5-25 FA MiTT finds new home in Karada Peninsula

4th IBCT PAO, 10th Mtn. Div. (L)

The 5th Battalion, 25th Field Artillery internal Military Transition Team (MITT), Team Lightning, has found a new temporary home in the Karada Peninsula of south central Baghdad.

Team Lightning's Baghdad compound, Combat Outpost (COP) LB, is adjacent to 2nd Battalion, 1st Brigade, 11th Iraqi Army Division headquarters, a building that used to serve as a professional library for ranking officers in the old Iraqi Army, said Sanborn, Iowa native Capt. Sean O'Brien, Headquarters Support Company, 5th Bn. 25th FA MiTT. Team Lightning's amenities at COP LB include an indoor fountain, a spiral staircase, a backdrop of the Tigris River and recently provided hot water and shower heads, O'Brien boasted.

The 5th Battalion, 25th Field Artillery internal Military Transition Team (MiTT), Team Lightning, poses for a picture on a spiral staircase in their new, temporary home away from home on Combat Post (COP) LB, on the Karada Peninsula of south central Baghdad.

O'Brien credits cooks from 2nd Battalion, 69th Armor for consistently doing a great job providing hot meals. Soldiers of 2nd Bn. 69th Armor Regt. and Team Lightning share space and responsibility of mentoring their Iraqi Army counterparts into a viable, professional force, he said.

"Team Lightning is a dynamic group of professionals who all contribute with significant experiences and abilities," said O'Brien. "Each Soldier is expected to shoulder far more than his personal burdens, as the team is so small."

The formation of Team Lightning was developed before deployment from Fort Polk, La., based on analysis of individual's skill sets, O'Brien explained. Upon arriving in Iraq, Team Lightning Soldiers completed advanced training at the U.S. Army's Phoenix Academy on Camp Taji, north of Baghdad. While there, 5th Bn., 25th FA MiTT Soldiers received further instruction regarding Arabic language and culture and advanced counterinsurgency techniques and training in advising foreign forces. O' Brien went on to say Team Lightning received briefings from top U.S. Army, Coalition and Iraqi Leaders.

After completing training at Camp Taji, Team Lightning Soldiers conducted seven-to-ten days of intensive training with the outgoing MiTT. During this time, Team Lightning Soldiers were introduced to their Iraqi Army counterparts, conducted reconnaissance of their area of responsibility and met their U.S. partner unit, O'Brien stated. They also conducted advanced training on the weapons and equipment they will use for the remainder of their deployment.

Team Lightning MiTT Soldiers are excited to be a part of what will be a critical transition to a free and stable Iraq, said O'Brien.

judythpiazza@newsblaze.com

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