650 new officers join Iraqi Army and Air Force

July 19, 2008 By CJ
Posted in Military News, Top Posts

This is a great story out of Iraq that I have to pass along. The pictures only serve to show the love and patriotism Iraqis feel for their country.

By U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class William Lovelady

Amid showers of candy and shouts from family and friends, more than 250 new lieutenants joined the Iraqi Army and Air Force after graduating from the Iraqi Military Academy Rustamiyah July, 14. The same day as the graduation at Rustamiyah, more than four hundred cadets graduated from the academies at Zhako, Nasiriyah and Qu’alachalon.

Family members put shoulder boards on a new Iraqi Army lieutenant after he graduated from the Iraqi Military Academy Rustamiyah. Photo by U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Andrew Davis

Speaking to the graduating class, Iraqi Minister of Defense Abd al-Qadir Muhammad said, “You are the future of Iraq. You are who the country will count on for reconstruction and leadership.

“From this place I’m asking you all to be united. All work as one team, for Iraq only. Remember that you all have the same enemy.” Qadir continued, “the biggest medal you can wear on your chest is the trust of the Iraqi people.”

U.S. Army Gen. David Petraeus, Multi-National Forces-Iraq commanding general, said, “You are about to join the Iraqi Army and Air Force that have distinguished themselves in recent months against the enemies of Iraq.

“I know you will live the values you learned here, and that you will provide the courageous leadership the military expects of you,” Petraeus said.

The newest Iraqi lieutenants rush to greet families and friends after the graduation ceremony. Photo by U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Andrew Davis

IMAR was originally founded by the British in 1924 and is modeled after the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. IMAR was closed in 2003 prior to the invasion. Since reopening in 2005, IMAR and the other three academies have graduated over 4,800 new officers for the Iraqi armed forces.

The IMAR Program of Instruction is based on three training terms over a one year period as well as a short six month course that is used for officer cadets who already possess a university degree. Air Force cadets do the first term with their Army counterparts and then focus on air force and language training prior to their graduation from IMAR. The year is broken up into three, 15 week training terms, Junior, Intermediate and Senior.

The Junior term focuses on basic military training such as drill, basic weapon handling drills and physical training to make the transition from civilian to officer cadet. The Intermediate term focuses on leadership principles, command positions and section / platoon attacks. The Senior term focuses on bringing all of the principles together which culminates in a final tactical training exercise which brings the officer cadets to final readiness for their first job in the Iraqi Army.

An Iraqi Army cadet platoon leader at the Iraqi Military Academy Rustamiyah. Photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class William Lovelady