CALL Handbook 07-34 PRT Playbook

[Tom Odom]

I've been waiting for such a publication for some time.

When I deployed to Iraq in 2004 as a CA Team Leader we had little relevant training that would have helped us do our work. Being a Bosnia vet helped a lot but CAPOC could have done more than PT us into the ground every day.

Earlier this year I was again in Iraq this time with USAID and made it a point to ask my former brothers in arms about their pre-deployment training. They did a jump at Bragg and all that goes with preparing for a safe jump. No CERP training, little cultural training, no COIN awareness but a lot of PT and range time. Most of their work in country was taken up with conducting local assessments with little understanding of the significance of that crucial mission. How do we know what the people of Iraq really think?

My first look at the cover makes me wonder if the army should talk to someone in the publishing industry before it creates a cover for such an important book. I hope you can't tell this book by its cover as it seems to reinforce the common misperception that you can win over an insurgent controlled population simply by giving out soccer balls or getting a small child to laugh. Looking at the cover might cause a hard-bitten third tour grunt to dismiss the valuable lesson that I hope are inside.

Instead of the touchy-feely pics on the current cover I'd have pics of a team sitting down with a local community leader asking relevant questions, conducting over-sight of the drilling of a CERP funded water well and most critically training their Iraqi counter-parts in military civic-action TTPs.

Back in Iraq next month.

Creon01

Creon,

A cover on a book is a cover; what counts is what is inside. I would suggest that you take the time to write down some of your experiences and share them. After you deployed in 2004 did you consider writing down what you learned?

I can help you with that as can my headquarters. There are several companions to this handbook but you will need to log on to access them.

best

Tom

[jcustis]

http://call.army.mil/docs/07-34/toc.asp

The previosuly posted link wasn't working when I went looking, but after a resumed search, I found the html links where the same info (minus .jpeg or .bmp figures perhaps) can be downloaded by chapter.

[chrisleslie]

Tom (& jcustis!) --

thanks for posting the links to this...I'm heading out to a PRT in Iraq in September, and I do plan to read this backwards and forwards, along with parts of FM 03-24 and the newly-published USG COIN Guide.

I'm slated to take part in a pre-deployment field exercise at JRTC in August, and I'm curious how much of the material in this book and the others (FM 03-24, COIN Guide, etc) will be reflected in the program?

All in all, lots of really good stuff, especially for those of us in DOS.

[Tom Odom]

Tom (& jcustis!) --

thanks for posting the links to this...I'm heading out to a PRT in Iraq in September, and I do plan to read this backwards and forwards, along with parts of FM 03-24 and the newly-published USG COIN Guide.

I'm slated to take part in a pre-deployment field exercise at JRTC in August, and I'm curious how much of the material in this book and the others (FM 03-24, COIN Guide, etc) will be reflected in the program?

All in all, lots of really good stuff, especially for those of us in DOS.

Chris,

On JRTC you will see a lot of the same material --I normally work there.

Do you know which PRT you are going to? If Baghdad, I will most likely see you.

Best
Tom

[Tom Odom]

Chris

Look also at the following CALL pubs. You will need to request access via the CALL web site to download them. Go to http://call.army.mil

FOUO version Handbook 07-11 PRT TTPs

FOUO Handbook 08-12 Commander's Emergency Response Program (CERP) TTPs

Best
Tom

[chrisleslie]

Tom,

thanks for the links and info I'll be sure to get access to them and give them a read. Following my current assignment with the MFO in the Sinai, I'm headed back to CONUS for about 5 weeks of training, including a 9-day field ex at JRTC, and then on to Iraq. I've been assigned to PRT Babil, and I'm pretty stoked to get out there.

[Tom Odom]

Tom,

thanks for the links and info I'll be sure to get access to them and give them a read. Following my current assignment with the MFO in the Sinai, I'm headed back to CONUS for about 5 weeks of training, including a 9-day field ex at JRTC, and then on to Iraq. I've been assigned to PRT Babil, and I'm pretty stoked to get out there.

We'll get together somehow for a non-virtual SWJ meeting. There are a few of us here

Tom