'Shoot faster and make them harder to kill': Next wave of Aussie troops train Iraqi forces
Updated
The next rotation of Australian soldiers will head to Iraq in the next few weeks to continue training local forces to fight Islamic State (ISIS) jihadists.
While the exact date of their deployment is secret, 200 Darwin-based soldiers are preparing to join 200 colleagues from around the country and New Zealand to become part of Task Group Taji, which has been operating since May 2015.
The 400-strong contingent will relieve the Australian troops currently instructing Iraqis in the art of battle.
Commanding Officer Lieutenant Colonel Chris Gardiner said the Iraqi soldiers now fighting Islamic State were using techniques they learnt from Australian trainers.
He said urban warfare tactics were crucial in the operation to retake the city of Mosul.
"The training we're conducting here in Darwin is preparing us to train Iraqi security forces to get into fights like Mosul," he said.
"Forces currently in Mosul have been trained by Task Group Taji personnel."
Major Timothy Fricker also leads the contingent of trainers and said they were motivated by the knowledge their Iraqi students would soon be fighting ISIS.
"It provides a real purpose to the mission, knowing that the soldiers we train today are going to be deployed on conventional operations tomorrow," Major Fricker said.
While undergoing their final training at Robertson Barracks in Darwin, a small group of soldiers demonstrated to the media some of the battle techniques they will be imparting in the Middle East.
They include urban combat skills such as keeping a low silhouette when approaching doors and windows and how to safely peer around corners.
Lieutenant Colonel Gardiner said such expertise would improve the efficiency of Iraqi troops.
"We're just trying to hone their skills, enable them to shoot faster, shoot straighter, make them harder to kill so they can get in there and get into the fight," he said.
Lieutenant Colonel Gardiner said he believed the Iraqi army would eventually defeat Islamic State.
"I genuinely believe they will defeat Daesh, because the training they receive is first class and they're motivated and want their country back," he said.
Topics: defence-forces, unrest-conflict-and-war, darwin-0800
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