CAMP VICTORY, Iraq, May 7, 2011 -- The Joint Interrogation and Debriefing Detachment - Iraq graduated 22 Iraqi intelligence agency students from the basic interrogation and interrogator instructor, also known as Train-the-Trainer, courses May 1, 2011, at Camp Victory, here.
The graduation ceremony highlighted the students' dedication to learning the ethics and skills of being a detainee interrogator.
"This program has been ongoing, sponsored by the Joint Interrogation and Debriefing Detachment - Iraq, or JIDD-I, for the past two and a half years," said Maj. Harry Hung, deputy commander of JIDD-I and operations officer with the 2nd Military Intelligence Battalion, 66th MI Brigade."
Hung said these graduates are a part of the ninth and final basic interrogator course and third interrogator instructor course. Since the program began, they have trained 88 basic interrogator students and 21 interrogator instructor students, said Hung.
"We taught them how to teach a lot of the courses themselves and we observed while they taught," said Staff Sgt. Timothy Wing, an advise and assist team leader also a part of 2nd MI Bn., and the iraqi interrogation school commandant. "We stepped in when they left things out or made corrections when we needed to."
"We also taught supporting classes such as Geneva Conventions and everything that we needed to do to make sure everything is legal," he continued. "This is a really big deal for the Iraqis because it gives them a chance to get some recognition."
The graduation ceremony gave the students recognition for their hard work.
"The course you all have just attended and graduated from is one of the few inter-agency courses bringing together interrogators and intelligence professionals from across the Iraqi intelligence community," said guest speaker Maj. Gen. Adolph McQueen, deputy commanding general for detainee operations and provost marshal general for United States Forces - Iraq. "You all are the future of the Iraqi community, but you must continue to build on your base."
"I implore you all to never stop learning," said McQueen. "Your reputation will proceed you. Hone your skills so that you will always be confident, decisive, and successful."
Wing said his organization's contribution made an impact on the Iraqi intelligence community.
"This school is going to have such a long reaching effect on the intelligence community in Iraq. I think what we've done here could really be big," Wing said.
The classes were very significant because they enable the students to legally and morally conduct interrogations according to the Geneva code, said Tech Sgt. Thomas Skinner, a senior human intelligence analyst for JIDD-I. "With the trainers, it allows them to continue teaching after we leave. I think it goes a long way in filling in the part of the partnership role."
With the Soldiers of 2nd MI Bn., 66th MI Bde. on their final leg of deployment, they reflected on the impact of accomplishing this mission.
"I think it's fantastic because while we have done the advising and assisting, we have now given Iraq the ability to go on their own and advise and assist, and that's a very special tool," said Hung. "Each organization now has some level of ability and if they choose to, they will take the time to train other trainers within each of their respectful organizations."
"The professionalism that we built in this course is going to have a huge effect on the legitimacy of the Iraqi government," Wing said. "They'll show that they respect the world of law and hope to get the rest of the nation to respect the world of law."
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