funds are scheduled to be moved soon from the Taji Central Warehouse. Logistics is an area that Iraq is having the hardest trouble with, but they are quickly streamlining their processes to better take over that mission and become more self-sustaining.

The path to a successful military is through the stomach! A Soldier’s gotta eat. But, feeding an army takes more than food -Soldiers from the Iraqi Army are learning from their Coalition advisors at the Iraqi Army Support Services Institute what it takes to run a military dining facility and keep the troops fed. The three-week cooking course consists of two weeks of classroom instruction and one week working in the dining facility where students prepare and cook food for the 550 students and Iraqi cadre at IASSI.

These are just some of the successes being found throughout Iraq that the media is neglecting to inform you on.