LT. COL. QUENTIN MCCART, DEPUTY DIRECTOR, INTELLIGENCE SUPPORT DIVISION, THIRD ARMY/U.S. ARMY CENTRAL
Unable to gather in person because of the COVID-19 pandemic, intelligence officers from Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and the United States joined forces at a Virtual Land Forces Intelligence Conference in October 2020.
The three-hour online conference was hosted by Col. John Chu, head of military intelligence for Third Army/U.S. Army Central (USARCENT), and drew additional participation from Australia, Canada, France, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.
The COVID outbreak forced the cancellation of the Third Army’s annual Regional Land Forces Intelligence Symposium in March 2020. Rather than let a year pass without conferring with one another, more than 60 multinational intelligence officers held the virtual conference instead.
“The strength of USARCENT has always been the strength of partnerships throughout the region,” Col. Chu said. “Relationships matter, and COVID-19 should not stand in the way of maintaining those relationships.”
The virus dominated discussion among symposium attendees. After opening remarks by Australian Maj. Gen. Chris Field, USARCENT deputy commander for operations, participants discussed how intelligence organizations fit into their nations’ COVID-19 response strategies. A highlight was a panel presentation by academics from the National Defense University, including retired U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Terry Wolff, director of the Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies.
While the fight against COVID-19 drew on the resources of land forces throughout the Middle East, regional threats remained in place despite the global pandemic. Military intelligence professionals urged a continuation of cooperation to combat these threats of mutual concern.
Thanks to the virtual conference, USARCENT established a new relationship with the Ministry of National Guard (MNG) in Saudi Arabia.
“The Intelligence Conference was a great opportunity to share information and stay connected,” said Saudi Arabian Brig. Gen. Majed Al Osaimi, deputy director of intelligence for the Saudi Arabian National Guard. “We at MNG look forward to continuing this relationship and look forward to upcoming conferences.”
The next Regional Land Forces Intelligence Symposium is scheduled for March 2021, but USARCENT plans to supplement that event with another virtual symposium in the fall of 2021.