Photo By Staff Sgt. Bobbie Reynolds | Colorado Air National Guard, The Royal Jordanian Air Force and Aurora Police...... read more read more
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Members of the Royal Jordanian Air Force Air Base Defense visited the Colorado Air National Guard’s 140th Security Forces Squadron through the National Guard Bureau’s State Partnership Program, Jan. 11-12.
Since 2004, the Colorado National Guard has participated in the State Partnership Program, however, this is the first time the Royal Jordanian Air Force, CONG SF and the Aurora Police Department have collaborated, in efforts to strengthen security and build partnerships that reciprocate according to each other’s security needs.
“The purpose of the RJAF visit is really three-fold,” said Maj. Aaron Kemplin, commander, assigned to 233rd Security Forces Squadron in Greeley, Colorado. “The first one is building a partnership capacity by continuing to strengthening our relationships. The second would be improving cultural awareness skills among our personnel and the third would be, enhancing each other’s’ air base defense capabilities by exchanging ideas and demonstrating the critical roles noncommissioned officers have in leading military personnel.”
“It’s all about relationships,” said Col. Robert McCloy, director of Joint Plans, assigned to Joint Force Headquarters – Colorado in Centennial, Colorado.
A visit with RJAF starts with relationships.
“It’s not so much about the job and what information we’re going to exchange, it’s about the relationship we need to develop first,” said McCloy. “There are many objectives to meet and a short time to do it, however, trust has to be established before any other matters are discussed.”
“Here in the United States military, we’re used to hitting the ground at 7:30, getting what we need and moving out,” said McCloy. “We need to understand that whether we’re in Colorado or in Jordan, it’s proper to sit down first, get to know each other and talk about our families, who we are and why we’re here. Once you start building a relationship, then you can move on to exchange information.”
“The clock is everything to an Airmen or a Soldier but to Jordanians, time is a just a part of life. It doesn’t control it,” McCloy said.
“A big cultural difference is RJAF’s perception of time versus ours,” said Kemplin. “American military personnel are very focused on timelines. That’s not the case with our Jordanian brothers and sisters. A lot of time is spent with interpersonal communication on their part, which is good, but somewhat different than our way of conducting business.”
Because this trip was the second of three and areas of need were already identified, discussions between RJAF, CONG and Aurora PD, regarding secure facilities and community safety protocol, were ready to begin.
McCloy said the three agencies share information on needs already identified and began to demonstrate strategies and ways to improve them.
The importance of partnering and sharing information helps better secure our own homeland, but it also helps Jordan secure theirs McCloy said.
The threats confronting Jordan are real. Both inside and out.
“Make no bones about it, they’re on the front lines,” said McCloy.
“We have internal threats and external threats,” said COL Mohammed Aref Irsheid Alidmat, Department of Military Security in the Jordanian Army. “Because of the location of Jordan between Syria, Iraq and West Bank, we expect threats to come from other bases, at the same time, we expect threats from our own personnel, who are drawn by certain ideology.”
McCloy said the key to keeping the SPP strong and helping the RJAF air base defense is trust.
Every potential change brought about by suggestions builds on that. This includes suggesting NCOs take on more responsibility and demonstrate how important they are to military defense.
“We empower our NCOs to do a lot,” said McCloy. “Everything runs with them.”
Kemplin said it was important to demonstrate how NCOs are the backbone of the mission, with roles and responsibilities that require decision-making. He believes it is an essential component of success.
Col. Eyad Mohammad Salameh Aladaileh, commander of ground base defense, assigned to the Royal Jordanian Air Force was encouraged by what he saw in the roles and responsibilities of CONG’s NCOs.
He stated he was surprised at the role NCOs had and the amount of information and education the NCOs presented to the RJAF.
“You can depend on them,” said Eyad. “You trained them very well, I believe that.”
This was a security forces effort that may help RJAF understand the benefits of giving NCOs more responsibilities. Strengthening such a critical segment of the force will help all areas of the fight.
The RJAF observed relationships and roles in the CONG but they also took note of CONG security practices.
Mohammed said he observed procedures helpful to them regarding base security, exercised by security forces personnel.
Kemplin said entry control points, radio procedures, tactics and techniques were all topics discussed between the CONG, RJAF and Aurora PD.
The 140th SFS coordinated a hands on demonstration with shooting simulations. Standards of operations were reviewed and the RJAF witnessed an exercise for a base disturbance and diversion that focused on demonstrating common U.S. base security procedures.
“The exchange of ideas and information sharing is critical,” said Kemplin. “We’re learning from the RJAF just as they are learning from us.”
It’s hard to believe that a cup of coffee or tea and a conversation can be the groundwork for trust and a vital partnership, however, it is. And it’s successful. Relationships are growing, Kemplin said.
“We have huge air force bases in Jordan and it’s a good idea for us to think about how we can make internal friends or an internal circle, so we can make it a high level of security on base,” said Eyad. “This is very important for me."
Cultural awareness increases, security strengthens, trust grows.
“We can trust each other with different ideas and information.” said Eyed. “The cooperation for information is excellent!”
Two different flags, one mission..., safety and security of homelands. Continuing to grow as military partners and growing as friends.
| Date Taken: | 01.12.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 02.23.2017 13:33 |
| Story ID: | 224444 |
| Location: | AURORA, CO, US |
| Web Views: | 213 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, CONG hosts Jordanian air base defense for the first time in SPP history: United We Stand, by SSgt Bobbie Reynolds, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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