WASHINGTON —The US Army is using more effective ways to build Iraqi forces to battle in the fight against the Islamic State group as it sets up future operations against a "committed and capable" enemy, said one of the Army's experts in sustaining the fight.
"Sustainment would be easier if we had more force structure in Iraq. We have to be well ahead of the war fight," said Maj. Gen. Paul Hurley at a Warriors Corner session, "Winning in a Complex World: Lessons from Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve" at the AUSA convention Tuesday. in Washington, D.C. Hurley is deputy commander for sustainment at US Army Central.
"We are doing what we need to do to re-establish capability within Iraqi security forces, finding more effective ways to build partner capacity, and making great strides in that area," he said. adding that "We do not advertise what we do."
The US wants to do build capability in Iraq with a "minimal footprint" there, he said. "We're not building an army in our image, we're building an army in their image."
The US-led effort established last October, Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve, has brought "overwhelming firepower and sustainment capabilities" to the fight against ISIL, destroying their fortifications and thousands of weapons and vehicles and inflicting "substantial damage" against the enemy, Hurley said. But challenges from this enemy persist, and it is still able to operate in the region and bring destructive force to its operations.
"We are setting conditions for future anti-ISIL operations in an environment that is increasingly kinetic" in the Central Command region, he said. Missions in the region extend beyond Iraq and Afghanistan to include, for example, supporting Egyptian forces fighting a stubborn insurgency in Sinai, which the US Army is supporting from Kuwait.
The US Army has increasing requirements in the region, and Hurley noted a "growing appetite" among other countries to partner with American forces so they can "figure out how we do what we do." One significant area for improvement among the countries in the region is in sustainment and logistics, he said.
American forces are training with Jordanian counterparts and establishing partnerships with Saudi counterparts, for example. Yemen is also showing an interest in working the US forces, Hurley said.
CJTF – OIR is synchronizing operations among all joint forces operating in Iraq, Hurley said, and has facilitated training of more than 15,000 forces and supplied them with vehicles, thousands of small arms and millions of rounds of ammunition for the fight against ISIL.
Lessons from the Army's experience in the region include:
- The necessity for a functional and ready forward mission command capability.
- Persistent presence in the theater and establishing relations has provided access to critical infrastructure that allowed rapid response to the ISIL challenge.
- Army Central's ARCENT's forward stations in theater enabled crucial communication, intelligence and sustainment capabilities for CJTF – OIR.
- Multinational staffs are challenging to build during a crisis, and clear and consistent communications is essential.
Hurley emphasized the importance of having a stable presence in the region, particularly in Kuwait, from which the US Army can support operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"The beauty of a permanent presence in Kuwait is the deep bench of experience," he said.
Email: kcurthoys@militarytimes.com
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Kathleen Curthoys is editor of Army Times. She has been an editor at Military Times for 20 years, covering issues that affect service members. She previously worked as an editor and staff writer at newspapers in Columbus, Georgia; Huntsville, Alabama; Bloomington, Indiana; Monterey, California and in Germany.
