Peshmerga soldiers complete advanced coalition instructor course

The 16-week training course by coalition countries prepared the Kurdish forces to become instructors in a wide range of topics to increase the self-sustainability of the Kurdistan Security Forces.

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Fifty-seven Peshmerga soldiers recently completed an Advanced Instructor Course and graduated from the Atrush and Sulaimani training centers in the Kurdistan Region.

The 16-week training course by coalition countries prepared the Kurdish forces to become instructors in a wide range of topics to increase the self-sustainability of the Kurdistan Security Forces, the US-led coalition said in a statement on Saturday.

During the ceremony, Italian Col. Giuseppe Levato, Kurdistan Training Coordination Center (KTCC) commander, said the graduation was “a result of the excellent synergy between the Coalition and the Peshmerga.”

Col. Levato added that the new graduates should “be proud of their accomplishments while wearing their uniform proudly,” the statement said.

According to the Peshmerga Ministry’s media center on Wednesday, the Duhok Infantry Training Center completed a military training program administered by the Coalition forces which was dedicated to Peshmerga drill instructors.

The purpose of these coalition training sessions is to “develop skilled drill instructors internally within the Peshmerga who have the ability to administer and carry out their own training programs within a wider group of the Peshmerga in the future,” a statement from the Peshmerga Ministry read.

Coalition Spokesperson Col. Myles B. Caggins III told Kurdistan 24 that the “military mentoring program for Peshmerga is to help them maintain a strong ground force that deters terrorist groups from threating the region.”

Meanwhile, meetings between the US-led coalition and Peshmerga representatives have been ongoing.

Both sides met on Tuesday to exchange ideas and discuss increased training programs, focusing on specialized training such as K9 and mine clearance techniques.

“We are grateful and have greatly benefitted from your help in raising the military standards of the Peshmerga,” Major-General Qaraman Kamal, the Ministry of Peshmerga’s Deputy Chief-of-Staff for Operations, said in a statement.

“We thank you for continuing your support and training.”

The Coalition troops who are conducting training at the KTCC include personnel from the United Kingdom, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Slovenia, and the Netherlands.

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany