Iraqi Soldiers Trying to Clear Logistics Hurdle

10 July Stars and Stripes - Iraqi Soldiers Trying to Clear Logistics Hurdle.

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To hear it from an Iraqi soldier, the needs of the nation’s developing army are heartbreakingly simple: Soap. Bullets. Weapons. Better food.

To ask an Iraqi officer — or an American soldier from one of the Army’s Military Transition Teams, which help train Iraqi forces — logistics is a serious issue that has stymied an eager and increasingly competent force.

Soldiers from 3rd Battalion, 1st Brigade, 4th Iraqi Army Division, which is based in Tikrit, spin a familiar tale: things are improving. Citizens’ trust is increasing. Soldiers are better trained. Patrols and missions are up. For the 3rd Battalion, roadside bombs have decreased by a whopping 70 percent in recent months thanks to greater vigilance on the roads.

But the relationship with American forces is still a dependent one, and may be for years to come, leaders say...

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