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| By Spc. Nikki St. Amant/The Bayonet FORT BENNING, Ga. (April 5, 2004) – Ten Fort Benning drill sergeants from B Company, 2nd Battalion, 47th Infantry Regiment, are on the ground in Iraq as part of a pilot program to use American drill sergeants as trainers for the Iraqi Civil Defense Corps. The drill sergeants deployed in January on 179-day orders. The B Co. commander, Capt. Christopher Coulter, said the drill sergeants’ mission is one that supercedes their mission at Fort Benning. “The Army needed expert trainers to develop the Iraqi Civil Defense Corps,” Coulter said. “The drill sergeants we sent are some of the finest military trainers in the world. Although we miss their experience and expertise at Benning, we are all very proud of them and what they are accomplishing.” Sgt. 1st Class Tyrone Miller, one of the 10 deployed in Iraq, said the drill sergeants have encountered significant challenges in training the new Iraqi force. “Some of the difficulties we face while training the Iraqi army are language barriers and finding interpreters who can get a key point across while teaching. Another is getting (Iraqi soldiers) to work together,” Miller said. “It’s hard because of the different backgrounds. “For years, they were taught to be separate and look down on each other, and now we are trying to teach them to work together," he said. "We have Turks, Arabs and Kurds, so the key is to try to balance the units we are building.” In their time in Iraq, the drill sergeants have had to learn to adapt to a changing mission scope. “Our mission was to facilitate basic training for the Iraqi Civil Defense Corps,” Miller said. “It has since changed to creating and teaching a primary leadership development course. “We have supported the 173rd Airborne out of Italy, 25th Infantry Division from Hawaii, the 4th Infantry Division from Fort Hood, Texas, and the 1st Infantry Division out of Germany,” he said. “With each unit, the scope of our duty changes. Some of us have gone on raids and improvised explosive device sweeps, manned check points and conducted patrols.” The drill sergeants have served in Bilad, Kirkuk, Tuz, Al Fallujah, Daquq, Tazul, Tikrit and Baqubah in the few months they have been in Iraq. Even though drill sergeants aren’t usually tasked to serve in combat theaters and the drill sergeants didn’t volunteer, Miller said they are happy to be there. “Although we were selected to deploy to Iraq, we are excited to have a chance to do our part and serve with the rest of the men and women who are enduring the hardships of combat and being away from home,” Miller said. “Being here makes you appreciate home,” he said. These 10 drill sergeants have also had the pleasure of enjoying one of the most valuable rewards of the position — one that most drill sergeants never have the opportunity to experience. “Most of us have had the opportunity to go on patrols or raids with Soldiers we trained at Fort Benning and see how they have grown and matured and are applying the basics we taught them,” Miller said. “The experience is outstanding.” Miller said tradition and loyalty is what keeps the drill sergeants going through the hardship of being pulled from a Training and Doctrine Command assignment and being assigned to a combat zone. “Many men and women before us have gone to combat and upheld the standards and pride of military service — no matter what branch. It is truly an honor to be a part of military history and to serve among the best,” Miller said. Though tradition is what keeps the drill sergeants professionally grounded, it’s family that keeps them emotionally grounded. “We would like to say to our families that we are OK, we love you and thank you for your support because it means more than you could ever know,” Miller said for the group. “No matter what, we remember our drill sergeant motto — ‘This we’ll defend!’” |
Eight of the 10 Benning drill sergeants deployed in Iraq in their battle rattle. View and/or save high-resolution photo |
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