FORT POLK, La. -- Soldiers from the 162nd Infantry Brigade (Tigers) and the 1st Battalion, 353rd Infantry Regiment (Warriors) conducted Security Force Assistance training for the 4th Brigade Combat Team of the 3rd Infantry Division March 21-25 at Fort Stewart, Ga.
Training included blocks of instruction on culture, counter-insurgency, the Security Agreement, key leader engagements and ethical dilemma vignettes, and was broken down into four specific areas over the five days: Tactical leader's seminar, Stability Transition Team seminar, executive session and an STT validation exercise. These classes improve the 4th Brigade's advisory and partnering abilities once deployed.
The tactical leader's seminar included more than 200 Soldiers from the Vanguard Brigade; training was geared toward staff sergeants up to the battalion commander level.
The training consisted of not only advising skills, but also how the six battalions of 4th Brigade will partner with their Iraqi Security Force counterparts.
Additionally, the brigade's junior leaders were provided with a country overview, tribes specific to the operational environment where each of the battalions will deploy, the Security Agreement, counter-insurgency, and how to conduct a key leader engagement.
The Stability Transition Team seminar consisted of 41 additional field grade officers, also known as augmented advisors, to assist the unit in advising Iraqi Security Forces. This is a continuation of training the augmented advisors received March 1-10 while on temporary duty at Fort Polk.
Additional emphasis was placed on the specific operational environment, including discussions on provincial tribes, Iraqi Security Forces, a secure video teleconference with the teams STTs will replace, and a 90-day road-to-war on advising and training their ISF counterparts upon arrival to theater.
The executive session combined the augmented advisors with leadership from both the brigade and battalions to discuss influencing and rapport building and a series of ethical dilemmas allowing leaders to discuss solutions.
The STT validation exercise was a two-day event involving augmented advisors and brigade leadership. Iraqi roleplayers and interpreters and translators from the 52nd Interpreter-Translator Company, 162nd Inf Bde, provided support by adding realism to the scenario.
An Iraqi contingency plan was provided causing the augmented advisors to conduct combined planning with their ISF (role player) counterparts and support the plan with needed U.S. enablers.
Training brigades in Security Force Assistance is not only challenging, but also rewarding.
Maj. Mark Hopkins, one of the 41 augmented advisors said, "the training was excellent and invaluable. It allowed all of the augmented advisors to not only work with our U.S. higher headquarters, but with ISF as well. All of the training received from the 10-day advisor academy and this past week's training has definitely prepared us for our pending deployment."
In the coming months, the 162nd Infantry Brigade will provide similar training and assistance to Fort Polk's own 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division.
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