2006年VOA标准英语-US Army Intensifies 'Train the Trainers' Progra

By Al Pessin
Kansas
18 December 2006

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Army training troops who will serve as advisers to the Iraqis are seen in Fort Riley, Kansas, 28 Oct 2006

In the raging debate over the future of U.S. policy toward Iraq, there is one point on which all sides seem to agree - the need for more U.S. troops dedicated² to training the Iraqi army and police forces. The U.S. Army already has a program designed to train those trainers at a huge base in the Midwestern state of Kansas. VOA's Al Pessin visited Fort Riley and filed this report.

The Iraqi villagers are angry. Two of their friends have been detained, and they want them released.

Iraqi soldiers get control of the situation, with the help of their American advisers.

But this is not what it seems to be. All the people involved are American soldiers, some in training, others playing the roles of Iraqi soldiers and civilians³. And the village? It is a collection of shipping⁴ containers and temporary buildings on a sandy field in middle-America.

One of the U.S. soldiers playing the role of an Iraqi villager is Private Xanthe Smith.

"Our purpose here is, basically, we can get ISF [Iraq Security Force] soldiers trained and ready," said Smith. "That way, they can take care of their own country, without us being there. And, then, we can bring all of our soldiers home."

Smith is helping⁵ train other American soldiers, who will go to Iraq to train members of the Iraqi Security Forces, the ISF.

The commander of the "Train the Trainers" operation, Colonel Jeff Ingram, says it is different from most Army training, and requires the soldiers to change their mindset.

"You can always lead from the front. That is what we do," said Ingram. "That is what we have always done. However, here, our focus is not to lead the Iraqi army. It is to get the Iraqi leaders to lead better."

That message appears to be sinking in among trainees⁶ like Sergeant⁷ First Class Christopher Perkins, a 17-year military veteran.

"As a non-commissioned officer, we have been taught for a long time to take charge, and, if you see a problem, fix it. But, we have to adjust that. You know, it would be better if he does it so-so [more or less adequately], than if an American does it perfectly⁸ to standard," noted⁹ Perkins.

Sergeant Perkins says this type of training also requires the Americans to bring their own skills to a higher level in exercises like this one, in which the soldiers review how to clear a building.

"If I just teach you a skill, you know it. If I teach you a skill to teach it to someone else, you master it," said Perkins.

And according to Major Larry Nelson, those enhanced skills are important for another reason. Major Nelson is stationed in northern Iraq, where he is one of 11 advisers assigned to an Iraqi army battalion¹⁰ of about 700 soldiers. He visited Fort Riley for two days recently to help with the "Train the Trainers" Program, and he says the American training teams need to be prepared to operate far from other American forces in potentially dangerous situations.

"You have to be able to survive as a team," emphasized Nelson. "You have to build your team first. When you get over there, I mean, that is all you have got."

Major Nelson says this training will give his successors some advantages he did not have when he arrived in Iraq six months ago. One of them is enhanced training in Iraqi culture and language, some of it in a computer lab in one of Fort Riley's hastily-built modular classrooms. On one recent evening, dozens of soldiers were using an Arabic-teaching program, supervised by Sergeant Harris Hatfield.

"This is the Tactical Language and Culture Training System. So, you put on the headset, and you listen to a conversation. And, then, you click on the microphone, and you repeat what you hear. And, the computer will tell you whether or not you got it right or wrong. [Computer]: 'Salaam¹¹ Aleekum'. [Harris]: 'Salaam Aleekum'. Sounds like you said, 'Salaam Aleekum.' So it gives you feedback once you go into the lesson," explained Hatfield.

Efforts to increase the number and quality of American military training teams in Iraq, and also for Afghanistan, are moving faster than Ft. Riley can train those trainers. Many U.S. units are taking troops off the front lines, and sending them to live and work full time with Iraqi units.

Lieutenant¹² Colonel Lou Long, who commands 43 American trainers in northern Iraq, says more teams are needed, and they need to be larger.

"I think it is very important to increase the size of them," ssaid Long. "We have talked about that a lot. We figured it needs to be somewhere between 24 and 30 people on a team."

But, Colonel Long says, not all members of the team need to be trained as trainers. He says, if the teams have their own security and logistics capability¹³, the specially-trained trainers can spend more time working with their Iraqi counterparts. He and other officers say, the more that happens, the more quickly the Iraqi will units improve, and the more quickly they will not need so many U.S. and coalition¹⁴ combat troops in the country.

1 advisers   

顾问，劝告者( adviser的名词复数 )； （指导大学新生学科问题等的）指导教授

参考例句：

• a member of the President's favoured circle of advisers 总统宠爱的顾问班子中的一员
• She withdrew to confer with her advisers before announcing a decision. 她先去请教顾问然后再宣布决定。

2 dedicated   

adj.一心一意的；献身的；热诚的

参考例句：

• He dedicated his life to the cause of education.他献身于教育事业。
• His whole energies are dedicated to improve the design.他的全部精力都放在改进这项设计上了。

3 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

4 shipping   

n.船运（发货，运输，乘船）

参考例句：

• We struck a bargain with an American shipping firm.我们和一家美国船运公司谈成了一笔生意。
• There's a shipping charge of ￡5 added to the price.价格之外另加五英镑运输费。

5 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

6 trainees   

新兵( trainee的名词复数 )； 练习生； 接受训练的人； 训练中的动物

参考例句：

• We've taken on our full complement of new trainees. 我们招收的新学员已经满额了。
• The trainees were put through an assault course. 受训人员接受了突击训练课程。

7 sergeant   

n.警官，中士

参考例句：

• His elder brother is a sergeant.他哥哥是个警官。
• How many stripes are there on the sleeve of a sergeant?陆军中士的袖子上有多少条纹？

8 perfectly   

adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
• Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。

9 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

10 battalion   

n.营；部队；大队(的人)

参考例句：

• The town was garrisoned by a battalion.该镇由一营士兵驻守。
• At the end of the drill parade,the battalion fell out.操练之后，队伍解散了。

11 salaam   

n.额手之礼，问安，敬礼；v.行额手礼

参考例句：

• And the people were so very friendly:full of huge beaming smiles,calling out "hello" and "salaam".这里的人民都很友好，灿然微笑着和我打招呼，说“哈罗”和“萨拉姆”。
• Salaam is a Muslim form of salutation.额手礼是穆斯林的问候方式。

12 lieutenant   

n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员

参考例句：

• He was promoted to be a lieutenant in the army.他被提升为陆军中尉。
• He prevailed on the lieutenant to send in a short note.他说动那个副官，递上了一张简短的便条进去。

13 capability   

n.能力；才能；(pl)可发展的能力或特性等

参考例句：

• She has the capability to become a very fine actress.她有潜力成为杰出演员。
• Organizing a whole department is beyond his capability.组织整个部门是他能力以外的事。

14 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。