Military transition team

A Military Transition Team or Transition Team, commonly abbreviated as MiTT, in the context of the United States Military, is a 10 – 15 soldier team that trains foreign national and local security forces. The term has been used in the "War on Terror" to designate groups training the Iraqi Security Forces in particular. By comparison, Afghan Army and other Afghan security forces are mentored and trained by US Embedded Training Teams (ETTs) and the Operational Mentoring and Liaison Teams (OMLTs) of other nations. The primary mission of transition teams is to train, mentor, and advise their foreign counterparts in the security forces of Iraq in the areas of intelligence, communications, fire support, logistics, operations and infantry tactics. Specialist teams also train, mentor and advise on civil policing and border enforcement. The goal is to make the local security forces capable of conducting their mission and operations effectively and independent of foreign intervention or advice. Areas covered by transition teams include military and counterinsurgency operations (tactics, logistics), civil policing and border enforcement. When executing military operations with their Iraqi counterparts, transition teams call for U.S. close air support, indirect fire, and medical evacuation, whenever necessary. They also perform the critical role of liaising between the foreign unit and nearby U.S. units to ensure that each unit is aware of and can assist the other in their operations. Transition teams also monitor and report on the capabilities of their assigned unit of the foreign security force. They work with their Iraqi counterparts to enhance the understanding of the rule of law and fundamental human rights. During Operation Iraqi Freedom, the transition teams were a central part of the strategy to train and equip Iraqi national security forces. One of the primary missions of the U.S. military in Iraq was the training of competent Iraqi security forces.