Training team’s success

Well trained: Cpls David Eley and James Beardsley instruct Iraqis during a Maintenance Supervisor (Armament) Course.

Top team: Lt-Col Warren Jolly (centre) with AATTI-3 members at Taji. Photos by Maj John McPherson

By Maj John McPherson

THE Australian Army Training Team Iraq 3 (AATTI-3) has achieved the first of its objectives with the graduation of the inaugural intake of Iraqi soldiers.

The students graduated on April 17, the first of more than 1000 Iraqi Defence Force members who will be trained in supply, maintenance and transport disciplines, in addition to basic and intermediate logistic officer courses.

AATTI-3 CO Lt-Col Warren Jolly is confident the team will achieve its deadline for training the logistical support elements of the Iraqi military to become self sufficient.

AATTI-3 has been instrumental in getting the Iraqi Army Support and Services Institute (IASSI) up and running at Taji, a military base about 20km north of Baghdad.

Taji is a sprawling base that suffered greatly from the rigours of two wars and long-term neglect and is currently undergoing widespread refurbishment as part of the rebuilding of the Iraqi Army.

The IASSI was officially opened on the day the first students graduated.

“In 10 weeks this team has taken a cluster of empty buildings and turned them into an operating training institute capable of instructing 200 students,” Lt-Col Jolly said.

“We’ve taken delivery of everything from ‘post-it’ notes to shelving, toolboxes and trucks – and assembled much of the furniture ourselves.

“We had many nights assembling bunk beds and furniture for the main body and the first arrivals of the Iraqi staff. Any visitors who stayed with us during the early stages were put to work on piquet or IKEA duties.

“The first day of training we still had work parties of Iraqi soldiers assembling the last of 330 student chairs under the supervision of the AATTI-3 RSM, WO1 Brett Dale.”

He said the Australian style of training had resulted in the development of a strong rapport with the Iraqis.

“The students have responded very well to the even balance of practical and theoretical instruction in the course,” he said. “They rapidly get to put their theory into practice and many show very strong skills, particularly in vehicle maintenance and armourer training. We’ve found that despite the need for interpreters in all training, the rapid uptake of learning by the students is not slowing the class room time as much as we thought it would.”

Lt-Col Jolly said the aim is to get Iraqi Army instructors in front of Iraqi Army students as soon as possible.

“The Australian staff can then start to concentrate on leading the development of the complete continuum of logistics courses and conducting training within new first line logistic sub-units,” he said.

Before developing training packages, the AATTI-3 had to develop a doctrine on which to base them.

It did this in conjunction with Australian staff at the Coalition Military Transition Team headquarters and the Multi National Security Transition Team Iraq headquarters. These two organisations then had the doctrine approved by the Iraqi Army JHQ.

“We’ve recruited interpreters and developed a high output ‘production line’ for the translation of all course materials and lessons – tasks that at times still cause us to work throughout the night,” Lt-Col Jolly said.

Team instructors have been able to refresh their skills with instructor development training, additional language training and lesson rehearsals with interpreters. “And while all of this was happening, headquarters JTF 633 provided us with support and a force protection group that enabled us to focus on the training mission,” Lt-Col Jolly said. “It has been a magnificent team effort by all involved and I can’t speak highly enough of the work put in by our entire team.”