Lost in Translation: Training the Iraqi Police

MOUT stands for Military Operations in Urban Terrain. Basically it's what you see in the movies a lot. SWAT teams and a wide variety of organizations use MOUT. Students find it very confusing. I find it very confusing. Everyone has a different way of doing it and usually the one teaching preaches that his way is the best. On top of that fact add a language barrier and it becomes a huge challenge.

Going into a house with various unknowns, and with the hostile probabilities of a real situation, there would be little smiling or laughing. For all involved, it's one of the most dangerous actions Police and Military can be involved in. Making lightning fast life or death decisions using a number of people operating as a single unit in near silence till entering is something that takes a lot more practice than what can be accomplished in a single day.


It's difficult to teach and learn, and using an interpreter adds a delay. Still we got it done but not before a know-it-all senior IP arrived near the end and added his Hollywood observations to the mix. I was impressed with the Sergeant teaching the class who kept his cool even as he was interrupted and quizzed.


Keeping things ever casual the IPs in training insisted on arm wrestling whoever dared. A few of us including myself gave it a try. This picture is of a female in our squad being a good sport.