Training, education and partnerships are key to improving regional militaries
UNIPATH STAFF
The military exercise Raad al-Shamal, or Northern Thunder in Arabic, is a testament to Saudi Arabia’s determination to defend its northern border separating the nation from terrorist-inspired conflicts in Iraq and Syria. In what was one of the largest displays of strength in the recent history of the Middle East, Raad al-Shamal brought together forces from Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and many other nations.
Several months later, in February 2016, the kingdom announced leadership of a coalition to combat violent extremism in the region, including the variant proclaimed by Daesh in Syria and Iraq.
“The joint training aims to support the capabilities of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the coalition countries to form a common Arab defense force and to unify our plans and combat current regional challenges,” Egyptian military spokesman Mohamed Samir told Daily News Egypt.
There are many components to the professionalism demanded of armed forces throughout the world. They include multinational partnerships, joint training, committed leadership and readiness. Nations of the Middle East and South and Central Asia are aligned in the fight against the extremist ideology and unspeakable brutality of Daesh. They are building professional armies and coordinating their responses to the threats posed by these terror groups.
These trained armies, along with the multinational cooperation among the various governments, civil institutions and militaries, are vital to rooting out the terror networks that threaten the peace and security of every nation in the region and beyond. So, too, are anti-corruption efforts that strengthen the governmental institutions behind the troops.
The training and coordination are helping to reverse the gains made by Daesh and have disrupted the access to money and fuel the terrorists’ need to wage their evil campaigns. Additionally, robust efforts are under way in a number of nations to counter the emerging threat of cyber attacks and the online terror propaganda used to draw recruits and spread fear.
Raad al-Shamal isn’t the only exercise to make its mark in the region. Each year, countries conduct dozens of bilateral and multilateral military exercises, all meant to build interoperability and boost skills. Eager Lion, an annual U.S. Central Command exercise hosted by Jordan, switches between bilateral and multilateral exercises. Kuwait proudly hosted CENTCOM-affiliated Exercise Eagle Resolve in 2015 and aims to do so again in 2017.
As they fly in the same formations, serve aboard the same boats, pitch their tents on the same patches of sand and storm the same buildings, multinational troops are not just sharing knowledge but building camaraderie.
“The exercise is important because of what the region and the world are experiencing from the rise of extremist groups that are far away from the humanitarian values and that are committing horrible crimes,” Brig. Gen. Fahad Faleh Ahmad Al Damen, director of Jordan’s Joint Training Directorate, said at Eager Lion 2015. “This mandates having joint cooperation and the exchange of expertise in order to fight all aspects and types of terrorism.”
Many of the nations participating in the Eager Lion war games are also members of the bombing coalition against Daesh known as Operation Inherent Resolve. Bahrain, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have conducted air attacks as part of the operation. Others, such as Qatar, are providing vital counter air sorties.
In Afghanistan, the Afghan National Security Force is over 300,000 strong and is leading the country’s security efforts. Internally, anti-corruption efforts there aim to restore stability to the government.
The NATO-led Resolute Support Mission, launched in January 2015, provides training, advice and assistance for the Afghan security forces and institutions. About 12,000 personnel from NATO and partner nations contribute to the mission, which supports planning, programming and budgeting; assures transparency, accountability and oversight; and supports the rule of law and good governance.
Soldiers in the region are not just better trained, they’re better educated. Bolstering the coordinated military effort is an infusion of professional Soldiers graduating from Middle Eastern military academies. At the Egyptian Military Academy in Cairo, students from Egypt as well as Soldiers from Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia receive training in modern weapons, martial arts and the latest combat tactics.
In Jordan, religious instruction for the Jordan Armed Forces preaches a properly reverent image of Islam to inoculate Soldiers against the ideological corruption of Daesh. Amir al-Hasan College for Religious Science near Amman is leading the way in this unique form of training that focuses on minds as much as bodies. Terrorists have used religion as a weapon to deceive young people, manipulating and twisting passages from holy texts for recruitment purposes.
“The most effective tool to combat this wrongful ideology is by showing true Islam,” Brig. Gen. Dr. Majid Salim Al-Drawsha, director of academic study, Emir Hasan college of Islamic Study, told Unipath. “For youth, there are lectures and seminars to show them the true face of those criminals and where they came from, to protect young Muslims from being deceived.”
These nonsectarian, professional forces are fighting for the security and freedom of their countries and allies, and against an extreme ideology rooted in hatred toward others.
Military preparedness, national military academies, multinational exercises, regional interoperability, civil-military cooperation, anti-corruption measures and good governance initiatives are all important vehicles to counter terrorism and anti-sectarian policies adopted by malevolent forces in countries across the Middle East.
By enhancing the military and civil capabilities through training and shared knowledge, the prospect for lasting peace is greater.
WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU
- Is there a military academy or training program in your country that you would like highlighted in Unipath?
- What are some of the best international military professional development programs (conferences, seminars and schools) you have taken part in?
Unipath welcomes your input so that we can share the best-of-the-best educational and training opportunities for professional forces. Email us at CENTCOM.UNIPATH@MAIL.MIL