The new force, the 1st Cavalry Division based in Fort Hood, will occupy a larger swath of territory than the current unit, the Army’s Germany-based 1st Armored Division.
It will bring fewer soldiers, fewer tanks and fewer armored vehicles. It plans to spend far less time in the bustling city, remaining instead in eight bases — most of which sit beyond the city limits.
“We’ll be much more mobile and less obtrusive in these communities,” 1st Cavalry Division’s Col. Mike Formica told a press gathering.
The division also intends to display a rudimentary knowledge of Arabic language and customs, Formica said. Officers and sergeants are undergoing “cultural sensitivity training” in Jordan and at Fort Hood before arriving in Baghdad, Formica said.
Many Iraqis complain that American soldiers have been culturally insensitive, showing little knowledge of or concern for Iraqi and Islamic traditions. Some commanders believe that has turned many Iraqis against the Americans and helped fuel the insurgency.
Incoming Marines plan to live within Iraqi communities when they take over an insurgent-filled area west of Baghdad from the 82nd Airborne Division.
