I don't know what the Arabic say's. I will have to ask one of our translators.It's hard washing the saddam thing out. It's not the brutalitiy, it's the lack of NCO's and real leadership at the junior levels. A Warrent Officer, that acts much like our NCO's, makes plans, takes it to the Officers so that they can slap it down or just sit on it. Part of it's cultural, part of it is just the way saddam wanted it. I've said it several times and I will say it again, if you were to get rid of two thirds of their Officers they would be in OK shape. Not that all Officers are bad. I've seen some that are good planners and decision makers. Some of them are honestly trying to do the right thing. Some are selfserving, some are incompetant, some just don't get it.
I was talking to some guy's from the Stryker Bn, 1/17th, next to my barracks about how hospitable the Iraqi's are. We both agreed that they will give you the shirt off of their back. The day before some others told me that the people in this part of Iraq hated them, where as up in Mosul it was differant, they loved them. But, then their hearing that it's rough in Mosul now. Well, the S2 portion of my brain knows that the insurgents, not all being homegrown, floats from place to place...Up roar in the east, attack in th west... then, it depends from neighborhood to neighborhood.
That's all for now...
The Appalachianist
posted by Hill Billy Rave | Wednesday, August 23, 2006
2 Comments:
I just wonder if any of the world's armed forces rely on the NCO as much as ourselves, the Brits and the Ozzies? There might be others, but in my limited experience, that's about the first ones that readily come to mind. The Canuks? Eh... they've let themselves become primarily thought of as peacekeepers.
Gunner, the Iraqis have seven grades of enlisted and nine of comissioned. As well, the South Africans do. Now, we have nine grades of enlisted and nine of officers. Grade wise, I'm the equivalent of a SGM in the Iraqi Army, but, I tell them I'm Areef Awal, Sgt 1st Class.
The Brits and Oz people have strong NCO Corps.
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