New courses prepare National Guard soldiers for Iraq

CAMP ROBERTS -- Army Spc. Nicholas Wissert of Merced stood in a queue of camouflaged soldiers, quizzing one on 15 Arabic phrases they'll rely on when they begin a mission in Iraq at the end of the year.

They aced the practice, repeating phrases for "Stop," "Drop your weapons" and "Do you need help?"

It sounds like basic training for soldiers bound for the Middle East, but Wissert didn't get Arabic lessons when he deployed with the 1st Battalion of the 184th Infantry Regiment three years ago.

"I wish we had this class the first time," said Capt. Guillermo Adame, who leads Wissert's company in the Modesto-based National Guard battalion.

Iraqis "see a soldier with all this gear on and it puts them back. We say a few phrases and they let their guards down," Adame said.

The language class wasn't the only improvement in combat training that Adame noted during the past month of training at Camp Roberts, a 43,000-acre base north of Paso Robles.

Two companies from the 184th and a Southern California battalion from the 185th Armored Regiment are expected to protect convoys during their yearlong assignment in the war zone. More than 800 soldiers are preparing for the mission.

Adame and leaders from the battalions shaped their training to that task. They split their soldiers into the small teams that likely will form to travel in Humvees, helping them build relationships that will pay off when they get to Iraq.

"We rely on each other, so I basically have to understand them to know how they're going to react in certain situations," said Sgt. Javier Castillo, a member of the 184th who lives in Modesto. "Everyone reacts differently."

Soldiers centered their early training on getting in shape and learning to use their weapons. They woke up at 4:30 a.m. each day, went on long runs and broke for hikes in dry heat, toting their gear into Central California's coastal foothills.

They practiced using heavy weapons, such as the .50-caliber machine guns that will sit on the back of their Humvees in Iraq. A typical day eased to an end with a 5 p.m. dinner, but they often had classes afterward. Some of the subjects included basic medical skills they can use to keep their colleagues alive.

They also made time for simulations of what they might encounter in Iraq, such as mock checkpoints where trainers hid fake improvised explosive de- vices.

"Last time, we didn't know what our mission was, so we were training for everything," Adame said. "By the time we found out what our mission was, we could've done things that could've helped us."

Troops look ahead

The focus in the latest training kept up morale in the companies. They finished their most difficult tasks a week early, giving them time to clean weapons and discuss what's ahead.

This month, they'll fly to Fort McCoy in Wisconsin for more tactical training. Commanders aren't sure when they'll be called to Iraq.

They say the ties they develop in training will prove valuable, especially because the battalions have a mix of new faces in their ranks.

Some are new recruits.

"I knew sooner or later it was going to be my time to go," said Pfc. Gilberto Hernandez, 18, a Modesto High School graduate who joined the National Guard three months ago. "It's sooner rather than later."

Others are veterans from different units. They joined the Guard after leaving active duty, or signed up for this mission.

"I'm looking forward to seeing how (Iraq has) progressed since I've been there," said Pfc. Ralph Salazar, 24, of Fresno, who fought in Iraq as a Marine in 2003.

Some drills presented new challenges for the rookies.

Arabic prayers blasted from a loudspeaker while a unit from the 185th practiced searching for weapons at a mock checkpoint Wednesday morning. Simulated grenades and machine-gun fire echoed from a drill in a neighboring field.

One man drove a pickup to a gate while two other actors followed on foot, tapping their wrists and shouting, "Work, work, I go to work."

Soldiers in the drill did a quick search of the truck and waved it to a second checkpoint while they frisked its driver.

The actors on foot started behaving oddly and soldiers ordered them to the ground with their hands on their heads. Some of the troops used profane language.

Soldiers kneeled on the backs of the actors and searched their pockets. They kept one and let the other go. The one who left promptly turned and pointed a hidden gun at a soldier and shouted, "Bang, bang, bang."

The soldier was dead for the drill.

Meanwhile, soldiers at the second checkpoint determined the truck was clean of any improvised explosive devices. They let the driver go.

"Boom, boom, boom, you just let an IED in your area," a trainer shouted.

After the drill, the soldiers convened for a recap. Trainers said they did well to call extra soldiers to inspect the men at the checkpoints, but they missed the gun and a fake bomb under the driver's seat in the truck.

Soldiers also used profanity when they ordered the actors to the ground, which could instill bad relations that would harm Americans in the battle for hearts and minds, the trainers said.

They ran the drill a second time with a few changes. They didn't make the same mistakes.

"There are some things we need to work through, but I think we did very well," said 2nd Lt. David Taliaferro of San Diego, who is preparing for his first mission in Iraq.

Veterans from the 184th generally anticipate finding a calmer Iraq than they encountered in their first mission, when they spent a year patrolling Baghdad. Eleven men from the battalion were killed during that tour.

Adame said the companies are making some changes based on what they learned in 2005.

They're assigning mechanics, communications specialists and administrative soldiers to each company to make the units self-sufficient. That should make the companies more agile and cut down on the time they have to spend in line waiting for fixes.

"You need to be prepared for everything," Adame said.

Wissert, the specialist from Merced, agreed with the captain. He thought he'd benefit from the language lessons and from the drills he practiced at Camp Roberts.

"Our enemy's always changing," he said. "We have to always change."

Bee staff writer Adam Ashton can be reached at aashton@modbee.com or 578-2366.

This story was originally published August 10, 2008 at 3:03 AM with the headline "New courses prepare National Guard soldiers for Iraq."