Multi-National Security Transition Command – Iraq was a training and organizational-support command of the United States Department of Defense. It was established in June 2004. It was the military formation of Multi-National Force – Iraq responsible for developing, organizing, training, equipping, and sustaining the Iraqi Security Ministries and Ministry of Interior ), the Iraqi Armed Forces, the Iraqi Police, and other Iraqi Security Forces. It was headquartered in the International Zone in Baghdad at Phoenix Base, a former elementary school. The stated mission was to assist MoI, MoD, and Counter Terrorism Service by improving the quality of the ISF and institutional performances. MNSTC-I aimed for the ISF to increasingly assume responsibility for population protection and develop Iraqi security institutions capable of sustaining security with reduced Coalition involvement. Therefore, the MNSTC-I mission was a central part of the U.S. exit strategy.
Creation and organization
The command was a direct outgrowth of the need to create a new Iraqi Army under the Coalition Provisional Authority. To do this the Coalition Military Assistance Training Team was established under Major General Paul Eaton. Separate efforts under the State Department were designed to build a new police force through the and advisory missions to the Ministries of Defense and Interior. All of these missions were consolidated under the new command MNSTC-I. MNSTC-I was originally organized into three training teams, listed below, but later grew dramatically as newer missions and needs were identified. The three former organizations were:
Coalition Military Assistance Training Team, which organized, trained, and equipped the Iraqi Army.
JHQ-ST – Joint Headquarters Advisory Support Team, which assisted the joint headquarters of the Iraqi Army in developing a command and control system. Also, JHQ assisted in operational planning and gave strategic advice to the Iraqi government.
MNSTC-I expanded from the three original organizations to consists of the following subordinate units organized under the Directorate of Defense Affairs and Directorate of Interior Affairs :
Coalition Army Advisory Training Team to build the Iraqi Army
Coalition Air Force Transition Team to build the Iraqi Air Force, established 18 November 2005. The CAFTT at its beginning had some 17 members, a four-fold increase over the original CMATT Air Cell.
Maritime Strategic Transition Team to support the Iraqi Navy, Marines and Coast Guard
Ministry of Interior Transition Team to advise the MoI staff
In addition, the organization partnered with the NATO Training Mission – Iraq as the commander of MNSTC-I is "dual hatted" as the NTM-I commander as well. In June 2009, the organization structure changed again with the creation of the Iraqi Training and Advisory Mission led by US Army Major General Richard J. Rowe, Jr, the Iraqi Security Assistance Mission, and the Partnership Strategy Group. ITAM and ISAM, INCTF and PSG-I report to the Deputy Commanding General. ITAM was focused on institutional training while ISAM focused on Foreign Military Sales. Under the new ITAM structure:
Coalition Army Advisory Training Team became ITAM-Army
Coalition Air Force Transition Team became ITAM-Air Force
Maritime Strategic Transition Team became ITAM-Navy
Civilian Police Assistance Training Team became ITAM-Police
Intelligence Transition Team became ITAM-Intel TT
Ministry of Defense Transition Team became ITAM-MOD
Ministry of Interior Transition Team became ITAM-MOI
Under the new PSG-I structure: Joint Headquarters Assistance Team was absorbed into the PSG-I organization. ISAM: The organizations under ISAM mirror ITAM, though it took over the duties of the Security Assistance Office.
ISAM Army
ISAM Navy
ISAM Air Force
ISAM Logistics/End Use Monitoring
ISAM International Military Education and Training/Out of Country Training
MNSTC-I published a monthly magazine, The Advisor, with information on the training of the Iraqi Security Forces. MNSTC-I was replaced by United States Forces – Iraq in 2010. MNSTC–I became U.S. Forces – Iraq, Advising and Training, which was under a major general who remained double-hatted as Commander, NATO Training Mission – Iraq.
