Story and Photo by CAPT. JOHN MAY/U.S. ARMY CENTRAL
U.S. Army Central and the Maneuver Center of Excellence hosted army officers from Egypt, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Lebanon, the United Arab Emirates and Uzbekistan at the Regional Combined Arms Symposium in August 2015 at Fort Benning, Georgia, in the United States.
The symposium featured discussions about warfighting roles and responsibilities facilitated by U.S. Army subject matter experts. It was the final symposium in a three-part series. The focus this year was on execution of combat operations; in previous years, the focus was on doctrine and planning.
“The U.S. Army is not as big as it used to be, so we have to be much more efficient with our allies,” said Maj. Gen. William Hickman, U.S. Army Central deputy commanding general-operations. “As we get smaller, it becomes even more important that we have strong partnerships.”
Col. Jeff Wyatt, U.S. Army Central chief of Theater Security Cooperation Division, said the event provided an opportunity to bring together partner nations from the Middle East and Central Asia free of any constraints.
“They were able to freely exchange information and experience with each other as well as with U.S. Army officers and subject matter experts,” said Wyatt. “It was a good opportunity to expose them to U.S. doctrine and best practices.”
Officers from the Middle East and Central Asia shared Wyatt’s sentiment about the positive experience the symposium provided.
“The event provided a mutually beneficial exchange of information between participating countries and the U.S. Army,” Egyptian Army Lt. Col. Ahmed Khalil said.
Uzbekistan Army Lt. Col. Pulatjan Sativaldiev said the symposium helped build goodwill among participating countries and created a common understanding of ways to fight the enemy.
The Joint Readiness Training Center presented attendees with a training-based scenario. They met in small groups to discuss the role of different warfighting responsibilities to gain further insight from each country’s military.
“The small group discussion provided a valuable chance to learn from each other,” said Lt. Col. Mubarak Al Hamidi, a Kuwait Land Forces officer.
Officers from Kazakhstan, Jordan, Lebanon, and the United Arab Emirates provided informational presentations on combined arms strategies in their countries.
The symposium concluded with a panel discussion with former U.S. Army brigade and battalion commanders, who shared lessons learned and best practices from combined operations in combat and training environments.