27 May 2005:
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Camp Buehring, Kuwait --- Maj. Chris Voso has trained elite American military forces and knows the difficulties of such an assignment.
But the 48th Brigade Combat Team officer expects his new task of living, working and fighting with the fledgling Iraqi army to be especially challenging.
On Thursday, Iraqi government officials announced a plan to ring Baghdad with about 40,000 Iraqi soldiers in an effort to root out insurgents.
The plan will be implemented next week, shortly after the Georgia soldiers arrive in Iraq, and it is expected that they will play key roles in the initiative that Iraqi officials hope will enable their forces to move from a defensive to an offensive posture.
"Next week, we will have a strong and safe cordon around Baghdad like a bracelet that surrounds the hand. We will not allow anyone to cross this cordon," said Defense Minister Saadoun al-Duleimi.
The plan calls for the establishment of 675 checkpoints around the city in addition to mobile checkpoints to keep insurgents off balance in areas where attacks are most frequent.
"You need to be prepared to eat, sleep, train and patrol with these elements every day," Voso told about 100 Georgia Army National Guard soldiers who will take on the hazardous, high-profile mission.
"We want our guys to be completely embedded, completely immersed, with the Iraqi army," Voso added.
Voso said officers and enlisted soldiers selected for the training mission should lead by example and help the Iraqis wrest control of their war-torn country from the insurgency.
If successful, the American trainers could eventually allow the United States to begin reducing troops in Iraq, which currently tops 140,000.
But assessments of the fighting abilities of the Iraqi forces continue to be less than encouraging.
A study released earlier this week by the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies said Iraqi forces were not yet ready to take over any substantial role in fighting the insurgents.
"The magnitude of the task [Iraq] faces is indicated by the fact that 155,000 U.S. troops failed to impose order during two years of occupation," the study said.
The Georgia-based soldiers received virtually no training for the mission before they left for the Middle East earlier this month.
But Voso said their maturity and experience, both military and civilian, will help them in the months ahead. He expects the training mission to last throughout the 48th Brigade's yearlong deployment.
"A lot of our people are new to this," said Voso, 38, a full-time National Guard member from Marietta who commanded an elite Ranger training company for 18 months. "But they've got good people skills, they're patient, and I'm very confident they'll do well."
The officers were selected for the mission based on their expertise in logistics, personnel, training and operations. Enlisted soldiers were sought out for their ability to teach street-level infantry tactics.
Voso said it was easy to find 48th Brigade soldiers willing to take on the mission.
"We haven't gone to any unit and forced them to give us anyone," he said. "Everyone is a volunteer."
The Louisiana National Guard has been performing the same kinds of tasks in recent months in the Baghdad area with some success. Voso said he expects the Georgia soldiers to get similar results.
"Every great baseball player doesn't make a great coach," he said, "and every great soldier doesn't make a great trainer. We've got a lot of great soldiers, but we're moving into uncharted waters. Personally, I think our people will do just fine."
Each U.S. trainer will be assigned a full-time interpreter. They will be based at Iraqi military facilities identical to the tent cities known as forward operating bases where most American soldiers in Iraq reside.
Voso downplayed the fact that the Georgia soldiers were given little specific training for the mission they are taking on. All will receive about a week of intensive language, history and cultural training before the assignment begins.
Training the Iraqi army "wasn't part of the curriculum," he said. "But it's always been a possibility. Many things have changed for us since we've hit the ground, and I'm sure they'll continue to change.
"Our guys will be out on the street patrolling with the Iraqis, and we hope the Iraqis are going to show patriotism toward their country by standing and fighting," Voso said. "We expect our soldiers to react the same way."
Most of the 48th's 4,400 soldiers will fly to their posts in Iraq while the remainder will drive north in convoys over the next few days.
