Iraq has recently made some serious gain’s against IS in the last year in particular the retaking of Ramadi, Fallujah and soon Mosul. One of the units responsible for the significant gains against ISIS in the Iraqi army has been ISOF, Iraqi Special Forces Command. The 10,000 strong unit was created shortly after the Invasion and are trained by USSOCOM forces along with JSOC Jordan. The unit is among one the best units in the Iraqi armed forces.
ISOF is identifiable by their unique logo patch on there uniform and the use of a black tactical uniform with black MICH or FAST helmets. They also make use of American vehicles such as Armored Humvees, Cougar MRAP’s, and ILAV’s that are MRAP’s made specifically for Iraq as well as recently acquired Oshkosh M-ATV’s from the US. ISOF vehicles can be identified as they are painted in black. The unit has worked hand in hand with Iraq’s elite armored unit’s that are operating American made M-1 A2 Abrams tanks.
ISOF soldiers are particularly well trained as throughout the entire war with ISIS the unit has never fallen apart and continued to fight until the American advisors and Popular Mobilization Forces were activated. The unit operates with US tactics and strategies and is particularly discipline compared to the other Iraqi units. Members are also given the latest US equipment with slandered issue M-4 Assault Rifles, M-240 Light Machine Guns and weapons such as the M-82 50 Cal Sniper Rifle. With the combination of US equipment and training the unit can successfully and carefully fight through Fallujah and Ramadi while reducing casualties of both them and civilians through carful maneuvering and firing. Tactics that have been adopted from the American’s. The use of frontline American equipment such as the Cougar MRAPs and Abrams Tanks offer the best protection compared to Russian equipment used by other Iraqi units.
The unit being a land unit does not its own aircraft although they have received support from the Iraqi air force in the form of F-16s and Mi-28 and Mi-35 gunships the bulk of the air support in these operations comes from Coalition aircraft who can preform precision air strikes to cover there advances. ISOF has also been trusted by the local community’s in parts of Iraq as the unit is part of a majority Shia army members come from all Iraqi denominations including Sunni, and Kurd.
Despite problems with Iraq’s army the steady reorganization of it by the Americans as well as the ongoing support from the air units such as ISOF have been very successful in pushing IS out of Iraq. The impending assault on Mosul which will involve both Iraq’s army and the Kurdish Peshmerga is likely to eliminate ISs final foothold in the Iraq, which will move the war into eastern Sryia. Even long after IS is eliminated in Iraq ISOF will be needed as Iraq’s fast reaction counter terrorism force in times of struggle.
