Army Reserve Unit to Train Iraqi Troops

[Barrett808]

Army Reserve Unit to Train Iraqi Troops
Fri Sep 17, 3:45 AM ET
By ROBERT BURNS, AP Military Writer

WASHINGTON - The Army Reserve is sending to Iraq about 800 soldiers from a unit that normally trains reserve and active-duty soldiers in the United States and has never deployed overseas in the 45 years that it has been part of the Reserve.

Members of the Rochester, N.Y.-based 98th Division will begin heading to Iraq next month to help train the fledgling Iraqi army, and they will be there for 12 months, Army Reserve officials said Thursday.

Lt. Gen. James Helmly, chief of the Army Reserve, pointed to the highly unusual mobilization as an illustration of how part-time soldiers must get used to the idea that they can be called to active duty, even if they are members of a non-combat unit like the 98th.

Since word went out that the 98th was going to Iraq, "I've gotten cards, letters, e-mails (asking), `How can you do that?'" Helmly said, referring to reaction within the Reserve to mobilizing and sending to a combat zone a unit that does not have its own vehicles and weapons.

(more)

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=ap/army_reserve

[Rose Siding]

1. While it's a little thrilling to see the military forced to explain....

..a seemingly bizarre development, the question remains: `How can you do that?'

The motive makes some sense- training an Iraqi force, but the obvious void that leaves in training for US forces is still nutso.

How about bringing some Iraq teams here to observe instruction? What kind of additional training did that Reserve unit go through for teaching foreign soldiers who can't understand a word they say? Will any of those valuable trainers will be posted as security speed bumps? Won't they actually become extremely High Value targets for insurgents?

[tabasco]

2. Woo Boy, setting up STX lanes for the Iraqis.

Better not give them any live ammo.

This unit has been given a hopeless mission and is in for a rough tour. I hope they all return alive and well.

(STX = situational training exercise = a common training method for the Army)

[0007]

3. The Military Police unit that was doing duty at Abu Ghraib was

trained by whom? Now these units are gonna train the Iraq Police. Give me a fucking break!

No wonder we're getting our ass kicked up one side and down the other.