Seventy Iraqi military personnel graduated from a military intelligence training partnership held at the Iraqi Ground Forces Command compound on Victory Base Complex, March 12.
The four-week course, taught by the United States Forces-Iraq military intelligence staff, covered topics including the intelligence cycle, advanced analysis, security program management
and operational security.
The course was derived from the U.S. Army Intelligence Center of Excellence in Fort Huachuca, Ariz. said Chief Warrant Officer 2 LaMesha Harris, an all-source intelligence technician and officer-in-charge for the United States Division-Center operations team, USF-I. The program was implemented at the Taji training site, and then modified for this class.
Iraqi students learned basic military intelligence processes, said Chief Warrant Officer 2 Sharrod M. Bennett, senior intelligence advisor for the northern Iraq operations team, USF-I.
"The Iraqis were very receptive to learning new processes," said Bennett. "I think the cultural and language barrier was difficult at first, but we fought through that. They didn't have a hard
time understanding anything we were teaching them."
A concept the students grasped quickly was the red team analysis, said Harris. Red team analysis is taking all the information and thinking about how the enemy would use it, or how they would
conduct an attack.
The course included Iraqi army and air force officers and enlisted personnel with a wide range of experience. There were younger inexperienced soldiers who were willing to learn and there were older soldiers and officers that were in during the Saddam regime, said Harris. The experience levels varied greatly.
"I knew some of the information already, but I also learned a lot of new things," said Sgt. Usama Mohammad Hassan, an intelligence and security noncommissioned officer with IGFC. "We learned how to collect information and use it for my daily job."
"The teachers taught the class well," said Hassan. "The instructors set a good example for our intelligences officers."
Along with learning intelligence operations and procedures, the Iraqi service members learned about the different assets that the Iraqi Army and Iraqi Air Force had to offer.
"The class displayed the capabilities of both the (Iraqi) army and air force," said Lt. Mohammad Ghazi Abdula, intelligence officer with Iraqi Air Force Intelligence Headquarters. "The class
showed that the (Iraqi) air force has imagery and reconnaissance capability that the Iraqi Air Force can use. We are going work together to support our daily operations in the future."
The course covered many topics and members involved with the partnership training learned more than the course intended as the American and Iraqi relationship strengthened. Intelligence
operations were the focus, but the class members also learned about the capabilities that their military branches can provide.
"We did this joint partnership training to have a bilateral sharing," said Bennett. "Anytime we are able to get together and learn from each other I think that it solidifies the bond and commitment
between our two countries."
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