Major Jon Beale served as a military transition team (MiTT) chief in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom from December 2005 through December 2006. Beale reported to Fort Carson in November 2005 to begin predeployment training. After the movement and reception in Kuwait, the team attended additional training at the Phoenix Academy. In this two-part interview, Beale beings by discussing the training received and the parts he found most useful. The team moved to FOB Falcon just south of Baghdad. The handoff did not go as smooth as Beale would have liked and there were some issues receiving equipment to effectively complete the team's mission. The team was assigned variously to the 3rd and 5th Battalions, 4th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division, and they started by observing their current capabilities and those areas needing improvement. Beale discusses his relationship with both battalions during the course of this deployment. His primary task was to assess and advise the Iraqi Army regarding counterinsurgency tactics and operations within the South Baghdad area of operations. And while they did conduct training, it was limited due to the operational tempo and a scarcity of resources. The team had good interpreters and while they brought a different outlook when it came to work, each interpreter brought different skills with them to assist the team. Beale discusses some of the challenges and benefits of living with the Iraqis, despite not having the same amenities they would have been able to enjoy if they were living on a US-controlled base. Beale talks about how they were able to work with their Iraqi battalion to assist in operations and how he worked with six separate US battalion-level organizations over the course of his one-year deployment. Prior to the replacement team arriving, they corresponded through email to pass along information. Beale discusses his accomplishments and things he wished he could have done differently. He also offers his lessons learned and recommendations based on this deployment.

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