New recruits receive a much more advanced level of training which includes but is not limited to topics such as: Hand-to-hand combat, outdoor survival, advanced weapons systems, improvised munitions, night operations, risk and threat assessment, along with a 36-week history course on past skirmishes and battles that al-Qaeda has won or lost throughout its existence. The current al-Qaeda administration recognizes that the keen record keeping skills of Operation Desert Shield's Iraqi al-Qaeda command are to thank for the advanced training abilities that they are able to offer today.[2][3]