JOINT SECURITY STATION INDIA, Iraq - Troops assigned to 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Advise and Assist Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, taught Iraqi army soldiers basic rifle marksmanship skills, Feb. 6.
"Ghost" troops of the 2nd Battlion, 7th Cavalry Regiment trained IA units from 2nd Iraqi Army Division in northern Iraq during a five-day class to enhance the marksmanship skills of the Iraqi soldiers.
"Training the IA keeps me sharp on my skills and makes me more proficient in knowing the material and being able to teach it," said Spc. Gregory Cole, an infantryman from Windsor, Conn., assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment.
The Ghost soldiers continue to teach soldiers from 2nd IA Division basic marksmanship skills in preparation for Operation Lion Leader Forge, a series of training exercises centered on teaching Iraqi soldiers to train their own units.
During the weapons familiarization training, U.S. soldiers introduced their IA counterparts to the M16A4 rifle and demonstrated how to disassemble, reassemble, clear and perform a functions check on the weapon.
After learning basic preliminary marksmanship techniques, the Iraqi soldiers tested their newly acquired skills with U.S. soldiers providing assistance as needed.
"We're here to train these soldiers, and even though this is the first day of training, the Iraqis we are teaching are stepping up, learning quickly and attempting to help their fellow soldiers out ...," said Cole.
After the IA soldiers demonstrated proficiency assembling and disassembling the M16, U.S. soldiers taught them the correct way to engage an enemy and fire from the standing, prone and kneeling positions.
"This is very good training," said Pfc. Karar Ali, an Iraqi infantryman from Karbala. "The soldiers that are teaching us are very experienced and are making this class easy for us to understand."
At the end of the day, the soldiers held competitions with their IA counterparts to test the Iraqis' speed, accuracy and overall proficiency in assembling and disassembling the M16.
"Ghost" troops also used the contests as an opportunity to bond with their IA counterparts.
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