U.S. Forces Needed in Iraq for Another Decade

Reports coming out of Iraq today indicate that governmental officials in Baghdad anticipate the need for security assistance from American military forces for at least another decade. As pressure continues to mount in the U.S. for an eventual troop withdrawal from Iraq, the continued presence of American soldiers will likely be in the form of Military Transition Teams.

U.S. transition teams are trained for deployment to either Iraq or Afghanistan for the purpose of advising and mentoring Iraqi and Afghan military counterparts. The idea is that U.S. military experts train members of the Iraqi and Afghan armies to increase their competency and facilitate the transition of security operations to host nation security forces. According to the Military Transition Team web site, American military personnel assigned to transition teams can become part of three different types of advisory units: 16 Soldier Embedded Transition Teams headed to Afghanistan, 3 Sailor Garrison Support Units deploying to Iraq, and 11 Soldier Military Transition Teams going to Iraq.

The transition teams are widely regarded as the best option for transferring security operations in Iraq and Afghanistan to the governments of those nations, although efforts in both war zones have progressed slowly thus far. The Afghan Army has made incremental progress while the Iraqi Army and Police Forces have suffered from insurgent infiltration and sectarian loyalties that have hindered the ability of the government in Baghdad to assume more responsibility for its own security.

Military Transition Team members undergo two months of training at Fort Riley, Kansas that is designed to replicate conditions in Afghanistan or Iraq. Combat simulation devices are used extensively to make the training as realistic as possible. Once initial training in the United States is complete, transition team members deploy to either Afghanistan or Iraq. Training includes convoy operations, cultural training, the laws of land warfare, rules of engagement, use of an interpreter, and training on other skills necessary to successfully transition security operations from American troops to either Afghan or Iraqi troops.

In Iraq, the Multi National Security Transition Command has responsibility for the host nation troop training program. According to the command, the goal in Iraq is to assist the Iraqi government in organizing, training and equipping Iraqi Security Forces and governmental ministries so that the Iraqi government can take over responsibility for its own country. Transition teams fielded by the Iraq command include teams for police, air force, army, intelligence, counter terrorism, and maritime functions. Indications are that the transition effort in Iraq is progressing, but at a much slower pace than U.S. forces would like, requiring an American presence for a long time to come.

Sources: MTT web site, Multi National Security Transition Command