February 9, 2004, 10:02 AM EST
BAGHDAD, Iraq -- The U.S. military will be more sensitive to Islam and intrude less into Baghdad's neighborhoods when a new Army division takes control of the Iraqi capital on April 15, Army commanders said Monday.
The new force, the 1st Cavalry Division based in Fort Hood, Texas, 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.
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