Corps: End piecemeal transition teams

[unhappycamper]

No more one-Marine-at-a-time?
Conway wants to partner Marine, Iraqi battalions.


Corps: End piecemeal transition teams
By Kimberly Johnson - Staff writer
Posted : Monday Feb 11, 2008 10:23:07 EST

The Corps may soon deploy entire units as training teams in Iraq, rather than stitching together units one Marine at a time, according to its top officer.

“What we’ve taken a look at is the idea of partnering Marine battalions with Iraqi battalions as a more efficient way to accomplish training and backstop the Iraqis,” said Commandant Gen. James Conway, in an e-mail response to questions. “We see training teams as being a requirement in this long war, even in the wake of Afghanistan and Iraq.”

Training teams, also referred to as Military Transition Teams, are generally small units of senior Marines who tutor Iraqi army and security forces. Many consider them the pavers of the Corps’ road out of Iraq because standing up Iraqi forces means standing down U.S. forces.

While the teams are vital, filling them can leave deploying units vulnerable from the loss of leadership, according to one Corps official.

“There’s no doubt they’re critical to keeping things on an even keel in Al Anbar,” said Lt. Gen. Keith Stalder, commander of II Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Lejeune, N.C. The MTT members are “the folks that ordinarily would be in key positions back here. The effect of that, of course, is the unit gives them up and does without that leadership experience.”


Rest of article at: http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2008/02/marine_transition_teams_080211/