Training together

by Spc. Michael J. MacLeod
1st BCT, 82nd Abn. Div., MNF-W PAO

photo by Spc. Michael J. MacLeod/1st BCT, 82nd Abn. Div., MNF-W PAO American and Iraqi soldiers exit a helicopter during joint air assault training between Iraqi commandos and scouts of 1st Iraqi Army Division and paratroopers of 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division (Advise and Assist Brigade), Nov. 15 at Camp Ramadi, Iraq. The paratroopers belong to the Army’s first fully-augmented advise and assist brigade assigned the mission of Iraqi security-force assistance.

CAMP RAMADI, Iraq — Iraqi commandos and reconnaissance scouts partnered with “All American” paratroopers of the 82nd Airborne Division here Nov. 15 to train for future helicopter operations.

Commandos and scouts from across 1st Iraqi Army Division trained with paratroopers of 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division (Advise and Assist Brigade), on loading and unloading from assault helicopters.

Sgt. Maj. Mohanad, noncommissioned officer-in-charge of the Iraqi soldiers, said, while most of his soldiers had trained for air-assault missions before, this training was an important rehearsal for any partnered missions they might conduct with U.S. forces.

“Being able to get out here on the helicopters and do some hot loads gives us the opportunity to see how the Iraqis operate and for them to see how we operate,” said 2nd Lt. John Griffin, scout platoon leader with the paratroopers. “It was important that we mesh our plans together. It was challenging at first, but we worked it out during the static loads (with the helicopters at rest),” he said.

Staff Sgt. Terrance Clark, a crew chief with Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 462, said that the primary point of the exercise was to gain efficiency.

“We don’t like to sit on a landing zone very long,” he said.

Between the short flights, Iraqi and American soldiers inspected each others’ equipment, discussed warfighting techniques and even traded uniform patches.

The iconic “AA” patch worn by the All American paratroopers of the 82nd Abn. Div. is a favorite of the Iraqis, said Spc. Patrick Cullen, who traded one of his unit patches to an Iraqi scout, Ahmed, for an Iraqi one.

The paratroopers belonged to 1st BCT, 82nd Abn. Div., the Army’s first full-fledged advise and assist brigade deployed with the mission to increase the capacity and professionalization of Iraqi security forces.

The area in which they operate, Al Anbar province, is particularly conducive to military operations by helicopter, as the population centers are separated by expansive, sparsely populated desert.