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1ID will train teams to help Iraqi, Afghan forces

March 14, 2006

WASHINGTON (Army News Service, March 14, 2006) – A brigade of the 1st Infantry Division at Fort Riley, Kan., will temporarily reorganize to train teams to serve alongside and mentor Iraqi Security Forces and the Afghan National Army.

The size of each deployed Transition Team will vary based on its specific mission, officials said; however, they said the teams will generally have 10-15 troops.

About 3,500 to 4,000 Soldiers will be trained over the course of a year to serve on these Transition Teams, Army G3 officials said. They said the first rotation at Fort Riley is expected to begin training in May.

The 1st Infantry Division headquarters, which is preparing to relocate from Germany to Fort Riley, will oversee the training and deployment of the transition teams. Meanwhile, the division will continue to transform into modular brigades, officials said.

Assigning the training of these teams to one specific division innovates the Army’s approach to developing Iraqi and Afghan security forces, officials said.

The 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, will temporarily reorganize for the training mission. It will initially be assisted by the 3rd Brigade of the 1st Armored Division, officials said, until its modular conversion. Together, the two brigades will have a permanent force of about 800 Soldiers who will annually organize, train and deploy up to 4,000 troops on Transition Teams.

Training for the Transition Teams is being developed in response to a mission support request from U.S. Central Command, officials said.

A vital element in CENTCOM’s strategy for success in Iraq and Afghanistan is to enhance the capabilities of Iraqi Security Forces and the Afghan National Army to enable them to assume the leading role in counterinsurgency and security missions, officials said.

When the Transition Teams have completed their training and preparations, they will deploy and help develop Iraqi and Afghan forces under the command of the Coalition headquarters for each country, Army G3 officials said.

Consolidating this transition team mission at Fort Riley under a single commander enhances the care of Soldiers and their families, better supports Army personnel management, and provides highly trained, fully manned, fully equipped, and cohesive teams, senior Army officials said.

This consolidation also allows the Army to sustain its strategic momentum in building modular formations, the officials said, adding that it improves the Army’s global posture in concert with Base Realignment and Closure activities.

The Army expects this mission to last several years, officials said, during which Fort Riley will experience periodic surges in the population of Soldiers, civilians and Army families as team members arrive, train, and then deploy from the installation.