TWENTYININE PALMS, Calif. -- As the Marines and Sailors of Company G, 2nd Battalion, 25th Marines Regiment prepare for their fall deployment to Iraq, they are assisted by a cadre of Iraqi Americans who help them train with equal conviction through role-playing scenarios.
Most of the role players are former Iraqi citizens who have immigrated to the U.S. and are employed by a civilian company tasked with creating a realistic training environment. Those who are fluent in English serve as interpreters for the Marine units going through a required pre-deployment training program.
“This is a very good step in preparing these young Marines, especially those who have not been overseas before,” said interpreter Dia Aljabiri, a veteran of Operation Desert Storm, who was drafted into the Iraqi Army after graduating from the Academy of Fine Arts in Baghdad in 1990. “There are so many cultural differences, so it is important to get them familiarized.”
Aljabiri emigrated to the U.S. in 1993, having participated in the failed 1991 coup against Saddam Hussein. He has been working as a role player and an interpreter, commonly abbreviated to “terp,” with several companies for the past four years. His accent is pronounced, but his English grammar is nearly impeccable.
“Having good translators is so important because with a terp you can avoid escalating a situation and come to a peaceful understanding. Terps help keep the Marines safe,” he added.
The Operation Iraqi Freedom veterans of Company G can attest to the added value of Iraqi interpreters, both in training and in theater.
“They’re here for money, of course, but they seem like they really want to help us out,” said Lance Cpl. Joseph Morgan, a member of the company’s intelligence section. “They always tell us how professional the Marines are, and how they prefer working with us.”
Morgan, who just returned from a seven-month tour in Iraq with 3rd Battalion, 23rd Marine Regiment in March, explained that while deployed, he formed a tight bond with one of his regiment’s interpreters over the course of several months. He expressed that dedicated interpreters are a definite force multiplier, especially during security and stability operations and the gradual transfer of security responsibilities to the Iraqi Security Forces.
“That’s the best part of this [training],” said Morgan. “The interpreters play an important role, more in Iraq, but here, as well. Not just in the scenarios, but just the exposure to Iraqi nationals is great.”
Morgan narrated a story about a young Marine from his company who had an opportunity to speak to an interpreter during a pause in training due to a lightening storm.
“He [the Marine] had a hundred and fifty questions for the terp, everything from about what Iraq is like to the guy’s family and personal history. The terp answered all his questions, and that young Marine got an education,” said Morgan.
Suheil Sitto was the company’s interpreter for the final day of a battalion-level field exercise July 21.
Sitto left Iraq in 1994 at the age of 16. After living in Jordan, Turkey and Greece, his family finally arrived in the U.S. in 2001. He took English as a Second Language course in Detroit to hone his fluency, and has been working as a role player and interpreter for the past year and a half.
Despite the long hours in hot weather, Sitto said that he enjoys playing his role in the scenarios and watching the Marines learn from their mistakes and improve their teamwork as they become more skilled in patrolling, searching vehicles and buildings and coping with civil strife.
“I want to help the Marines here so that they can be more effective in helping the people back home in Iraq,” said Sitto, who recently became a U.S. citizen.
Sitto showed up at the company’s firebase in the urban warfare training facility at about 6:00 a.m. on the final morning of the exercise. Dressed in a Marine Corps digital camouflage uniform and sneakers, and carrying a 16-ounce bottle of water, Sitto was ready for the day’s events.
As the scenario unfolded, Sitto assisted the Marines of 1st Platoon as they patrolled the town and took fire from insurgents.
When the Marines took refuge in one of the town’s mosques, the citizens erupted into a riot. Sitto provided key orchestration between the platoon leadership, the Iraqi Police and the town’s sheik to defuse the situation.
Gunnery Sgt. Jay Hunter, the company gunnery sergeant, confirmed the interpreters’ critical role, both in training and in combat.
Hunter has been a member of the Marine Corps Reserves for 19 years. He is a Desert Storm veteran and is preparing for his third tour in Iraq.
“I think this scenario gets the Marines used to working with them [interpreters] and hearing the language— not just practicing it amongst themselves, but with native Iraqi speakers,” said Hunter. “They learn the non-verbal aspects of the language and natural conversation instead of scripted practice.”
Hunter expressed his deep respect for his Iraqi compatriots, insisting that he is alive today because of the valiant actions of an Iraqi interpreter on Sept. 5, 2005 in Habbinayah, Iraq.
While serving as a Military Transition Team advisor, an improvised explosive devise detonated in front of Hunter’s patrol, knocking him unconscious and blowing shrapnel into his hands and face. When he regained consciousness several minutes later, the team’s interpreter was dragging him by his flak vest out of the kill zone.
“He wasn’t worried about his own safety,” said Hunter. “Ali was looking out for me.”
The battalion is scheduled to depart for Iraq this fall for a seven-month tour. Their specific mission has not yet been determined, and the Marines are receiving the broad spectrum of urban infantry operations training. Interpreters are involved every step of the way.
“Regardless of our mission, we’ll be dealing with local civilians, Iraqi Police and Iraqi military,” explained Hunter. “The more realistic training they get here, the better off they’re going to be all-around when they get in theater.”