The Iraqi Defense Ministry began training soldiers
for the so-called Replenishment Initiative in October 2006 in order to enhance combat capability, a U.S. Defense
Department report stated on March 14.
"The MoD is planning on replacing and expanding the overall force
structure with a 30,000-person Replenishment Initiative, organized and
implemented by the Iraqi JHQ [Joint Headquarters]," the report said.
Officials said the initiative would add 10,000 soldiers every two months
for six months. They said this would result in all combat units manned at
110 percent.
The Iraq Army has about 136,400 soldiers, with a 65 percent manning
rate. Officials said the Defense Ministry's leave policy enables 25 percent
of soldiers to be away from their units at any time.
At this point, officials said, 44 percent of the 30,000-soldier army
expansion has been completed. Currently, the Iraqi military has an
authorized strength of 175,000, based on nine army infantry divisions and a
mechanized infantry division. The expansion plan would organize two
additional infantry divisions.
About 90 percent of the planned Headquarters and Service Companies have
been formed and reached some level of operational capability. Still,
officials said, the U.S. military would continue to mentor Iraqi troops.
"New recruits attend a 13-week program of basic instruction," the report
said. "Upon graduation, soldiers receive additional training specific to
their military occupation. Depending on their military skill, the length of
training ranges from three to seven weeks."
The Pentagon report said Iraqi units still experience equipment
shortages amid insufficient accountability. At the same time, the coalition
was sending up-armored HMMWVs, wheeled armored personnel carriers, heavy
machine guns, and fuel trucks and transfer maintenance capabilities to the
Iraq Army.
Officials said the Defense Ministry has agreed to fund the National
Maintenance Contract from spring 2007 through March 2008. They said the
value of the maintenance support contracts assumed by the ministry would
reach $160 million.
"The MoD will fund a contract through a Foreign Military Sales
sustainment case planned to start on April 1, 2007," the report said. "This
contract will be monitored by a joint Iraqi/Coalition forces board that will
determine when the transition requirements have been met.
