COB ADDER – As the United States continues to prepare for the eventual withdraw of forces from Iraq, its service members are focused on training Iraqi Security Forces to assume the responsibility of securing their nation.

To that end, a group of Iraqi Commandos and members of the Iraqi Tactical Support Unit received training here throughout April, when Soldiers with the 12th Combat Aviation Brigade provided instruction on helicopter insertion techniques.

The training, conducted with the help of two U.S. Special Forces Soldiers, was supervised by the 12th CAB's plans section. Capt. Igan O'Reilly, a coordinator for the section, said the training gave a new tool to the Iraqis to help them act quickly against hostile targets and prevent enemy escape.

"With these newly developed techniques, [we're] pushing them toward self-sufficiency and, in the future, helping them collaborate with other organizations in Iraq," he said. "So that when we do draw down our forces later on, they will have that level of competence in their training and the ability to conduct their own missions."

The Iraqis are learning to walk before they run, said O'Reilly, a Gloucester, Va. native. Soon, the students will be called upon to prove what they’ve learned through practical training exercises.

One member of the Iraqi TSU and a Police Trainer, Sgt. Hraade, said the students are held to a high standard to ensure they perform real-world operations without making mistakes.

The one thing he asks of his Soldiers is patience with the training, as motivation and a positive attitude are required.

"I would like them to be patient with us, because we've asked them to do a lot of stuff," he said. "The thing is, it's a short training course, only four weeks, so there's a lot of information we need to give them and it's not easy for them. We appreciate them."

As part of the overall Train the Trainer concept here, the students can return to their units and train fellow Iraqis on the skills they first learned from U.S. forces.