Major Scott Nauman was a member of one of the first military transition teams (MiTTs) in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Upon returning to Iraq from post-company command and mid-tour leave, Nauman filled a tasking in support of the Coalition Military Assistance Training Team (CMATT) from the 1st Armored Division. Coalition military units had accomplished transition team missions from their beginning in 2003 with the Iraqi Civil Defense Corps (ICDC). In fact, Nauman had trained an ICDC unit while serving as a company commander and that platoon eventually served as an additional platoon. Vinnell Corporation provided training to MiTT designees and then these soldiers joined their Iraqi units. Nauman's team consisted of four soldiers. His experience would soon indicate that at least six were necessary. As an external MiTT, Nauman's element moved with their Iraqi unit and executed missions as they trained. Nauman's team wrote several documents and made specific recommendations about manning and equipment, though they saw none of these realized during their team's tenure. In April 2004, Nauman saw a US Marine Corps MiTT take over responsibility for an Iraqi battalion. This new MiTT had little preparation or training for this advisory mission yet found itself detailed to Fallujah to support USMC operations there in the tense days after the well-publicized insurgent attack on a convoy that resulted in the barbarous killing and dismemberment of four private military contractors providing security for a convoy. The Iraqi battalion with its USMC MiTT element drove into an insurgent ambush as they deployed to Fallujah. Nauman concluded that the time required to assess, train and build rapport with Iraqi Army units could not be shortcut. Other issues that arose during Nauman's tour concerned the lack of adequate equipment like crew-served weapons or a logistics and support tail for either advisors or the fledgling Iraqi Army.

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