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FID Iraq
I would like to start a discussion about FID. I don't really know where to start. I guess I will just start off the top of my head with some of the things that are bothering me. I am 3 months into a year long deployment working with the Iraqi Army and it just seems to be one step forward two steps back everyday. Its not as if they are not retaining what we are teaching (though I have to say there is not a lot of training it is mostly OJT with most of the learining going on planning missions and debriefs from actual engagements) they just dont seem to care. For example we just got hit by 120 mortars the other day had 1 IA KIA , 13 IA WIA, and 2 US WIA yet two hours later you still got guys walking around without thier weapons or flaks on ("Insh-Allah"). It just gets frusrating. When the shooting starts its just always seems to degenerate into the two US advisors that are with the IA company taking over and making things happen. Don't get me wrong there are some Warriors among the IA Bn but they are definitely few and far between. Does this sound familiar to others that have done FID in the Middle East? I would like to think we are doing a good job(there are eleven of us) None of us have any frame of refrence for this mission( I was here last year with an Infantry Bn with very little contact with the IA). I guess I am just looking for other experiences doing this kind of thing and seeing how we are stacking up.
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