Security forces Airmen train alongside Qatari counterparts

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Kia Atkins
  • 379th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
AL UDEID AIR BASE, Qatar (AFNS) --  Airmen from the 379th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron conducted joint interoperability training with members from the Qatar Emiri Air Force here, April 12 and 14.

After conducting in-class training, security forces Airmen and QEAF personnel shared procedures and techniques for challenging vehicles and individuals, handcuffing and searching, fire team formations, and building clearing.

“Training like this is critical to our mission here at Al Udeid because it enhances the joint interoperability and information sharing relationship we have with QEAF personnel,” said Staff Sgt. Jason Kimbrough, a member of the 379th ESFS. “With our defenders working side by side with QEAF every day, it is important that we have and maintain that strong relationship with our host nation partners.”

Training like this enhances the interoperability of both the U.S. and its host nation partners and helps improve bilateral relations by sharing techniques on how each country operates.

“This kind of training opens the channel of communication between our agencies for future engagement,” Kimbrough said. “It is imperative to the mission here at Al Udeid to strengthen the relationship with our coalition forces through trust and consistent training. This allows us, as well as our Qatari partners, to gain a sense on how each of us will react to a stressful situation. It also shows the Qatari military we trust them to enter a stressful situation with us and know we will be there protect each other.”

Through the sharing of procedures, the joint training conducted by 379th ESFS Airmen with their Qatari partners helps build stronger ties for future engagements.

“If we continue to train with the Qatari military, obstacles such as the language barrier and different levels of training will become a thing of the past,” Kimbrough said. “We do our best to conduct training with the QEAF during every rotation to keep our relations strong and with our tactics constantly developing; every rotation has more experience to bring to the training making both forces stronger and more effective.”

Although the U.S. and Qatari military may have varying techniques when it comes to certain law enforcement procedures, their mission is to protect the base and its personnel.

“I have never had the opportunity to conduct this sort of joint training and I can definitely say I would love to do it again,” Kimbrough said. “Getting that interaction with our coalition partners was a great experience and watching them develop their skills while having a good time was very rewarding. We are all here to protect the base and so it’s great to know that we are all on the same page.”