129th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

Story by Staff Sgt. Mark Watson

By Staff Sgt. Mark Watson
129th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

FORT BENNING, Ga. -- Four Kenyan soldiers received a taste of how the U.S. runs several specialty schools this week at Fort Benning, Ga., as part of the Theater Security Cooperation (TSC) program.

This isn't the first time foreign soldiers have teamed with Third Army/U.S. Army Central (USARCENT) as part of the TSC program which coordinates seminars and information exchanges between U.S. and foreign service members to strengthen their defense relationships and improve their ability to effectively participate in coalition operations. The cooperative effort also sends U.S. Soldiers to participating countries within USARCENT's area of responsibility to interface with their counterparts.

These visits occur throughout the U.S. and overseas, on average, 10 per month according to Maj. Donda Hanson, Yemen, Sudan and Somali country desk officer for Third Army.

Kazakhstan alone participates in approximately 14 TSC events a year said Maj. Andrew Harmon, the Ethiopian and Kenyan country desk officer.

Through the entire planning process, which requires approximately four or more months of planning for each one-week visit, many entities are involved. "The process requires a lot of touch points," Harmon said. Between what the Kenyans want, and what we want, there are a lot of people and coordination to work out the details.

For instance, the recent trip required liaisons with the US Embassy in Kenya, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) as well as USARCENT to work closely together, Harmon said.

"They (the Kenyans) determine what they need and CENTCOM determines what it needs," he said. "We (USARCENT) grab the Army piece and see what we can do."

Once USARCENT received the requirements, it worked with the Ranger Training Brigade, Infantry Training Brigade and Fort Benning to make the visit a success.

Both countries provide support to each other.

They wanted to come and see our trainers to help them start a Ranger indoctrination program they are starting in Kenya. The training will be based on the U.S. program and the soldiers will be used as American Rangers are used, said Harmon. The Kenyan soldiers received an up-close look at Ranger, Airborne, Jumpmaster, Pathfinder, and Drill Sergeant Schools, as well as a noncommissioned officer academy.

In return, the U.S. seeks support in other ways. In some countries we may ask for port access, or to access their airways for over flights or even just support for a policy, Harmon added.

The TSC program is not Army specific. All branches of the military play a roll in TSC as does the FBI and Homeland Security.

Although this was the first time Kenya participated in a TSC event within the U.S., the visit started the same way many TSC visits start, with the military leadership talking about mutual needs. This trip started with a conversation between their general and USARCENT Commander Lt. Gen. R. Steven Whitcomb, Harmon said.

"In March, eleven women from Yemen's elite Counter-terrorism unit and Republican Guard visited the United States as part of USARCENT's TSC program. The women attended seminars at the FBI and Atlanta Police Department highlighting the roles of women in those agencies. In addition, they attended a panel discussion with USARCENT female officers and non-commissioned officers on the history and current roles of women in the U.S. Army and each received a coin from Lieutenant General Whitcomb. The highlight of the event was their trip to Fort Jackson, S.C. to observe women going through the U.S. basic training program," Hanson said.

Throughout the week the advisors help the visiting soldiers gain a better understanding of our way of conducting business. During the recent visit, the Kenyans did just that.

"We have a much better understanding of how (the U.S.) runs its Airborne and Ranger Schools and we got an inside look at the infantry basic training," said Maj. Ahmed Saman, commandant of the Kenyan parachute training school. The visit has been very helpful. We'll be able to take a lot back home. Whatever we've seen here, we'll try to implement it into our training programs."

Associated Images

Control Panel