The Future of Transition Teams
As of December 2006, more than 5000 U.S. military personnel were assigned to transition teams in Iraq. This number, however, is expected to increase as MNC-I expands the size of the Iraqi Security Forces. In its 2006 report, the Iraq Study Group (ISG) recommended the following:
“… United States should significantly increase the number of U.S. military personnel, including combat troops, embedded in and supporting Iraqi Army units. As these actions proceed, we could begin to move combat forces out of Iraq. The primary mission of U.S. forces in Iraq should evolve to one of supporting the Iraqi army, which would take over primary responsibility for combat operations.” (Iraq Study Group Report, 2006, pg 48)
Furthermore, the ISG also concluded that
“the number of embedded personnel … should be large enough to accelerate the development of a real combat capability in Iraqi Army units. Such a mission could involve 10,000 to 20,000 American troops instead of the 3,000 to 4,000 now in this role.” (Iraq Study Group Report, 2006, pg 49)
In general, the U.S. military reports that it has been satisfied with the results of the transition team strategy in the Iraq war. It is believed that if the U.S. Military can transition from fighting the insurgents to advising national security forces, U.S. casualty rates may come down. The handover of battlespace to Iraqi Security Forces is an often cited benchmark of progress in the Iraq war. In the National Strategy for Victory in Iraq, victory is defined as "An Iraq that is in the lead defeating terrorists and insurgents and is providing its own security."
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