WASHINGTON — The U.S. Army plans to significantly revise training procedures
for soldiers deployed in Iraq.
Officials said soldiers prepared for duty in Afghanistan, Iraq and other
high-threat areas would be provided with advanced training, Middle East Newsline reported. They said the
training would focus on counter-insurgency tactics, force protection and
urban warfare.
"We are enhancing the individual soldiers' skills-ensuring they are
better trained and more prepared for today's warfare," Command Sgt Maj.
Lonny Wright, of the Infantry Branch Command, said. "Each soldier will go
through a live-fire convoy exercise and train on more weapons systems."
Army officials have been briefing units in Iraq on plans to enhance
training. They said the army would provide units with more experienced and
more specialized leaders. They would include better-trained drill sergeants
to facilitate and enhance soldier training.
"Everything they do here," said U.S. Army Sgt 1st Class David Eason,
Coalition advisor for the basic training course located northeast of
Baghdad, "is just like everything in the U.S. Army's basic training."
At the same time, the army plans to provide units with squad-designated
marksmen. The marksmen would undergo an extra two weeks of training before
assignment to their unit.
In a briefing in Iraq, Wright said the army has been developing mobile
training facilities. The facilities would enable soldiers to train during
the day, while returning home to their families at night. Another plan was
for the army to distribute training courses on compact discs.
"We do not want to create a large number of new programs that we will
never complete," Wright said. "We would rather bring the training that is
already available down to you -- bring it closer."
Officers in Iraq said the army plan would drive training requirements to
meet the threat environment in Iraq. They said theater-specific and
individual
readiness training have been inadequate.
"This concept of constant change and updates will bring a whole new
relevance to the training," Command Sergeant Maj. Todd Hibbs of the 1st
Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, said. "The fact is [these changes] are
being driven by what is happening in the field."
