Photo By Staff Sgt. Penny Snoozy | U.S. Soldiers with 2nd Battalion, 138th Field Artillery Regiment, exchange practices...... read more read more
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DJIBOUTI – U.S. Soldiers with 2nd Battalion, 138th Field Artillery Regiment, traveled to Djibouti to assess the skills of Djibouti Artillery Regiment personnel and exchange practices at the Djibouti Artillery Base, Feb. 1, 2017. The Army National Guardsmen from Kentucky are partnering with Djibouti as a part of the National Guard State Partnership Program (SPP).
For this particular visit, the artillery Soldiers spent nine days observing and working with their counterparts to get familiar with their weapons systems and observe how they operate their equipment.
During the first portion of the visit, the Guardsmen learned how the Djiboutian soldiers typically operate. “It wouldn’t do them any good to learn our processes if it doesn’t match their equipment,” said Culver.
After familiarizing themselves with the Djiboutian standard operating practices, the Guardsmen provided their suggestions using subject matter experts (SMEs) on specific artillery functions.
“It’s been amazing. This is our initial visit. I’m hoping that because of this and our assessment that we’ll be able to see them grow over the years,” said Lt. Col. Timothy Culver, SPP officer in charge.
The Kentucky National Guard SMEs were divided among four stations: the fire direction center, the maintenance and ammo display, the aiming circle, and the gun line. Each station offered specialists who participated in exchanges with their Djiboutian counterparts.
“[The Djiboutian soldiers] know their equipment and they know how to use it. It’s just a matter of having some longevity challenges with the environment,” Culver said.
When asked about the importance of the state partnership program, Culver said, “Long term trust is what’s important to us.” He went on to explain that, “The exchange of ideas allows for better partnerships.”
Djibouti is the eleventh African Country to join the SPP, which partners American military members with allied countries to build and strengthen relationships and skills.
“The guys love it, and we’d come back in a heartbeat to continue this relationship.” Culver said.
| Date Taken: | 02.22.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 03.11.2017 09:04 |
| Story ID: | 226569 |
| Location: | DJIBOUTI, DJ |
| Web Views: | 185 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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