Eager Lion Military exercise brings together militaries from 18 countries
Two of Jordan’s Fighting Falcon F-16s cut across the sky dropping their bombs on an enemy stronghold, signaling the start of a powerful multinational assault. Soon thereafter, two B-52 Stratofortress bombers thunder past, carpeting the ground with explosions. Cobra and Apache helicopters swoop across the sky delivering a deadly hail of missiles, rockets and heavy-caliber gunfire. All this is followed by an onslaught of firepower from ground forces, sniper teams and guided missiles from High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems. This huge display of force in Jebel Petra, Jordan, was one of the culminating events of the Eager Lion military exercise.
Hosted annually by Jordan, Eager Lion is one of U.S. Central Command’s premier military exercises, designed to facilitate a coordinated, multinational military response to conventional and unconventional threats. Now in its fifth year, Eager Lion brought together 10,000 military personnel and officials from 18 countries from May 5-19, 2015. Participants came from Australia, Bahrain, Belgium, Canada, Egypt, France, Iraq, Jordan, Italy, Kuwait, Lebanon, Pakistan, Poland, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States. NATO’s Allied Rapid Reaction Corps also joined the exercise.
“There is an increased interest this year in the Eager Lion exercise because of what it represents as being a meeting ground for all the military commanders at all strategic, operational and tactical levels,” said Brig. Gen. Fahad Faleh Ahmad Al Damen, Jordan Armed Forces director of Joint Training Directorate, who led this year’s exercise. “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 for the believers from all religions. This mandates having joint cooperation and the exchange of expertise in order to fight all aspects and types of terrorism.”
U.S. Maj. Gen. Rick B. Mattson, U.S. Central Command’s director of exercises and training, said the exercise was a tremendous success – and not only based on meeting operational goals. “In this region relationships mean everything,” Maj. Gen. Mattson said. “This exercise has forged new friendships. These relationships, which are both personal and professional, create an enduring bond between our nations and partners.”
Each year, countries such as Lebanon have proudly joined Jordan for Eager Lion. This year the Lebanese Army brought a detachment of
60 troops, including five officers. At the command level they took part in managing crisis operations, operational planning, and other command and control functions. At the detachment level Lebanese forces took part in events such as counterterrorism and border security operations, conducted first-aid training, reconnaissance and surveillance, and close quarter combat drills.
“We can confidently say that all the forces from friend and Arab countries participating in the drill have shown great professionalism, whether at the level of groups or at the individual level,” Lebanese Staff Brig. Gen. Ghassan Fadel said. “In this context, I have to highlight the key role of the Jordanian Army in the fine organization of this drill as well as its technical and operational direction. This has presented an opportunity for everyone to exchange expertise and gain the skills that characterize the Jordanian Armed Forces.”
He explained that Eager Lion represents an opportunity for military commanders to discuss issues at the strategic, operational and mobilization levels and to work together. The Lebanese unit benefited from honing combat techniques requiring coordination among different units during counterterrorism and border security operations, Fadel said.
“These are the primary needs of the armies nowadays, due to the vast expansion of terrorism and the danger it poses upon human societies, notably our Arab communities, which affects their unity, security and economic stability as well as the free and secure coexistence between its constituents,” Fadel said. “Confronting this danger necessitates boosting joint cooperation and coordination between friendly armies and sharing military expertise in all the fields to the point of raising the competence level of the personnel charged with the mission of fighting terrorism, especially in urban and close areas.”
Exercise Goals
Eager Lion is designed to develop participants’ capabilities in planning and conducting joint operations. It tests and hones relationships among military forces, government agencies, ministries, and outside organizations within an unconventional operational environment. In addition, foreign militaries can exchange expertise and improve operational interoperability.
With exercise events occurring from the northern community of Zarqa to the country’s southern tip in Aqaba, Jordan offered a wide range of venues for forces to train in areas such as counterterrorism, border security, search-and-rescue operations, humanitarian operations, crisis management, information and psychological operations, strategic communications, civil-military operations, vital installations protection, and cyber defense.
Before the actual exercise began, many of the officers participated in an academic session held at the Jordan Armed Forces Peace Operations Training Center from April 20 to May 4. Jordanian Brig. Gen. Amjed Al Zoubie is the commander of the POTC and served as director of Eager Lion’s Higher Command within the exercise. He said an academic focus on military decision-making processes helped ensure cohesion at Eager Lion — a process that if well understood allows officers to respond more quickly and efficiently to asymmetric events. “We work in a complex environment, and we are dealing with non-state actors, criminals, terrorists, extremists, human traffickers — all bad groups,” he said. These malevolent actors produce a wide array of threats forces must be prepared to pre-empt and overcome.
One example of an Eager Lion event designed to overcome asymmetric threats was a mass casualty training scenario held in Zarqa that tested coordination among military, police and government ministries.
“This is what you call a comprehensive approach,” Gen. Fahad said. “You cannot run the world with military alone. You must work with ministries.”
In the scenario, several missiles hit a residential area — one included chemical weapons that killed and injured children playing soccer in a nearby field, among others in the community. Jordanians were joined by forces from the United Arab Emirates and the U.S. as they secured the area, decontaminated victims and set up a field hospital.
“They made it look very easy. It was seamless,” Gen. Mattson said, describing an event like this as a worst-case scenario that requires a complex and highly coordinated response across a multitude of agencies.
Brig. Gen. Mohammad Salem Jaradat, Jordan Armed Forces chief of staff of training, said in a scenario like this, “we are racing with the time.” Seconds matter, and quick and coordinated responses are essential. “I was very proud of that exercise,” Jaradat told Unipath. “It was one small part of the overall event, but I was very proud.”
One new element to the exercise was the inclusion of two B-52 bombers from the U.S., which joined the Jordanian F-16 Fighting Falcons during the counterattack in Jebel Petra. The B-52s allowed U.S. bomber crews to practice real-time coordination with Jordanian air controllers, giving participants a better understanding of each other’s tactics, techniques and procedures so that multinational crews can work together seamlessly in possible future operations.
Lt. Col. Mohammed Al-Atiyat, a fighter controller with the Royal Jordanian Air Force, said such cooperation was inspiring. “Everyone worked together — the army, ground forces, air force and navy. The whole government worked toward the same goal. It was more efficient than working alone.” Future wars, Al-Atiyat said, will not be between two countries; instead they will be coalition efforts. “We want peace with all our neighbors around us, but sometimes peace needs force, especially when other nations don’t take (peace) seriously.”
Strengthening Unity
Lt. Col. Ahmad Hamad Al-Rowaini of Bahrain’s Special Forces said the exercise provides a great opportunity for militaries to learn from each other and build friendships.
“Strength is unity. We must stay united with our friends and allies to combine our efforts to defeat terrorism and reach security and stability in the region,” Al-Rowaini said. “We are nations that live peacefully and wish for sustained security and peace.”
Lt. Col. Abdullah Al-Harbi, of Saudi Arabia’s Royal Air Defense, said working in a multilateral environment helps everyone gain better experience by learning differences in military tactics and cultures, while preparing against future threats: “The exercise addresses the challenges that face the region and provides the best solutions for many different scenarios. We also build trust with our friends and allies as well and meet new friends.”
Pakistani Brig. Gen. Badr Yousaf headed his country’s delegation which included 44 participants from the Navy, Army and Special Forces. Brig. Gen. Yousaf praised the collaboration and synchronization of forces throughout the exercise. “Everyone learns from one another,” he said. “It’s the exchange of knowledge.”
Brig. Gen. Jaradat echoed the importance of sharing knowledge and experience. “We are very proud to be a hub of training here,” Brig. Gen. Jaradat told Unipath. “We are supported by His Majesty, our Supreme Commander the King, in policy and at the strategic level. We are ready always to share and train, and because of the safety, stability and security we can do this. We welcome our brothers and friends in the future to come to train.”
Maj. Gen. Mattson expressed gratitude for Jordan’s hospitality: “I would like to thank the Kingdom of Jordan for hosting this exercise. You couldn’t ask for a better partner.”
Director Profile: Brig. Gen. Fahad Faleh Ahmad Al Damen
For the past 25 years, Jordanian Brig. Gen. Fahad Faleh Ahmad Al Damen has dedicated his career to the Jordan Armed Forces. As director of Joint Training Directorate, he led this year’s Eager Lion military exercise.
Gen. Fahad holds a bachelor’s degree in military science, a master’s degree in public administration, and another master’s degree in administration and strategic studies. He has served as the commander of the Royal Military College and commander of the Royal Armor School, in addition to many previous assignments as a staff instructor.
Command assignments have included platoon leader, company and battalion commands and commander
of the Armor Brigade.
Gen. Fahad has received the following medals and military awards: the Order of Military Merit 4th Grade; Leadership Proficiency Insignia, Participation with the International Peacekeeping Forces Medal; UN Service Medal; Long Service and Good Conduct Insignia; Al-Estiklal (Independence) Medal 3rd Grade; and the Training Proficiency Insignia.
Jordan’s Commitment to Training
Beyond the Eager Lion military exercise, constant training constitutes a large part of the activities of the Jordan Armed Forces (JAF).
Brig. Gen. Mohammad Salem Jaradat, JAF’s chief of staff of training, said this is because unconventional and asymmetric warfare threats demand that forces be vigilant and prepared for any situation.
“We are living in a region where we can all see the problems. Our Supreme Commander, His Majesty the King, recognizes that we are on the front lines in fighting Da’ish,” Jaradat said.
“We are waging a war against them. This is a major threat. They are killing kids. They are killing women. There are displacing many people. They are destroying the values of human beings. They are just killers. We are trying to save our future from them, to protect the generations and to protect all human beings.”
Threats like those posed by Da’ish reinforce the need for continued training and partnership. That is why the JAF takes part in about 25 to 30 bilateral and multilateral military exercises each year. “The training should not stop,” Jaradat said. “When you stop you are in trouble.”
An important component of JAF training policy is to share and exchange students. “This is a circle. We get lots of benefits from exchanging views and training,” the general said.
Exercises such as Eager Lion, along with internal JAF training events, prepare Jordan’s forces for natural and man-made crises. Chemical attacks, tsunamis, terrorism and cyber attacks — these are just a few of the potential threats.
And Jordanians don’t just respond to problems within their own borders. “It is part of our policy to help people around the world,” Jaradat said.
More than 70 percent of the JAF have participated in peacekeeping operations, Jaradat noted. Jordanians have served in places like Afghanistan and Haiti. Such missions abroad showcase Jordan’s commitment to peace and stability for all.
“Finally, at the end of the day, it’s safety, security and stability — working for the benefit of the people and new generations, our daughters and sons to save them from extremists,” he said. “This is our job to do.”