The training has been taking place at Al Assad air base, which hosts
much of the U.S. military's aircraft fleet. The commando battalion of the
Iraq Army's 7th Division has been receiving instruction on two CH-53E Super
Stallion transport helicopters for counter-insurgency missions.
"Some of the [Iraqi] soldiers have done this many times, but this is the
first time as a group," Wise said. "We have them go through the training
step by step so we can get them all on the same level."
The Iraqi commando force has been deemed the best trained unit in the
army. During an exercise in June 2009, the commandos were flown to a mock
target, exited the helicopters upon touchdown and established perimeter
security.
"It was our first time as a company in the helicopter," Iraqi Army Sgt.
Qahtan Hamza said. "It was very interesting."
Officials said the helicopter exercise marked the last stage in a
month-long training course for the commando battalion. In an earlier stage,
the commandos were sent on a counter-insurgency exercise in the western
Iraqi province of Anbar, once regarded as the leading Al Qaida stronghold in
the country.
U.S. military trainers have sought to standardize training and bring
Iraqi soldiers to a uniform level of combat proficiency. The trainers said
additional courses were planned for 2009.
"I think they've come a long way from where we started off," Wise said.
