From MNF-I, More Soldiers, new firearms, better procedures, strengthen Iraqi Army.
BAGHDAD — Vast improvements to Iraq’s national Army are leading to a force that will eventually stand on its own, a Coalition commander said today.
“They’re increasing their capabilities to be able to do that every day,” Army Brig. Gen. Robin Swan told online journalists and bloggers during a conference call from Baghdad. Swan heads up the Coalition Military Assistance Training Team with Multi-National Security Transition Command-Iraq.
“From my foxhole, from a training, from an equipment standpoint, from an operational standpoint, the way that they’re fighting today, the way that they’re standing firm in their ground, really conducting some sophisticated operations throughout the country, most notably, certainly out in al Anbar province, but also up in Ninevah and here in Baghdad as well, so a lot of great improvement on that line,” he said.
Although the Army’s logistics system is in its infancy, the general explained, parts of the system are improving.
“From the standpoint of unit-level logistics, they’re getting better,” Swan said.
Setting up bases where Iraqi Soldiers can pick up supplies or even overhaul vehicles, as they can only at Taji national depot now, will take as long as 18 months to accomplish, the general said. That is why Coalition experts are embedded with Iraqi Soldiers to help determine solutions that make sense to Iraqis, he said.
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