Iraqi soldiers defend position during company level training at GWTC

CONTINGENCY OPERATING SITE MAREZ, Iraq -- Concealing themselves in camouflaged firing positions, Iraqi soldiers assigned to 1st Battalion, 10th Brigade, 3rd Iraqi Army Division, worked as a company to defend their positions during defense training at Ghuzlani Warrior Training Center, Iraq, June 20.

Cavalry troopers of Troop C, 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Advise and Assist Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, trained Iraqi soldiers on basic soldiering skills as part of Tadreeb al Shamil, Arabic for All Inclusive Training.

"We are training the IA soldiers so they can get the basic principles of defense," said Sgt. John Daulton, a scout from Dayton, Ohio, assigned to Troop C. "They are learning conventional warfare tactics " how to defend an area and where their front lines would be in the fight."

U.S. trainers advised and assisted the Iraqi soldiers during the scenario, providing different methods to accomplish the objective.

"I think this training is essential (for the IA soldiers)," said Daulton, in regard to the defense training. "Whether they're learning attack or ambush, at any point in time it can turn into a (defensive) situation."

After waiting more than an hour in their defensive positions, gunshots finally broke the silence and IA soldiers proceeded to apply skills taught by U.S. trainers during the previous two weeks at GWTC.

Focusing on the attacking force, IA soldiers fired their weapons to eliminate "enemy" forces in their immediate area. In between loud explosions and white smoke filling the air, Iraqi soldiers moved back and forth between their primary and secondary positions to better secure the area.

Iraqi soldiers assigned to 1st Battalion plan to showcase all of their training learned at GWTC during Operation Iron Lion later this month.

Iron Lion, which includes Iraqi Police, 3rd Federal Police and Iraqi Special Operations Forces, is designed to demonstrate Iraqi Security Forces' abilities to collectively protect the local populace against internal and external threats.

"The populace needs to know that their soldiers can defend them," said Sgt. Gregory Leavitt, a scout assigned to Troop C, and a native of Eureka, Calif. "Here, Iraqi soldiers learn how to defend and take care of themselves for future operations."