Multi-National Corps – Iraq

Public Affairs Office, Camp Victory

APO AE 09342

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

RELEASE No. 20081023-06

Oct. 23, 2008

Iron Claw Academy graduates first class

Multi-National Division – Baghdad PAO

CAMP TAJI, Iraq – Approximately, 40 Iraqi Army engineers from the 11th IA Division, graduated from the Iron Claw Academy at Camp Taji, Iraq, Oct. 17.

The Iron Claw Academy run by Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers from A Company, 40th Engineer Battalion taught the Iraqi’s the basics of route clearance.

“Our job is going to be looking for IED’s and work on them without any damage or injuries,” said Iraqi Capt. Mamood  Jabir, platoon leader, Route Clearance Platoon, 11th Field Engineer Regiment, 11th Iraqi Army Infantry Division.

The mission of the MND-B engineers at the Iron Claw Academy is to share their skill and techniques with IA engineers at clearing critical routes of improvised explosive devises and other hazards that criminals and terrorist use to attack Iraqi and Coalition forces and to incite fear and intimidation in the Iraqi people.

The course consists of both classroom work and hands on training. The Iraqi’s are taught battle drills, how to look for and recognize IED’s and what to do when they think they’ve encountered one, methods of structuring their route clearing convoys and how to keep the public safe from IED’s. The final test is clearing a simulated route riddled with simulated IED’s.

“There was nobody training the soldiers before. This training makes my soldiers very professional,” said Iraqi Lt. Col. Hatem Hameed Jahwy, commander of the 11th Field Eng. Reg.

Schoonover said 100 percent of the Iraqi’s passed their final test.

“It is very good that we have everything now, that we have the Coalition forces team over here teaching us how to work on it,” said Jabir.

While the Iraqi’s still need equipment that the U.S. would consider standard, they recently acquired their own mine resistant armored protection vehicle equipped with an interrogator arm, capable of reaching out and inspecting suspected IED’s from a safe distance.

“A lot of officers and jundi got killed because we did not have that much equipment or technology. It makes a lot of difference today,” said Jabir.

Previously, without their new equipment, the Iraqi Army would have to send out a soldier to investigate and potentially disarm an IED. Schooner said that is simply too dangerous. 

The next step is for the Iraqis to work with MND-B Soldiers on actual missions until the Iraqis have gained enough knowledge for the U.S. Forces to assume a support only roll.

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