CAMP ARIFJAN, Kuwait -- "The Warrior Leader Course lays down the foundation for leadership, tactical leadership and garrison leadership; how to fill out evaluation reports and refreshes basic Soldier skills," said Sgt. 1st Class Jason Kushner, first sergeant, Third Army/U.S. Army Central Noncommissioned Officer Academy.
Third Army/USARCENT planned and sponsored the first-everl, in-theater WLC at Camp Buehring, Kuwait, July 19 through Aug. 3.
In order to reduce the amount of time that Soldiers spend away from their families, and because of the quick operation tempo, there were almost 500 Soldiers in Kuwait, who needed to attend WLC, so a plan for conducting the course in theater was made.
"USARCENT recognized a need to train these Soldiers in theater instead of missing any more time with their families," said Sgt. Maj. Bobby King, deputy commandant, Third Army/USARCENT NCO Academy.
The training consists of 10 days of classroom training followed by five days of hands-on training in the field. Days one through 10, the students learn basic development training, NCO evaluation reports, counseling as well as a review of basic Soldier skills such as map reading and land navigation, Military Operations on Urban Terrain, site exploitation and improvised explosive device training.
"These Soldiers are getting the best training out there because it is directly derived from actual events in Iraq," said Kushner.
Command Sgt. Maj. Marvin L. Hill, U.S. Central Command, visited the students during the first days of the course. He had lunch with a few of the Soldiers, answered their questions and visited students in the classrooms.
Instructors were pulled from NCO training academies all over the world to come to Kuwait for this WLC.
"We've got really good instructors; this is by far one of the best courses I've been to," said Sgt. Michael Harris, alternate communications security custodian, Third Army/ USARCENT.
There are three more courses planned for the next 90 days so that other Soldiers have the opportunity to receive leadership training in theater.
"I think this is something they should make permanent out here," said Harris. "I've been in the Army for a while and I'm here at Camp Buehring for WLC because I've been deployed so many times that I haven't had a chance to go."
To honor the students who successfully completed the course, the inaugural, in-theater WLC held a graduation ceremony at the Zone 1 Chapel on Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, Aug. 3.
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