Washington, June 26: The Pentagon has awarded a 48-million-dollar contract to train the nucleus of a new Iraqi army to Vinnell Corporation, a US firm which also trains members of the Saudi National Guard. Work on the contract announced today was to begin July 01. The Fairfax, Virginia-based company, a subsidiary of the US aerospace firm Northrup Grumman, said on its website it was hiring former US Army and Marine officers to train Light Infantry Battalions and combat service support units for the new Iraqi army.
The new army is expected to reach 12,000 troops within a year and swell to 40,000 within two years.
Bureau Report