Comments for Transitioning for the Long Haul... with little help from the MSM.

Transitioning for the Long Haul... with little help from the MSM.

2006-08-30T12:12:33Z

Oh, I know, they aren't supposed to help, though hindering...

Having heard from an old colleague, BG Dana Pittard (we were Captains and Majors together) yesterday in the NYT, why not again here - from the American Forces Press Service? Interestingly... *this* was probably the press conference that resulted in this article... at the NYT (reg req, go see bugmenot.com). Heh. Compare and contrast what bias (for or against) does for what you read. And ask yourself - who actually did a better job of reporting? There will be an essay test tomorrow. Or you could just hash it out in the comments today.

Tuesday, 29 August 2006 Transitioning for the long-haul By Jim Garamone American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON � Coalition training teams with Iraqi military units, police battalions and border guard units are making a tremendous difference in the performance and professionalism of the Iraqi security forces, said the commander of the Iraq Assistance Group on Monday.
Army Brig. Gen. Dana Pittard told the Pentagon press corps in a video teleconference from Iraq that Iraqi forces are well-equipped, but require help in sustainment.

Pittard confirmed that 100 members of an Iraqi battalion had refused to redeploy to Baghdad . The soldiers were part of the 10th Iraqi Army Division, in southern Iraq �s Maysan province.

Soldiers from 2nd Brigade, 5th Iraqi Army Division participate in a training course to improve close quarter�s marksmanship skills Aug. 16 at FOB Gabe near Baqubah. Department of Defense photo by Army Pfc. Paul J. Harris

�There were some soldiers � that said that they would not deploy as a part of the operation,� Pittard said. �A decision is going to be made whether or not that battalion will actually deploy.�

This is part of the growing pains of the Iraqi security forces, he said. The Iraqi Army now is a regionally recruited force.

�The majority of this particular unit was Shia, and � the leadership of that unit and their soldiers felt like they were needed down there in Maysan in that province,� he said.

The Iraqi government will work on how to deal with the situation, and the Coalition transition teams will support that, the general explained.

Hundreds of Coalition transition teams are operating throughout Iraq . The 11-man units are embedded with their Iraqi units from the battalion through division levels. Advisers also serve with the local Police, the National Police and the border guards. The Coalition Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines comprising these training units work with their Iraqi counterparts to plan and execute operations.

Their efforts extend beyond the kinetic.

From the readiness side, Coalition logistics personnel train up their Iraqi peers on processes and procedures, while maintenance experts work with the Iraqis to ensure their units� vehicles remain combat-ready.

For now, logistics remains a sore point for the Iraqi forces.

�We are focusing on just basic sustainment: sustainment of fuel, sustainment of ammunition, their medical supplies and their maintenance,� Pittard said. �Those are the key areas that we're focusing on with the Iraqi security forces.�

The general said he sees a long-term job for coalition training teams with the Iraqi forces.

�Our major mission is to help develop and support the Iraqi security forces, and of course to advise them � U.S. forces will be here as long as the Iraqi government wants us here,� he said.

�But I'll tell you � after the majority of U.S. forces leave, we'll still see some level of advisory teams that'll still be here. In fact, I feel like we'll be the last men standing at the end of the U.S. presence here.�

Comment from ry on 2006-09-02

2006-09-02T14:55:59Z

Is it even possible now days to do a (public) critique of such a book? Crimmeny. The issue is so over politicized that anything is taken by one side of partisans or the other as a club to beat the other over the head. It's devolved so much that one really can't dare to do so---in public---without giving someone seeming solid footing for their politically motivated diatribe. THe current admin had some hand in that, no doubt, but that doesn't mean we all had to follow(but enough of us did that it surely and truly sucks). And I hope the loonies stay far enough away from the comments that this doesn't show up somewhere else. You ain't a loonie Owen. You're just annoying(j/k). ;)(slides mug on over)

Comment from John of Argghhh! on 2006-08-31

2006-08-31T20:41:28Z

Read both his books. Liked 'em both. Of course, agreed with much of what they disliked about Cobra II, so probably didn't give it as critical a read as I should have, either.

Comment from OD on 2006-08-31

2006-08-31T20:39:00Z

Michael Gordon, who wrote the NYT article, is the author of Cobra II with Gen Bernard Trainor, their history of the 2003 invasion. Their history of the 1991 war was on the Gen Staff professional reading list, and it had a review on the back by Dick Cheney saying he recommended it to all his friends. Don't think Dick was so thrilled by the later volume though. I thought the NYT article was the better of the two. Gordon is repeating stuff he put out in a big story a few days ago, but it's good information. I was struck to read in his other piece that there are no penalties for AWOL in the Iraqi Army. Those helmets have an eastern European look to me. Definitely not the old Iraqi style.

Comment from Heartless Libertarian on 2006-08-30

2006-08-31T04:21:38Z

BG Pittard...wow. As recently as 2002 he was LTC Pittard, commanding 1-14 Cav (Stryker RSTA) in the lead Stryker brigade. Pretty sure he didn't take them to Iraq the first time, though. And, looking at some interesting items in the pic: -first time I've seen Iraqi Army troops in non-US PASGT pattern helmets. Although I can't say where they're from, they're not US. -also first time I've seen Iraqi troops with synthetic stocked (and thus quite obviously new) AK rifles. I'd say they're Bulgarian, since AKAIK, Bulgaria is the only folks still making milled receiver AKs (note the lightening cuts above the mag well.)

Comment from ry on 2006-08-30

2006-08-30T23:15:25Z

On the pay system of the Iraqis: The system we have stems from trust. Whether it be paper in our hands, numbers printed on a piece of paper in the mail, or 'lectrons on a screen we trust that the money really exists and is fungible. That's why we can do the things we do with payment and the like. Direct pay to your checking/savings works because we believe the money to be real. But can the same be said for the Iraqis? Who wrote the piece over at MilBlogs about them not getting logistical problems and the way money works? You think the avg Iraqi is ready, based on the level of trust he has in financial institutions, for our system of payment for mil personell? Heart's in the right place, but wrong time to implement this is my two cents. The very definition of the Castle. Yeah, but you've a set of rather Spartan minded pets. And it still sounds rather chaotic at the Castle. (okay, so it's a Corinthian helmet and not Spartan. So shoot, er, so bill me. Not sure what kinda day you had.)

Comment from Trias on 2006-08-30

2006-08-30T22:48:15Z

Sounds like the Iraqi army is too combat heavy which sounds like it fits. The money is a good point soldiers who redeploy don't need to worry about their family starving back home. It kinda saps morale. They may need to have army pay centres to help it out.

Comment from John of Argghhh! on 2006-08-30

2006-08-30T18:34:19Z

Cats and dogs living together. The very definition of the Castle.

Comment from ry on 2006-08-30

2006-08-30T17:15:40Z

(fixes ballcap after weathering the scream from the Good Major. Damns the ringing in ears) But, it's dry and boring writing, John. Where's the hook to get us emotionally involved in the story? Where's the spoon feeding the audience of what to take away from the story? Tsk. You just don't understand journalism. None of this dry 'just the facts, maam' stuff. Why sheeple could draw their ownconclusions from their own analysis then John. That's not the way advocacy journalism works. That would lead to anarchy. Cats and dogs living together. Mass hysteria. Can't have that now can we?

Comment from MajMike on 2006-08-30

2006-08-30T13:15:50Z

...a situation exacerbated by a generalized lack of a modern banking system. think of how much our own deployability is enhanced by requiring Direct Deposit of military paychecks. with ATMs and check cashing services, we can send soldiers almost anywhere for long periods. Iraqi units are hampered by their soldiers' need to physically get currency in hand and transport it back to their families. as you said yesterday (in a different yet similar context): FIX THE FARKING PAY SYSTEM!