U.S. EMBASSY BAGHDAD

Office of the Spokesman

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                         (JULY 30, 2012)

Training Exercise Enhances Iraqi Army Strategic Skills

The Iraqi Army conducted a “live-fire” training exercise on July 17 as part of an ongoing effort to improve its military strategic skills.  The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, through the Office of Security Cooperation in Iraq (OSC-I), supported the Iraqi-led exercise as part of its commitments under the Strategic Framework Agreement.

The exercise, which featured American-made M113 armored personnel carriers, and the “live fire” use of mortars and artillery, demonstrated the Iraqi Army’s capability to plan and train for realistic combat scenarios.  The exercise also introduced Iraqi junior officers and soldiers to the effects of direct and indirect fire.

“This exercise demonstrates the ongoing development of the Iraqi military,” said U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Robert Caslen, Chief of the American Embassy’s Office of Security Cooperation in Iraq.  “They are capable and professional, and we look forward to our continued collaboration.”

The exercise was “excellent in raising the readiness and combat effectiveness of our soldiers," said LT. Gen Riyadh Jalal Tawfiq, Deputy Commander of the Iraqi Ground Forces Command.

The coordination between the Iraqi Ministry of Defense and the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad reflects the Government of Iraq’s commitment to both professionalizing its military and reinforcing its long-term partnership with the United States.

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