Major Marc Cloutier was the assistant team chief for a special police transition team (SPTT) in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom from March 2005 through March 2006. Once Cloutier was notified for this deployment, he reported for training at Fort Hood six days later. The predeployment training lasted three weeks, which included marksmanship, team building and material to aid in learning the language. After the movement to Kuwait, they completed additional training and were ultimately introduced in country to their Iraqi unit: 3rd Battalion, 1st Brigade, Public Order Police. During the course of this deployment, the team moved locations from Samarra to Ramadi and then ended their deployment in Baghdad. The team developed a training program to assist in developing the Iraqi Special Police's capabilities, who were predominantly Shi'a. Cloutier discusses the areas the Special Police excelled in from the beginning and the areas they improved upon. He also discusses his team's interpreter support, the mentoring relationship he had with the deputy commander, how the battalion was equipped, how they dealt with NCOs, where his SPTT lived in relationship to the Iraqis, and the reason their Iraqi battalion commander would take some of the money instead of applying 100 percent of it to where it was allotted. The team was replaced and completed handoff with an advisory team from the 1st Infantry Division. Looking back, Cloutier believes the local population in Samarra gained a lot of trust with the Special Police, less so in Ramadi and Baghdad. Cloutier discusses what he enjoyed most about working with and training the Iraqi Special Police and also shares his recommendations on how we could improve our advisory efforts in the future.

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