Manila training cycle kicks off with live fire range operations

MANILA TRAINING CENTER, Iraq " Soldiers of Battery A, 1st Battalion, 5th Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Advise and Assist Task Force, 1st Infantry Division, supported members of the 1st Kurdish Regional Guard Brigade during an AK47 live fire weapons familiarization exercise at the Manila Training Center, Iraq, June 15.

The training center’s Iraqi cadre, graduates of previous training courses led by U.S. forces, now lead the courses and exercises for new recruits cycling through Manila Training Center as U.S. Soldiers continue their supervisory and support role.

“This group is just starting their training rotation here,” said Sgt. Ian Blankenship, Battery A, 1st Bn., 5th FA Regt. “There is a lot of training still to be done, but they have surprised all of us with their level of motivation and their willingness to learn and get in after the training.

“This is also the first training cycle that is completely done by the Iraqis, as far as trainers and leading the rotation goes,” he added. “The cadre that work with the training center now were part of a ‘train the trainer’ cycle in the past, and now they are facilitating all of the training here.”

Rather than limiting live fire exercises to the end of a training cycle, instructors facilitate live fire operations for KRGB recruits throughout the duration of the course.

“The very first thing that these guys do when they come in on rotation is a live fire weapons familiarization,” said Blankenship. “This gives them a level of comfort and confidence that they will need throughout their training cycle, because each exercise builds on the previous one.”

Despite limited time handling their weapons on ranges and firing live rounds, KRGB soldiers and instructors quickly filed onto the range to begin the training cycle.

As KRGB soldiers filed onto the range, cadre issued two magazines to each soldier. They instructed the students to engage targets ranging between 100 and 300 meters, perform a magazine change at “combat speed,” and continue engaging targets until exhausting all ammunition.

After working with the KRGB since February, U.S. Soldiers concluded their role as the lead instructors at the training center, allowing Iraqi soldiers to assume control, said Capt. Joe Kidder, commander Battery A, 1st Bn., 5th FA Regt.

“We are operating in a support-only role now,” said Kidder. “We advise the Manila cadre on how to handle any training issues or questions that they may have, but they are the ones leading and facilitating all of the training. This is what all the hard work and advise, train, assist efforts have been working toward " the Iraqis sustaining their own training.”