MTT CALL-UP MESSAGE FOR SIGNAL PLT MTT

UNCLAS YEREVAN 001666 SIPDIS SIPDIS SECSTATE FOR PM AND ISP E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: MCAP KCFE XG AM SUBJECT: MTT CALL-UP MESSAGE FOR SIGNAL PLT MTT ¶1. MOBILE TRAINING TEAM REQUEST: ¶A. SIGNAL PLATOON ESTABLISHMENT FUNDED BY FMF CASE AM-B-UAA ¶B. TEAM COMPOSITION: AT LEAST 2 OFFICERS AND 2 NCOS WITH EXTENSIVE TRAINING BACKGROUND IN SIGNAL PLATOON/COMPANY OPERATIONS/SUPPORT TO BATTALION OPERATIONS. 1 CURRENT OR FORMER OFFICER SHOULD HAVE COMPANY/PLATOON COMMAND EXPERIENCE. THE REMAINING MEMBERS SHOULD HAVE PLATOON OR HIGHER LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE. ¶C. TYPE OF CLEARANCE: UNCLASSIFIED ¶D. DURATION: 14-25 DAYS ¶E. TEAM RESTRICTIONS: N/A ¶F. MISSION: ESTABLISH, TRAIN, AND ORGANIZE THE 12TH PEACEKEEPING BATTALION"S SIGNAL PLATOON. BE PREPARED TO TRAIN AND TEACH PLATOON LEADERSHIP TO INCLUDE MID-RANGE OFFICERS, SENIOR ENLISTED AND LOWER ENLISTED SOLDIERS WITH SOME EXPERIENCE IN SIGNAL OPERATIONS, BUT WITH UNFAMIARALITY WITH US SIGANL OPERATIONS. BE PREPARED TO ORGANIZE THE UNIT INTO EFFECTIVE AND NATO INTEROPERABLE ORGANIZATION THAT IS PREPARED TO SUPPORT THE BATTALION"S NATO INTEROPERABLE INFANTRY COMPANY TEAMS AND THE OTHER COMBAT AND COMBAT SUPPORT ELEMENTS OF THE BATTALION DURING DEPLOYMENTS TO OIF, KOSOVO, OR ISAF. ¶G. TRAINING GOALS: TO TRAIN THE ARMENIAN 12TH BATTALION'S SIGNAL PLATOON TO OPERATE AS AN EFFECTIVE US/NATO INTEROPERABLE UNIT. TO TRAIN THE SIGNAL PLATOON TO INTEGRATE WITH THE BATTALION AND OTHER UNITS DURING OPERATIONS. MTT WILL ASSIST IN THE INITIAL STRUCTURING OF THE SIGNAL PLATOON. TRAINING SHOULD BUILD UPON EACH WEEKS INSTRUCTION TO CULMINATE IN AN FTX WITH ALL ASSIGNED EQUIPMENT TO DEMONSTRATE ARMENIAN IMPLEMENTATION AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE MTT INSTRUCTION. A COMMON THEME DURING MTT INSTRUCTION SHOULD ALO BE ON THE NECESSITY TO DEPEND ON THE NCO CORPS THAT IS STILL IN ITS INFANCY IN ARMENIA. THIS MTT SHOULD ALSO TRAIN THE SIGNAL PLATOON IN HOW TO FUNCTION TOGETHER WITH THE BATTALION STAFF AND OTHER BATTALION ASSETS TO SUPPORT, PLAN AND COORDINATE FOR COMPANY TEAM OR BATTALION OPERATIONS AS PART OF A US/NATO BATTALION OR BRIGADE. THIS SUBJECT IS CRITICAL IN CREATING AN ARMENIAN STABILITY FORCE CAPABLE OF PLANNING, CONDUCTING, AND SUSTAINING STABILITY OPERATIONS AT THE COMPANY TEAM AND BATTALION LEVEL. BATTALION LEVEL AND HIGHER OPS ARE ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY IN THE GWOT. ¶H. PERSONNEL TO BE TRAINED: 12TH BATTALION SIGNAL PLATOON - 30 OFFICERS, NCOS, AND SOLDIERS. ¶I. SUMMARY OF HOST COUNTRY CAPABILITIES: THE 12TH PEACEKEEPING BN HAS BEEN DESIGNATED ARMENIAN'S PREMIER PEACEKEEPING AND NATO INTEROPERABLE UNIT AND HAS BEEN DECLARED TO NATO BY THE ARM MOD AS SUCH A UNIT. ALL MEMBERS OF THE 12TH PK BN ARE VOLUNTEERS-PROFESSIONAL SOLDIERS AND ALL SOLDIERS NEWLY ASSIGNED TO THE UNIT HAVE AT LEAST SERVED TWO YEARS OF CONSRIPTED SERVICE IN THE ARMENIAN ARMY. A NUMBER OF THE 12TH PK TROOPS HAVE SERVIED ON PK MISSION IN KOSOVO OR IRAQ AND HAVE BROUGHT BACK THAT EXPERIENCE WITH THEM TO THE BATTALION. ABOUT 20 OF THE 300 PERSONNEL SPEAK ENGLISH, WITH A NUMBER OF THE STAFF OFFICERS SPEAKING ENGLISH, AND HAVING ATTENDED MILITARY COURSES IN THE US. THE ARMENIAN MILITARY IS BASED ON THE SOVIET MILITARY SYSTEM, WITH A LARGE NUMBER OF MID-LEVEL AND SENIOR OFFICERS HAVING ATTENDED MILITARY COURSES IN RUSSIA, WHICH INDICATES THAT THEY HAVE NO WESTERN STYLE NCO CORPS OR DOCTRINAL UNDERSTANDING OF IT, AND THAT THE LOGISITCS, PERSONNEL, AND MEDICAL SYSTEMS ARE VERY DIFFERENT FROM THE WESTERN EQUIVELENT SYSTEMS. HOWEVER, ARMENIAN TROOPS DEMONSTRATE A HIGH LEVEL OF PROFESSIONALISM, PRIDE, AND CAPABILITY. THE MOD RELIES HEAVILY ON US TRAINED OFFICERS TO BRING THEIR KNOWLEDGE BACK TO THE UNIT AND TRANSFER IT TI VIABLE TRAINING PROGRAMS FOR THEIR UNITS. REGARDLESS, THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF SOLDIERS IN THE ARMENIAN ARMY IS GREATLY LOWER THAN THEIR AMERICAN COUNTER-PARTS INREGARDS TO EQUIPPING AND DAY TO DAY LIVING. ¶J. EQUIPMENT ON WHICH TRAINING IS TO BE CONDUCTED AND AVAILABILITY: CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION AND TRAINING OF THE BATTALION, PRACTICAL BN EXERCISES ON MAPBOARDS AND IN THE FIELD. COMPUTERS MAY BE AVAILABLE BUT HIGHLY RECOMMEND BRINGING LAPTOPS TO SUPPORT TRAINING. THE 12TH PK BN IS BEING FULLY EQUIPPED WITH US UNIFORMS, FIELD EQUIPMENT AND MISSION ESSENTIAL EQUIPMENT DURING THE LATE SPRING OF 2007. THE UNIT IS ARMED WITH SOVIET WEAPONS AND AMMUNITION INCLUDING AK-47, PKM, RPK, AND 82MM MORTARS. THE US PROVIDED HARRIS RADIOS FOR COMMUNICATIONS AND A FULLY EQUIPPED BATTAION TACTICAL OPERATIONS CENTER (TOC) FOR FIELD OPERATIONS. BATTALIONS CONSIST OF THREE LINE COMPANIES AND A HQ COMPANY, WITH MORTAR AND SCOUT PLATOONS, PLUS ADDITONAL BATTALION SUPPORT ASSETS SUCH AS MP, AT, AND SIGNAL PLATOONS AS WELL AS A CIVIL AFFAIRS SECTION ON THE BATTALION STAFF. ¶K. AVAILABILITY OF TOOLS AND ANCILLARY EQUIPMENT: ALL CLASSROON EQUIPMENT WILL BE PROVIDED BY THE MOD AND AMNUEVER SPACE WILL BE COORDINATED FOR SETTING UP AND USING THE TOC IN FIELD CONDITIONS FOR THE FINAL FTX. ¶L. AVAILABILITY OF TRAINING AIDS: HOST NATION WILL PROVIDE THE FOLLOWING: (1) A LARGE, WELL-LIGHTED CLASSROOMS (2) ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT WHERE POSSIBLE (3) ACCESS TO A TRAINING FACILITY FOR SIGNAL PLT FTX ¶M. INTERPRETER SUPPORT: 12TH BN OR MOD WILL PROVIDE INTERPRETATION SUPPORT OR INTERPETERS MAY HAVE TO BE CONTRACTED. ¶N. TRAINING LOCATIONS: 12TH PK BN BASE, AND A LOCAL TRAINING AREA ¶O. DESIRED IN-COUNTRY ARRIVAL DATE: JUNE 2007 ¶P. QUARTER: THIRD, FY07 ¶Q. UNIFORM AND CLOTHING: FIELD UNIFORM AND EQUIPMENT CIVILIAN CASUAL-OFF-DUTY ¶R. COUNTRY TEAM APPROVAL: YES ¶S. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: (1) ALL MOBILE TRAINING TEAM PERSONNEL WILL RESIDE AT A LOCAL HOTEL (CONGRESS, GOLDEN TULIP, OR MARRIOTT) (2) ALL MOBILE TRAINING TEAM PERSONNEL ARE SUBJECT TO THE TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS AS OUTLINED IN THE COMBATANT COMMANDER EUCOM TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS LETTER (NO TRAVEL PERMITTED TO NAGORNO-KARABAKH OR IRAN). (4) ODC REQUIRES FEED BACK AS TO WHETHER MORE TIME SHOULD BE REQUIRED AND AS TO WHETHER MORE OR LESS PERSONNEL WOULD BE REQUIRED. (5) MTT SHOULD BRING OR SEND AHEAD REQUIRED US TRAINING MANUALS. IF RUSSIAN TRANSLATED MANUALS CAN BE ACQUIRED THEY SHOULD BE SENT IN ORDER TO BE COPIED AND DISTRIBUTED. (6) DO NOT COORDINATE TRAVEL ROUTE TO ARMENIA TO TRANSIT RUSSIA OR BELORUSSIA. TRANSIT ONLY WESTERN AND OR NATO COUNTRIES. (7) THIS WILL BE FUNDED FROM AM-B-UAA - FMF ACCOUNT. ¶T. ODC POC: LTC DOUG PETERSON, COMM +374-10-494665, EMAIL: PETERSOND@STATE.GOV, AND MRS. ARAKSYA ABRAHAMYAN, COMM +374-10-494334, EMAIL: ABRAHAMYANA@STATE.GOV OR MOVSISYANA@STATE.GOV . FAX +374-10-464736 ODC YEREVAN, 7020 YEREVAN PL, WASHINGTON DC 20521-7020 GODFREY