Iraqi Soldiers Roll in Their Own Humvees

[Bronx33]

Jr is took his first baby step..


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060410/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_rolling_on

RAMADI, Iraq - The troops didn't go far, the mission didn't last long and the neighborhood wasn't the most dangerous in town. But when Iraqi army troops moved out on a recent patrol in central Ramadi, they took a crucial step forward, rolling out in their own armored Humvees for the first time.
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Until now, this unit has mostly patrolled their small, relatively quiet slice of downtown on foot, leaving the worst parts of the turbulent city center to better-equipped U.S. troops.

American commanders want Iraqi units to operate independently in the more dangerous downtown areas of Ramadi, about 75 miles west of Baghdad. But they lack equipment — especially proper transport. Though they have their own trucks, they rely heavily on U.S. forces to move around.

In recent weeks, that's begun to change.

The Iraqi Defense Ministry has begun distributing armored Humvees to Iraqi units that look nearly identical to their tan-colored U.S. counterparts. The Iraqi vehicles are equipped with bulletproof glass and radios, painted outside with the Iraqi flag and chocolate chip camouflage markings.

"This is a huge step," said Marine 2nd Lt. Ryan Hub, who accompanied Iraqi troops on a foot patrol Friday while the Humvees provided back-up.

Tracing a finger along a satellite map of central Ramadi, Hub circled a roughly one-square-mile area near the Marine base which the Iraqis patrol. He then pointed to other Marine-controlled zones he hoped Iraqis troops would soon patrol in Humvees.

"It means we can extend their battle space," said the 25-year-old from Sumter, S.C.

On Tuesday, the Humvees proved useful as Iraqi forces evacuated a soldier shot in the leg, said Lt. Col. Steve Neary, who commands the Marine's 3rd Battalion, 8th Regiment. Previously, such tasks would have been carried out by the U.S. military.

On Friday, an Iraqi 2nd lieutenant named Ahmed was in the first Humvee of a four-vehicle convoy leaving a U.S. Marine base. Marine commanders asked that his full name not be used for fear he could be targeted by insurgents.

Taking a drag off a cigarette a few blocks on, Ahmed was startled to see two of his own vehicles — they had taken a wrong turn — coming in the opposite direction. "Follow me!" he yelled into the radio. "Follow me!"

Soon, all four Humvees were circling the block in unison, passing rusted-out cars, blown-out apartment blocks and children raising their fists in the air to show support.

Unlike other joint missions, only the Iraqis were radioing their minute-by-minute progress back to base.

Ahmed's role was to provide back-up support for the foot patrol, which swept the apartment complex with several Marines in tow. Ahmed said if need be, his Humvees could evacuate casualties, or open fire with heavy machine guns.

Such support has traditionally been the job of the U.S. military. Marines weren't taking chances Friday, though, and had a separate supporting patrol that halted traffic so the Iraqi convoy could move unhindered.

The Iraqis didn't go far. The base's barbed-wire-topped wall was often visible as the Humvees repeatedly circled past it. Following the Marines' advice, the Iraqi gunners kept their heads down in their turrets to avoid snipers. Less than two hours later, Ahmed was back on base.

"It's baby steps," said Marine Capt. Carlos Barela, commander of Lima Company. "They're nervous, but that's good. If they weren't, they'd be careless."

It was a quiet first trip out, though it might not have been. Insurgents, apparently, had been watching. A Marine in a watchtower spotted a man planting a roadside bomb one street over from where the Iraqi Humvees had been circling.

Ahmed praised the newly arrived vehicles, but expressed a deep concern for lack of other equipment. Although his men had uniforms, kneepads, and aging Kalashnikov rifles, they have no mortars, sniper rifles or rocket-propelled grenade launchers.

Capt. Jabar, an Iraqi commander who directed Ahmed's movements from base, agreed.

"The insurgents are better armed than us," Jabar said. "The Humvees will help. And we can still fight them, but we depend on the Americans for everything" — medics, logistics, firepower, air support.

Jabar said his 90-man company had only two sets of night-vision goggles. Another Iraqi commander, who made similar complaints about equipment at an army recruiting drive in Ramadi last week, said his unit had to share armored vests to go on patrols.

Barela said American commanders were aware of the complaints — and Iraqi soldiers' concerns over pay — but ultimately, those were issues for the Iraqi Defense Ministry to overcome.

"We could solve all their problems for them, but if we do it all, that's going to make them dependent," said Barela, 35, of Albuquerque, N.M. "We're standing up a military from scratch. There's going to be growing pains."

A lot more training will be needed before Iraqi forces can stand on their own. In central Ramadi, for example, only Marines are going out on night patrols.

The U.S. command in Baghdad says the Iraqi army numbers about 111,000 troops, and is expected to reach full strength of 130,000 next year.

But they are struggling to retain those who've already joined up. Some quit because of the hazards of duty, others because of low pay.

Iraqi troops deployed here get one week of vacation after every three-week stint. "Every month, two, three, five members of each company don't come back," Jabar said. "At this rate, our companies will be reduced to single platoons."

[Spider]

good , at least something is getting done , the sooner these guys can stand up , the sooner we can our troops the hell out of there ...........

[heydensmom]

good , at least something is getting done , the sooner these guys can stand up , the sooner we can our troops the hell out of there ...........
Couldn't put it better myself!

[ant1999e]

Hey spider, mabye the Iraqi troops could hand out soccer balls next.:~ohyah!:

[Spider]

Hey spider, mabye the Iraqi troops could hand out soccer balls next.:~ohyah!:
and break with Tradition ? ............ Never ..... but yeah I was tempted to add soccer balls ;D but this is very good step in the right direction ........

[Atlas]

Hey spider, mabye the Iraqi troops could hand out soccer balls next.:~ohyah!:

You joke about that but soccer is huge there, handing out soccer balls is great PR.

We handed out soccer balls in Babylon and Hilla and the next time we rolled through there a couple of kids warned us about two IEDs that were planted in the side of the road.

[Atlas]

-

Barela said American commanders were aware of the complaints — and Iraqi soldiers' concerns over pay — but ultimately, those were issues for the Iraqi Defense Ministry to overcome.

"We could solve all their problems for them, but if we do it all, that's going to make them dependent," said Barela, 35, of Albuquerque, N.M. "We're standing up a military from scratch. There's going to be growing pains."



I found this quote kind of strange.

Let's see we could solve all of there problems BUT instead were just going to let them keep getting killed and were just going to keep spending Billions upon billions in that country??

Damn Barela I say we solve all their problems for them and go home!!

[Spider]

You joke about that but soccer is huge there, handing out soccer balls is great PR.

We handed out soccer balls in Babylon and Hilla and the next time we rolled through there a couple of kids warned us about two IEDs that were planted in the side of the road.
ummmmm I was the one getting carried away with that, posting the soccerball story , that is my bad and I meant no disrespect ...... ant1999e is innocent on this one .......

[Bronx33]

You joke about that but soccer is huge there, handing out soccer balls is great PR.

We handed out soccer balls in Babylon and Hilla and the next time we rolled through there a couple of kids warned us about two IEDs that were planted in the side of the road.

I agree my cousin did two tours with 1/7/alpha he said it helped greatly with public relations.

[ant1999e]

You joke about that but soccer is huge there, handing out soccer balls is great PR.

We handed out soccer balls in Babylon and Hilla and the next time we rolled through there a couple of kids warned us about two IEDs that were planted in the side of the road.
I agree with you. It is an inside joke.

[ant1999e]

ummmmm I was the one getting carried away with that, posting the soccerball story , that is my bad and I meant no disrespect ...... ant1999e is innocent on this one .......
It's all good spider. We're both from wyo. I don't know many people outside it who have even met a person from wyo. except me. We gotta stick together.

[Spider]

It's all good spider. We're both from wyo. I don't know many people outside it who have even met a person from wyo. except me. We gotta stick together.
;D you know thats right , just didnt want you getting the blame for what I did though ........but we are different ;D ...
do you miss Wyoming ? alot of changes here

[Atlas]

My wife sent me a huge care package with nothing but crayons and coloring books. I went to give them to the kids and they didn't know what to do with the crayons! Can you believe that? They didn't know what a F%cking crayon was!!! I had to show them how to use it. It's funny but damn it's sad too.

[Atlas]

My wife sent me a huge care package with nothing but crayons and coloring books. I went to give them to the kids and they didn't know what to do with the crayons! Can you believe that? They didn't know what a F%cking crayon was!!! I had to show them how to use it. It's funny but damn it's sad too.

[Spider]

My wife sent me a huge care package with nothing but crayons and coloring books. I went to give them to the kids and they didn't know what to do with the crayons! Can you believe that? They didn't know what a F%cking crayon was!!! I had to show them how to use it. It's funny but damn it's sad too.
My kids knew , My Bathroom walls took the brunt of thier new found artistic skill ;D

[Spider]

I will add this , my 1 year old is not allowed in a truck stop again ......... Some of the things he wrote .............

[ant1999e]

;D you know thats right , just didnt want you getting the blame for what I did though ........but we are different ;D ...
do you miss Wyoming ? alot of changes here
I go back about every 3 months. But my parents just moved to denver so I won't go that often anymore. I still have family to visit there and of course Frontier Days. Gotta go for that. I'm really starting to love Colorado. Here in Kansas it is completely flat. I love those mountains. Cheyenne only has hills mountains in the far distance. I'll be moving to Omaha in a few months. It's pretty flat there too.

[Spider]

I go back about every 3 months. But my parents just moved to denver so I won't go that often anymore. I still have family to visit there and of course Frontier Days. Gotta go for that. I'm really starting to love Colorado. Here in Kansas it is completely flat. I love those mountains. Cheyenne only has hills mountains in the far distance.
Kansas ? doing some hard time I see ;D Denver used to be so damn cool , in fact Colorado was a damn cool place untill the invasion ...... Californians ... Wyoming is atarting to get hit with the same thing ........Casper reminds me of a few smaller Colorado towns back in the 80's

[Atlas]

Casper reminds me of a few smaller Colorado towns back in the 80's

Casper reminds me of a landfill:thumbsdow:punched:

[Spider]

Casper reminds me of a landfill:thumbsdow:punched:
Havent been here lately ....... major face lift

[Cito Pelon]

Sorry, but that is a baby-step. In order for the Iraqi armed forces to stand up on their own, they'll need helicopters galore, tanks, heavy artillery, fighter planes, transport planes. You think we're gonna arm them to that extent?

I haven't brought out the BBBBBbaaaaaaaaaaaahaaaaaaaaaaaaahaaaaaaaaahahahaha haha! for a long time, but there you are. It's gonna be a long, ugly battle, but I think worth it in the long run. We'll allow steadily better armament to the Iraqis, but air superiority we cannot allow. I hope the Big Powers will come to their senses, thereby helping us impose military stability on the planet.

It's silly that at this point the Big Powers - USA, Britain, France, Russia, China - are still maneuvering for spheres of influence. The planet is the sphere of influence. That has to be settled so we can move on. The Big Powers have to come to an understanding where they impose their will on the rest of the planet. Then we can move on to bigger conquests. A lot of people understand that, but leadership profits from mistrust.

On the other hand, a reduction in the human population by say about 6-7 billion may be the key to a better future.

[Spider]

Sorry, but that is a baby-step. In order for the Iraqi armed forces to stand up on their own, they'll need helicopters galore, tanks, heavy artillery, fighter planes, transport planes. You think we're gonna arm them to that extent?

I haven't brought out the BBBBBbaaaaaaaaaaaahaaaaaaaaaaaaahaaaaaaaaahahahaha haha! for a long time, but there you are. It's gonna be a long, ugly battle, but I think worth it in the long run. We'll allow steadily better armament to the Iraqis, but air superiority we cannot allow. I hope the Big Powers will come to their senses, thereby helping us impose military stability on the planet.

It's silly that at this point the Big Powers - USA, Britain, France, Russia, China - are still maneuvering for spheres of influence. The planet is the sphere of influence. That has to be settled so we can move on. The Big Powers have to come to an understanding where they impose their will on the rest of the planet. Then we can move on to bigger conquests. A lot of people understand that, but leadership profits from mistrust.

On the other hand, a reduction in the human population by say about 6-7 billion may be the key to a better future.
the stories you could tell of the drug movment of the 60's ;D

[Bronx33]

Sorry, but that is a baby-step. In order for the Iraqi armed forces to stand up on their own, they'll need helicopters galore, tanks, heavy artillery, fighter planes, transport planes. You think we're gonna arm them to that extent?

I haven't brought out the BBBBBbaaaaaaaaaaaahaaaaaaaaaaaaahaaaaaaaaahahahaha haha! for a long time, but there you are. It's gonna be a long, ugly battle, but I think worth it in the long run. We'll allow steadily better armament to the Iraqis, but air superiority we cannot allow. I hope the Big Powers will come to their senses, thereby helping us impose military stability on the planet.

It's silly that at this point the Big Powers - USA, Britain, France, Russia, China - are still maneuvering for spheres of influence. The planet is the sphere of influence. That has to be settled so we can move on. The Big Powers have to come to an understanding where they impose their will on the rest of the planet. Then we can move on to bigger conquests. A lot of people understand that, but leadership profits from mistrust.

On the other hand, a reduction in the human population by say about 6-7 billion may be the key to a better future.

Another baby step, building a good defense doesn't happen over night.
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/iraq/aac.htm

The Iraqi Army Air Corps was renamed the Iraqi Airforce.

The Iraqi Air Force's roles will include the policing of international borders and surveillance of national assets. Air capability will also allow Iraq to rapidly deploy its developing Army.

The Iraqi Army Air Corps will focus primarily on troop and logistics movements as well as air medivac for life-threatening and casualty-producing situations. As of January 2004 the CPA was training both helicopter and transport pilots, and planned to field the first operational squadrons in the summer of 2004.

The Iraqi Air Force will be an integral part of Coalition efforts, with its activities built into Coalition air plans and working closely with ground, maritime and air units to accomplish its mission. The Iraqi Air Force's roles will include the policing of international borders and surveillance of national assets. Air capability will allow Iraq to rapidly deploy its developing Army, and with over 3,500 miles of border, aviation is the only practical method of surveillance.

The Jordanian government offered a gift of 16 helicopters and two C-130 aircraft to augment the force.

The Iraqi Air Force's long-range tactical airlift capability was initially supported by two C-130B Hercules transport aircraft, which were to become operational in October 2004 and based at Baghdad Air Station. The fleet was to grow to six aircraft by April of 2005. Each Hercules is capable of transporting 92-troops or 42,000-pounds of freight over a distance of 2,000-miles. Each is manned by a crew of two pilots, a navigator, an air engineer and a loadmaster.

A five-man crew from Squadron 23 of the Iraqi Air Force trained for the first time on flying and operating an American C-130 cargo plane outside of Iraq's air space.

As of July 2005, the Iraqi Air Force was conducting operational missions while equipping and training. The Iraqi Air Force’s counterinsurgency missions focused on aerial observation /surveillance and air transportation. The Air Force had over 100 personnel and had a fleet of 9 helicopters (4 UH-1H and 5 Jet Ranger), 3 C-130s, and 8 single-engine propeller-driven observation airplanes (6 CompAir turboprop aircraft and 2 Seeker piston aircraft). An additional 12 UH-1H helicopters, part of the 16 given by the Jordanian government are not operational while they await an upgrade to Huey II configuration to enhance their functioning in Iraq's climate. The Jet Rangers, CH2000s and CompAir planes all need logistics support.

The United Arab Emirates contributed seven CompAir SL7, which are unarmed, to the Iraqi Air Force. They are used to patrol over oil pipelines and other infrastructure targeted by the Iraqi insurgency. On May 30, 2005, one of these planes crashed near the Iranian border killing one Iraqi Air Force pilot and four others from the US Air Force. There was no indication of hostile fire.

As of July 2005, the Air Force had about 400 personnel with CMATT plans to increase that number to 1500 by 2006. There were 19 Iraqi C-130 personnel being trained in the United States.Language training and flight training were being conducted at Al Ali Air Base. Crews had previously trained in Jordan on the UH-1H and Seeker.

On 09 February 2005 a crew of U.S. Air Force pilots used a five-hour round-trip flight to Amman, Jordan as a training exercise for the Iraqi pilots and crew members. Five other crews from Squadron 23, of Ali Base in Talil, Iraq, were passengers on the flight, heading to training in Jordan. One crew will continue traveling to the U.S. for Hercules simulator training in Little Rock, AR. All of the squadron members are experienced crews who are strengthening and expanding their skills after a 12-year lapse under Saddam Hussein's rule. This was their first time in the seats of a C-130. The next phase of training will focus on dealing with emergencies, approaches and landings, and general flying skills.

Two days after their first training flight on a C-130 cargo plane, a crew from an Iraqi Air Force squadron were back in the cockpit Feb. 12 for their first mission: flying Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi round trip from Baghdad to As Sulaymaniwah West. The Iraqi pilot who flew the aircraft described the mission as a great honor, one he was grateful to participate in. Allawi arrived at the landing zone by helicopter and quickly greeted the Squadron 23 crew as he boarded the cargo plane.

A squadron of six UH-1H Iroquois helicopters was slated to become operational in July 2004 and stationed at Tadji Air Base. This fleet was to increase to sixteen Iroquois by April of 2005. Each is manned by two pilots and capable of carrying 13-troops at 120-knots over a 180-mile range. Its main tasks are border and coastal patrol, troop transport and search and rescue duties.

On 01 February 2005 Iraqi air force officials welcomed the arrival of the First two UH-1H Huey helicopters yesterday to Taji Air Base. The completely refurbished helicopters provide airlift support and important troop moving capabilities for the growing Iraqi air force command. Gifted from Jordan, this is the first of a series of scheduled deliveries to occur during the next year. A total of sixteen UH-1H aircraft are slated to arrive in Iraq by February 2006. The Iraqi flag is displayed on the fuselage of both aircraft.

According to Wing Commander Rad Greene, Royal Air Force, "It is an exciting time for the Iraqi air force as they reenter the world of rotary wing aviation." Iraqi air force officials are genuinely excited about the prospect of operating these new aircraft, Greene said. The first eight aircraft will comprise Squadron 2 and the second eight aircraft will become Squadron 4, both based at Taji.

As of February 2005 a total of 14 Iraqi pilots are fully trained and are awaiting additional flight instruction from their U.S. advisory support team (AST) pilots. Flight training will continue for the next several months until all 48 Iraqi pilots are certified. In the meantime, maintenance training will commence for the engineers and ground crews.

A squadron of light reconnaissance aircraft became operational in the summer of 2004, with four aircraft at Basrah and expanding later, possibly to Kirkuk. This fleet will be tasked with infrastructure and border security duties - reporting problems directly to the appropriate repair and intervention units.

As of August 2004 the Iraqi air force consisted of some 162 servicemen and was slated to reach its initial goal of 502 trained personnel by December 2004.

[Cito Pelon]

Another baby step, building a good defense doesn't happen over night.
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/iraq/aac.htm

The Iraqi Army Air Corps was renamed the Iraqi Airforce.



Interesting stuff. We'll have to see how it plays out. It's definitely gonna be interesting how all this plays out.