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Iraq Reopens Military Training Academy Near Baghdad

Baghdad, Iraq -- The Iraqi Ministry of Defense swore in 43 cadets Oct. 7, beginning a 90-day officer training course at the Iraqi Military Academy Al Rustamiyah (IMAR) near Baghdad. The cadets are former military academy students who had finished 24 months of a planned 36-month training course under the old regime.

According to Lt. Col. Peter Ott, Coalition Military Assistance Training Team director of education, the new Iraqi army leaders thought it would be a good idea to give the cadets the benefit of additional training before returning them to their duties. "IMAR is doing this one three-month session then they will begin their own mission of a 12-month academy program recruiting civilians with post high school degrees," Ott said. "They will work on a trimester system recruiting 275 [cadets] each term working up to about 750 a year. This will be a non-branch all service academy."

The commander of IMAR, a brigadier general (name withheld for security reasons) said the main goal of the academy is to create a training program to teach young officers to be leaders for the new Iraqi armed forces, using what was good from the past and adding in new knowledge to improve the curriculum.

"We looked at the lessons from the old academy and kept the good things for the new academy but we got rid of all the things that we thought were not good for the new army," he said. "They will still get basic training, along with more advanced training and everything else you would expect at a military school. We have coordination with other military academies around the world, so we are just like an academy anywhere else, but with our own Iraqi traditions and customs. Above all we ask them to be good leaders for their country."

The curriculum includes topics like; leadership, doctrine, the principles of war, marksmanship, map reading and navigation, tactics, signals/communications, management, military administration and logistics, military laws, physical training and combat fitness, organization of the state, state and international affairs, human rights and civil affairs, military geography, history and more. The 90-day initial course runs from October through December.

Release #041009b