The NATO Training Mission-Iraq (NTM-I) was established in 2004 at the request of the, at that point unelected,
Iraqi Interim Government
The Iraqi Interim Government was created by the United States and its coalition allies as a caretaker government to govern Iraq until the drafting of the new constitution following the National Assembly election conducted on January 30, 2005 ...
under the provisions of
UN Security Council Resolution 1546. The aim of NTM-I was to assist in the development of the collaborating Iraqi security forces’ training structures and institutions so that the Iraqi Interim Government could build an effective and sustainable capability that addressed the needs of the newly established nation. NTM-I was not a combat mission but a distinct mission, under the political control of NATO's
North Atlantic Council
The North Atlantic Council (NAC) is the principal political decision-making body of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), consisting of permanent representatives of its member countries. It was established by wikisource:North Atlantic ...
. Its operational emphasis was on training and mentoring. The activities of the mission were coordinated with Iraqi authorities and the
US-led Deputy Commanding General Advising and Training (DCG (A&T)), who was also dual-hatted as the Commander of NTM-I. The mission came to an end in December 2011.
Activity
NTM-I delivered training, advice and mentoring support along three main lines of activity:
* Support to the Iraqi
command and control structure.
* The professionalization of
Iraqi Armed Forces
The Iraqi Armed Forces are the military forces of the Iraq, Republic of Iraq. They consist of the Iraqi Army, Ground forces, the Iraqi Army Aviation Command, Army Aviation Command, the Iraqi Air Force, the Iraqi Air Defence Command, Air Defence ...
Officers training and education and the professional development at the
non-commissioned officer
A non-commissioned officer (NCO) is an enlisted rank, enlisted leader, petty officer, or in some cases warrant officer, who does not hold a Commission (document), commission. Non-commissioned officers usually earn their position of authority b ...
Academy both within Iraq and abroad. Complementing institutional education is the NTM-I role in developing Iraqi doctrine. Finally, supporting this line of activity is NATO out-of-country training which saw over 1800 members of the Iraqi security forces attend specialized training abroad from 2004 to 2011.
* Professionalization of the
Iraqi Police
The Iraqi Police (IP) is the uniformed police force responsible for the enforcement of civil law in Iraq. Its organisation, structure and recruitment were guided by the Coalition Provisional Authority after the 2003 American invasion of Iraq, ...
through the
Carabinieri
The Carabinieri (, also , ; formally ''Arma dei Carabinieri'', "Arm of Carabineers"; previously ''Corpo dei Carabinieri Reali'', "Royal Carabineers Corps") are the national gendarmerie of Italy who primarily carry out domestic and foreign poli ...
-led training.
The challenge for NTM-I was in the transition from being a training provider to becoming a mentor of trainers and ultimately establishing the capability for Iraq to autonomously organise and direct security force training as part of a broader strategic relationship with
NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental Transnationalism, transnational military alliance of 32 Member states of NATO, member s ...
. 2010 was a significant year in Iraq, as the United States continued to withdraw their combat forces, and the
Iraqi Armed Forces
The Iraqi Armed Forces are the military forces of the Iraq, Republic of Iraq. They consist of the Iraqi Army, Ground forces, the Iraqi Army Aviation Command, Army Aviation Command, the Iraqi Air Force, the Iraqi Air Defence Command, Air Defence ...
and
Ministry of Interior
An interior ministry or ministry of the interior (also called ministry of home affairs or ministry of internal affairs) is a government department that is responsible for domestic policy, public security and law enforcement.
In some states, th ...
took on further security responsibilities. The main activities during transition were the standardisation of Iraqi Officer Education and Training (OET), the training of the Iraqi Federal Police, and the assistance to the Directorate of Border Security.
Through its activities NTM-I helped pave the way for a long-term relationship between the Alliance and Iraq under a Structured Cooperation Framework.
NTM-I operated in four different areas in-
theatre
Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors to present experiences of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a Stage (theatre), stage. The performe ...
:
* The NTM-I Headquarters (HQ) resided within the Union III Forward Operating Base in the
international zone
An international zone is any area not fully subject to the border control policies of the state in which it is located. There are several types of international zones ranging from special economic zones and sterile zones at ports of entry ex ...
. NATO staff traveled to different ISF locations within the IZ to provide training, advising and mentoring.
* The NTM-I Forward base at
Rustamiyah, some 15 km south east of Baghdad, supported the Iraqi Military Academy and the Joint Staff College, as well as the Base Defence Battalion that maintained security at Rustamiyah.
* NTM-I also operated at the
Taji Air Base, 27 km north west of Baghdad, which supported the training of the Iraqi Senior Non-Commissioned Officer courses and the Battle Staff Training.
* The fourth location was
Camp Dublin, located south of
Baghdad International Airport. This is where the Italian Carabinieri Training Unit carried out the training of the Iraqi Federal Police.
23 NATO member countries and one partner country contributed directly to the training effort through the provision of personnel, funding or equipment donations. The NTM-I footprint was a small tactical force of around 170 NATO/
Partnership for Peace
The Partnership for Peace (PfP; ) is a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) program aimed at creating trust and cooperation between the member states of NATO and other states mostly in Europe, including post-Soviet states; 18 states are ...
personnel, representing 13 member nations (as at August 2010).
Primary NATO Contributions

* – 60 instructors and a protection company in addition to airlift support and logistics.
* – In July 2010, the Italian Army deployed 90 soldiers to Iraq under NTM-I: a Major General, Deputy Commander of the mission; a senior officer, Advisor of the Iraqi Minister of Defense, in an advisory capacity for training and liaison with the NTM-I HQ; a senior officer, an adviser to Iraq's top military university (National Defense University), which coordinated, along with his staff, the training-instructional and doctrinal development within training institutes for officers at the "National Defence College" and "Joint Staff and Command College"; a senior officer of the
Carabinieri
The Carabinieri (, also , ; formally ''Arma dei Carabinieri'', "Arm of Carabineers"; previously ''Corpo dei Carabinieri Reali'', "Royal Carabineers Corps") are the national gendarmerie of Italy who primarily carry out domestic and foreign poli ...
, head of the "Gendarmerie Training Division", with a team of about 60 Carabinieri, carried out training of VET; unit of the Carabinieri providing training of Iraqi police at Camp Dublin, trainer of NTM-I area near Baghdad International Airport. Additionally, a senior officer of the Italian Navy served as the Advisor of the Commander of Naval Forces in Iraq.
* – A contingent of Danish troops deployed to train Iraqi forces under NTM-I, numbering 10 trainers and seven soldiers for force protection in September 2007.
* – 10 military police and 15 trainers deployed to Iraq in September 2007
[Status of coalition forces in Iraq – Yahoo! News]
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* – The UK has deployed 11 soldiers to Iraq under NTM-I.
* – As of September 2007, 2 Turkish soldiers served in Baghdad.
* – As of September 2007, there were 2 instructors in Iraq, while the deployment of 5 more was a possibility.
* – 3 Lithuanian trainers deployed to Iraq in September 2007.
* – Three officers as of October 2008.
* – One officer deployed under NTM-I in September 2008.
* – Portuguese Army contributed from February 2005 until the end of NTM-I mission usually with six officers and two NCOs.
* – In October 2006, the Bulgarian government sent 4 officers.
* - As of September 2009, the Albanian government sent 1 officer and 1 NCO with rotation bases, as part of NTM-I in Baghdad.
Withdrawn
* – Four soldiers deployed under NTM-I in December 2008
* – A 'public information officer' was withdrawn in September 2007.
* – 5 instructors were withdrawn in April 2007.
* – Sent 4 trainers to Iraq in 2006, these men have since been withdrawn.
* – 10 trainers were withdrawn in September 2007.
* – There were 3 Hungarian soldiers serving under NTM-I as of November, 2008.
Other NATO Contributions
* , , – Jointly conducted a training programme for Iraqi police officers in the UAE from December 2003. Germany also trained Iraqi logistics troops in a separate UAE-based mission as of December 2004. Belgium offered 10 instructors to the latter programme.
* , – Separately offered to conduct training outside Iraq; the former did not specify where, while the latter suggested Qatar.
* – Donated second-hand tanks to the Iraqi Army.
* , , , , – Each hosted domestic training programmes for Iraqi security forces. Latvia, Lithuania and Turkey offered to host similar programmes.
* , , , – Each contributed over $500,000 in cash to a mission trust fund.
Non-NATO Contributions
* – Although not a NATO member, Jordan's contribution was by far the most extensive, having graduated 50,000 Iraqi police officers by February 2007, plus smaller numbers of Iraqi Army soldiers and Air Force personnel. Jordan also donated a substantial number of tanks.
* – Invited an Iraqi Army company to participate in joint military training in 2004.
* – since December 2006, when 8 officers were sent to Iraq. There were 8 officers in January 2010,[Павел Прохоренко]
«В Ираке бойцы „Альфы“ получают меньше других, а служат дольше»
// «Комсомольская правда в Украине» от 19 января 2010 and all withdrew by December 2011.
See also
* Multi-National Force – Iraq
The Multi-National Force – Iraq (MNF–I), often referred to as the Coalition forces, was a U.S.-led military command during the Iraq War from 2004 to 2009.
The vast majority of MNF-I was made up of United States Army forces. However it also ...
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nato Training Mission - Iraq
Military units and formations of NATO
Military units and formations of the Iraq War