Posted on 05/15/2010 9:06:40 AM PDT by SandRat
CAMP TAJI – Spc. Igor Pinto Machado, A Chinook helicopter maintainer and native of Brasilia, Brazil, welcomed Iraqi Air Force personnel to witness his Army re-enlistment ceremony during a Cinco de Mayo celebration here, May 5.
Brig. Gen. Nadhem Lefta, the senior Iraqi Air Force officer at Camp Taji, congratulates Spc. Igor Pinto Machado after he re-enlisted with the Army, May 5, 2010. Pinto Machado, a native of Brazil, welcomed the IqAF leaders to the ceremony to show how the U.S. Army recruits and retains Soldiers. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Roland Hale.
During the ceremony, the guests witnessed Machado, who serves with Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, raise his right hand signifying an additional five years of service in the U.S. Army.
"I'm glad I got to be a part of this," said Pinto Machado. "It's great to see the different cultures come together."
The Cinco de Mayo celebration was organized to strengthen the social partnership between the CAB and its IqAF counterparts, and the reenlistment ceremony added a different element to the celebration.
The Iraqis received a glimpse at the U.S. ceremony and the gratitude bestowed upon enlisted Soldiers for committing themselves to the service of their nation – a practice far different from the Iraqi version.
As responsibility for Iraqi security steadily shifts from Coalition forces to the Iraqi Security Forces, The IqAF and other branches of the military are looking to the U.S. military to learn how to best recruit and retain personnel in a volunteer force.
Service in the military was mandatory for Iraqi males under Saddam Hussein's rule, unless they were pursuing a college education. After the 2003 invasion of Iraq, Saddam's military was disbanded and re-established as a volunteer service.
While the new Iraqi military has discarded conscription and become an all volunteer service, many characteristics of the former force remain. Unlike U.S. Soldiers, Iraqis enlist for the entirety of their career – once a Soldier signs up, he is committed to serve until retirement. The average Iraqi troop serves between 20 and 30 years.
Brig. Gen. Nadhem Lefta, the senior IqAF officer at Camp Taji, said that the most essential part of sustaining an effective military force is the morale of its Soldiers.
"The morale has changed with the situation. The Soldier in the war – if he has a goal – it increases his morale," Lefta said. "Our goal now is safety for our country."
The relationships between enlisted Soldiers and commissioned and warrant officers are also important to morale, Lefta said. The Iraqi military has constantly evolved for the past 40 years, and had adopted a Soviet philosophy on discipline, he said.
In the past, enlisted personnel were strictly forbidden to interact with officers. Any offense or disrespect rendered to an officer by a Soldier meant immediate punishment, usually by military confinement.
Iraqi Soldiers have since gained more rights and privileges, Lefta said. The nation's military now follows the U.S. model. Like U.S. Soldiers, Iraqi troops are now allowed much more leniency in their relationships with officers and superiors.
"When the enlisted have a good relationship with the officers, it increases the morale," said Lefta.
Moving forward, Pinto Machado and the CAB will continue their mission of assisting the IqAF in providing air support to security forces on the ground.
BUMP
Far more of a Patriot than any of our leftist “citizens”.
Works for ME!!!
When I came out of the grocery store this morning, I saw a table with a bright looking young couple, he in Marine Uniform and she in casuals with a Marine Corps T-shirt. Both are ROTC students at one of the local highschools. I had to shake both their hands, and tell them I appreciated their desire to serve.
Thank you so much for your news on the “fronts.” There is so little good news we get, and when someone asks about my grandson, I have to tell them of the good things that are happening in Iraq.
Thanks for serving us, even now!!
‘Face
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