Written by Sgt. Shawn Miller, 109th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment, U.S. Division-North
Friday, March 11, 2011KIRKUSH MILITARY TRAINING BASE, Iraq – Spare parts lying around a line of Iraqi Army humvees, truck operators and mechanics from 4th Battalion, 21st Brigade, 5th IA Division systematically worked to get their vehicles mission ready.
Iraqi Army mechanics lay out parts while repairing a broken humvee door during a 25-day training rotation at Kirkush Military Training Base, Iraq, known as Tadreeb al Shamil, Arabic for All Inclusive Training, March 10, 2011. U.S. advisors of Task Force 225, 2nd Advise and Assist Brigade, 25th Infantry Division provide the training classes of Tadreeb al Shamil, an Iraqi military training initiative, as part of ongoing efforts to bring the Iraqi Army to fully independent operations prior to the end of Operation New Dawn. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Shawn Miller)
As the IA continues to develop its forces during Operation New Dawn, U.S. advisors assigned to Task Force 225, Brigade Support Battalion, 2nd Advise and Assist Brigade, 25th Infantry Division focus the 25-day training cycles at Kirkush Military Training Base on getting Iraqi mechanics ready to assume independent operations.
U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Roger Peterson, the BSB noncommissioned officer in charge of the maintenance training, said beyond the basic preventive maintenance checks and services procedures, the goal of the course is to get the Iraqis comfortable conducting in-depth operations by the book.
“We’re trying to show them not just PMCS, but taking them to the next level so they’re able to quickly identify the fault, fix the fault and get the truck back on the road in order to go on with their mission,” said Peterson, a native of Nebraska City, Neb.
Throughout the month-long training rotation at KMTB, known as Tadreeb al Shamil, the Iraqi mechanics learn through classroom training and hands-on practical exercises how to keep their army running smoothly. Tadreeb al Shamil, Arabic for All Inclusive Training, is an Iraqi military training initiative providing individual and collective training for Iraqi Army units to create a modern, self-sustaining Iraqi Army.
American instructors teach the course employing a train-the-trainer concept, Peterson explained. U.S. Soldiers provide the guidance necessary to complete the task, and in turn give the responsibility of teaching the class to the students.
Kalid Mahde Mosser, a jundi awaal, similar to an U.S. Army private, said that although the IA started using humvees a few years ago, the Iraqi Army never used technical manuals or systemized parts ordering for maintenance operations.
“I’ve dealt with these humvees for three or four years, but I need to learn more details about these trucks in order to complete our missions,” said Kalid, a mechanic with 4th Bn., 21st Bde. “Working with the manuals (U.S. forces) gave us makes the training very easy to go into detail and do it step by step.”
After teaching the Iraqi jinood, Arabic for soldiers, how to use the new guidebooks, Peterson required the Iraqi mechanics to go through a practical test.
Peterson and BSB Soldiers disconnected random wires and unhooked parts as a test to see if the students retained their newly learned troubleshooting procedures.
Technical manuals in hand, the students poured over every angle of the trucks looking for the fault.
Peterson said the Iraqi jinood learned to conduct vehicle maintenance using the methodical order prescribed step-by-step in the technical manual.
“We take them through the process of identifying the fault so that they are not just replacing parts that aren’t the actual issue,” he added, noting the mechanics will save the Iraqi Army time and money by doing so.
Rather than ordering parts from local merchants and paying on their own as they used to, the mechanics now utilize a database parts ordering system through supply units within the division.
Spc. Brooke Lohuis, a mechanic assigned to BSB, said Iraqi and U.S. leadership are collaborating on streamlining the parts ordering system to make it more efficient for units in the field.
Originally from Alliance, Ohio, and serving her second deployment to Iraq, Lohuis tutors her Iraqi counterparts to take over her job once the U.S. withdraws from Iraq.
Lohuis said the 5th IA Div. mechanics work through language and cultural barriers with the BSB mentors and quickly pick up the skills necessary to act autonomously.
“This isn’t their first time working on the trucks,” she said. “We’re focusing more on trying to get their system on how they order parts, how they fix parts, how they get their tools and teaching them easier ways we know on how to fix the problems they have.”
After learning mechanic fundamentals as a civilian, Kalid said the more in-depth maintenance course at KMTB now completes his skill set.
“I’m ready to deal with anything with these trucks now,” he stated.
Stumble It!
