Does anyone out here have any MiTT experiences?
Hell yeah... My platoon shared a plane with a MiTT when we were deploying. Those fuckers were extremely top heavy and expected to get 20 of my joes for a detail to unload the aircraft... I explained to the COL in charge of their chaulk how that wasn't cool and that we should split it 10 and 10... So my 10ea E4 and below were unloading bags with 10ea E7 and above.Originally Posted by Boilermaker387211
That's my experience with a MiTT.
Haha, well there you go. I was just curious what it was like to work on one. I've heard horror stories of eating with Iraqis, etc.
I've heard mixed reviews. A lot of guys liked their MiTT because they thought they were making a difference, and they enjoyed working on in a small team. However, being that the team is all senior ranking personnel, egos can get in the way. Also, I've heard a lot of bad things about the team chiefs (usuall O4 or O5). The problem is that the team chiefs selected are typically your not-so-stellar field grades. Obviously your studs are going to be Battalion Commanders, XOs, DCOs, S3s, etc., so what's left are douchbags that have never deployed, which is also a hindrance. That's the general concensus of guys I know that have been on MiTTs.
-Sassy
"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent" -Eleanor Roosevelt
I'm on a MiTT right now. Ditto on comments above about personnel selection, egos, etc. Those are all issues. However, the Army has made solid attempts to rectify the, 'well here's someone that is worthless, let's put him on a MiTT'. Many Team Chiefs I saw at Riley were SF, had done time in Ranger BN, etc. There were also some duds. Mixed bag. But I didn't see it as a major concern.
I'm in Iraq and it's post June 30th - SoFA. So, things have changed. I'll just say the following:
I'm extremely frustrated.
Biggest obstacle is not the Iraqis or the Iraqi system or the Iraqi culture. It's your partnered US units. It is unbelievable how ignorant, misinformed, and racist many of our senior leaders are. For many of them, COIN is not way of doing business but rather those shiny metal things you find at the bottom of your couch. No one on my team was prepared for that. We never thought our biggest obstacles would come from US forces. It's been a true shocker.
Other shocker is the extent of our bunker mentality now. There are so many mandates about required troop numbers when you leave the wire, that it's virtually impossible to do split-team ops. So, it's pretty much an 'everyone must go' deal if you want to leave the wire. Our Iraqi partners don't like that because it keeps us off the streets with them more often than not.
Iraqi food is good - and much better than what you get at the DFAC, unless you're at one of the bigger FOBs/JSSs.
If you do get on a MiTT - team building, team building, team building. You MUST be a member of a team. You MUST put your ego aside. Too few people, too much rank, too much work to do - can make for some problems. You must find out who the non-team players are and work to weed them out while stateside. All it takes is one person with a bad attitude and it can/will sour everything the team does.
If you have any other questions, just ask. I'm around - some of the time, when NIPR doesn't go down.
47670: You sound like you have a lot of good info to share. Please post an introduction in the proper place on this forum.
viewforum.php?f=43
1 P/R Fall 2002
Co. M-16
It all depends on your chief. If he is an AV MAJ and can't remember how to wipe his own ass let alone how manuever works.....good luck. Let alone develop/steer operations and training. Foreign Internal Defense (FID) is a very key aspect in OIF operations and has been the cornerstone since the surge.
Besides understanding the basics (FM 7-0 Training for Full Spectrum Operations), th best resource for FID that I have found is FM 3-07.1 (Security Force Assistance). Simple read and outlines a good base for BDEs that have been tasked as primarily a security force assistance mission. Ch. 1 is Strategic, Ch. 2-6 focus on BCT level, Ch 7-10 on the individual advisor. Very easy to be able to apply BCT concepts into MiTT METL development.
"If you kick a tiger in the ass, you'd better have a plan to deal with the teeth." -Tom Clancy
RGR on intro....looked for it when I first found this site. Am I blind or stupid, I'm not seeing it. I'll keep looking. Thanks for reminding me.
Damn Officers... I put a link to the Introduction forum in my last post. I guess I needed to put it in a powerpoint slide for you guys. Oh well, at least you found it.
1 P/R Fall 2002
Co. M-16
Oh, Wes. What would we do without squared-away, sociopathic NCOs like you?
~Cady
"SCOUTS OUT!"
"Even now, in Heaven, there are Angels carrying savage weapons." ~ Saint Paul
You got me... I <3 skull. lol
MiTTs suck, check and check.
As to the comments above about the SFA manual, if your team chief knows maneuver, etc
1. Manuals have done nothing for me on this deployment. Not saying they are bad. But, mostly they neglect how important rapport and respect are. ISF will do just about anything the Americans ask. Why? Because Uncle Sam has bought their partnership and compliance for the most part. Getting them to jump when you say jump is not success. We need enduring changes that they will embrace after we leave. You can only accomplish that if you have rapport and respect. It is imperative.
2. Team Chiefs have a great impact obviously. I will say this though: much more important that he understand how to function as an advisor and be able to run interference with your coalition/US partners than understand maneuver. The maneuver guys on the team will teach and advise maneuver. If the chief can provide them the freedom to do so, he's worth his weight in gold.
3. The ISF do not understand how sophisticated their future enemies are (ie after we're gone). We've met with some high rollers that toe the line between political participant and insurgent-terrorist. They know our doctrine better than many of our BN Cdrs. This especially applies to 3-24. These guys are talking 'drain the pond' and 'population is the center of gravity' (and in better english than many Americans) while many of our US Cdrs are talking about less salient concepts.
Just my 0.02
Way to contribute intelligently, right out of the gate.
~Cady
"SCOUTS OUT!"
"Even now, in Heaven, there are Angels carrying savage weapons." ~ Saint Paul
You got me... I <3 skull. lol
Don't you know?! "Squared-away, sociopathic NCOs" are the very backbone of the Army!
Keep on keepin'-on, Wes!
"What you fear controls you. Take charge of your own life!"
YEAH
One thing I know about MiTT is that it was difficult for them to explain one cool Spring morning that the reason they weren't going to be ready for patrol in time was because random ANA soldier had a wet dream and needed to clean up. Apparently it's quite the religious experience.
Not over here, it ain't.
~Cady
"SCOUTS OUT!"
"Even now, in Heaven, there are Angels carrying savage weapons." ~ Saint Paul
You got me... I <3 skull. lol
It's more of an inconvenience for me.
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks