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KIRKUSH MILITARY TRAINING BASE, Iraq - Beyond simply teaching ground combat soldiers to succeed on the battlefield, U.S. and Iraqi leaders at Kirkush Military Training Base took Tadreeb al Shamil, All Inclusive Training, to the upper echelons of the 5th Iraqi Army Division. For the first time at KMTB, Iraqi officers took the lead in training 5th IA Div. staff officers on the planning efforts happening behind the missions, March 12. "This class is a good opportunity for the officers to extend their knowledge and exchange ideas with American leadership," said Maj. Hatam Rashed Kalifah, IA officer in charge of training at KMTB.

Initially taught by American officers, Iraqi and U.S. leadership agreed to transition the training efforts toward Iraqi-led classes for staff officers, in order to build confidence within the officer corps, Hatam explained.

Hatam led his officers through a series of classes on the proper way to plan and issue operations orders that make the missions run smoothly for noncommissioned officers and soldiers within the ranks.

"I'm very proud to teach the young officers to become leaders," said Hatam, who has instructed officers for more than 20 years. "It's very important for them to understand how to deal with it, how to issue it and how to execute it."

Hatam worked through slide presentations and handouts, while his students busily took notes on the various types of orders, as well as the purposes and applications for each.

There are three types of orders used in the IA, Hatam explained, general, urgent and movement-with urgent being the most important.

"As leaders, they have to understand and know the standards," he said.

U.S. Army Maj. Edward Worthington, Stability Transition Team advisor, explained while American officers develop plans and direct NCOs to execute those plans, the Iraqi Army places much more attention and responsibility on their officers.

"The officers are directly responsible for planning, more so in the Iraqi Army than in ours," said Worthington. "All the planning and execution starts and ends with the officer corps in the Iraqi Army."

Hatam, a veteran of the Iran-Iraq War, now leads a group of much younger staff officers into a future of autonomous operations following the withdrawal of U.S. forces at the end of Operation New Dawn.

Hatam said he hopes the young officers will adapt to changing strategies and see the benefits of past and present cooperation with U.S. forces.

After the IA began rebuilding in 2003, the Iraqi-led Tadreeb al Shamil initiative now seeks to complete the process and present the army as a modernized, independent force capable of national defense, noted Worthington.

Having Iraqi officers as instructors leading their own classes for fellow staff members helps meet that goal, he said.

"It's a huge accomplishment," Worthington explained. "All of our time and effort, along with their commitment, is what is going to endure here . keep the country safe and ensure their democracy."