News Article About Clints Company

Bastogne Soldiers of 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment were recently partnered with an Iraqi Army Platoon to unite the Soldiers in the fight against terrorism, and have taken extra steps towards furthering the platoon’s training.Soldiers from 2nd Platoon, Company A, 1st Battalion, took a short walk through Forward Operating Base (FOB) McHenry to a small worn-out range to continue training their "partner platoon" of Iraqi soldiers on close quarters marksmanship and reflexive fire weapons tactics.According to 1st Lt. Tom Koh, the 2nd Platoon leader the Iraqi platoon is divided into two sections, allowing a group to focus on training while the other is on a combined mission with Coalition Forces. "One day they are here at the FOB [forward operating base McHenry], and the next day they are out on a mission," Koh stated. "This allows for no time to waste, and to always be doing something."The Bastogne Soldiers have taken it upon themselves to use their free time training the Iraqi soldiers they work side-by-side with, to help continue their soldier-skill development."Our main mission in Iraq is to train the security forces so they can protect their country," Koh commented. "We can capture bad guys all day; it’s training the Iraqis to capture the bad guys that will make a difference."Sergeant Mitchell Levart, a team leader for 2nd Platoon, stated that continuous training helps basic soldier skills become second nature, and eventually, like most U.S. Soldiers, the Iraqi soldiers won’t even have to think about what to do, they will just do it. Steady training and combined missions is 2nd Platoon’s strategy to help their Iraqi counterparts. According to Levart, integrating the Iraqi soldiers with U.S. Soldiers makes a dramatic difference in the Iraqi’s performance. "We don’t separate the two Armies during missions," commented Levart. "If there is an American Soldier pulling security, then there is an Iraqi soldier pulling security with him; when we clear a room, neither [American nor Iraqi] Soldier leads, we clear it together. We are there to accomplish the same mission."

Story and photos by: Spc. Barbara Ospina1st BCT Public Affairs