Special Operations Forces (SOF) Week is an annual event in Tampa, Florida, site of U.S. Special Operations Command Headquarters.
SOF Week in May 2024 attracted highly trained troops from dozens of countries to share information, observe the latest in tactics and equipment and build personal and professional relationships with global colleagues.
The strong Qatari special operations contingent at SOF Week 2024 included troops who conducted an amphibious combat capabilities demonstration in partnership with counterparts from around the world.
Unipath sat down with Qatari Brig. Gen. Salem Shreida, his country’s Senior National Representative to U.S. Central Command, to discuss the importance of special operations forces for Qatar.
Unipath: How are Qatari special operations troops selected?
Brig. Gen. Salem: They take very specific and difficult tests. They are stringently selected in terms of how they’re built, their knowledge, their health and their readiness to take on these tasks mentally, emotionally and physically. They go through a very detailed induction process to make sure the best of the best reach mission-ready status.
Unipath: How important is Qatar’s Special Operations School to prepare these troops?
Brig. Gen. Salem: Qatar’s Special Forces were engaged in a modernization process that took years. One of the most important things is training and getting ready to fight. So the Qatar Armed Forces focused on their military schools to ensure the best training courses for our men. As part of these schools, we have gathered expertise from all over.
Unipath: What’s the value of Qatari participation in training exercises like Eager Lion in Jordan and Bright Star in Egypt?
Brig. Gen. Salem: We are not alone in this world and every country is developing a special operations force to engage the challenges going on in the world, such as counterterrorism, smuggling and drugs. We need to take part in exercises to learn from each other and bring the best to the table. We need to see modern training, equipment and processes to establish benchmarks with which to measure ourselves. Military exercises also build communication, friendships and links with forces from the region and the world. If you don’t have these exercises, you will never be updated about what’s new in the market and learn about new equipment and procedures.
Unipath: What is the progress on Project 401, the plan to build an international special forces training school in Qatar?
Brig. Gen. Salem: The school will finish construction in 2024. We have lots of experts from places like the United States and Jordan involved. Training at the school will include hundreds of scenarios for land, air and sea-based special operations.
Unipath: What’s the purpose of Qatar’s attendance at
SOF Week?
Brig. Gen. Salem: Being among these key figures, you learn by just watching and listening and benefiting from their ideas. Plus, we meet people from industry participating in this exhibition with their top-of-the-line equipment. We see where the world is heading, with its greater emphasis on IT support of SOF. The world is using more technology instead of relying solely on the human factor. I encourage every nation to participate in the next SOF Week.
Unipath: How often do Qatari Special Forces conduct operations with counterparts from other countries?
Brig. Gen. Salem: There are many exercises that we have with the U.S., France and our neighbors. There are always exchanges going back and forth. At SOF Week, Qatar is participating in a capabilities demonstration for the first time. You’ll see how good our training is and how qualified our troops are. These are among the best special forces in the world, and you will not see a difference among the guys participating. They work as one, as if they’re from the same nation.