Photo By Master Sgt. Kenneth Upsall | Sergeant Major of the Armed Forces Sgt. Maj. Salem Bani Mustafa (right) accepts a...... read more read more
AMMAN, Jordan -- U.S. Army Gen. Joseph Votel, commander of U.S. Central Command, and U.S. Army Command Sgt. Maj. William Thetford, the Senior Enlisted Leader for U.S. Central Command, were among the U.S. military officers and noncommissioned officers on hand as the Jordan Armed Forces – Arab Army conducted its first-ever change of responsibility ceremony May 14, 2017, in Amman, Jordan.
During the ceremony, presided over by Lt. Gen. Mahmoud Freihat, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Sgt. Maj. Salem Bani Mustafa assumed responsibility as the Sergeant Major of Armed Forces from Sgt. Maj. Mohamed Ismail al-Smadi.
"Sgt. Maj. Smadi, you have left a legacy," Mustafa said. "I am proud and honored to continue the development of the NCOs in the Jordan Armed Forces."
While this is not the first time a new SMA has assumed responsibility in the JAF, it is the first time a ceremony was conducted to recognize this change of responsibility and the important role the SMA plays in the Jordan Armed Forces.
A ceremonial sword was passed from Smadi to Freihat to Mustafa to signify his assumption of responsibility for all Jordanian NCOs. In addition, the first Sergeant Major of Armed Forces charge was read during the ceremony. This charge formally outlines the roles and responsibilities of the office of the JAF's top NCO.
"We start a new tradition for our military to acknowledge," Mustafa said. "Today marks the milestone that the Jordan military has taken in developing our NCO code."
“This is a very proud and historic day for Jordan and the United States,” said Sgt. Maj. Patricia Wahl, sergeant major of the Military Assistance Program- Jordan. “We are very honored to work with such professional soldiers and we are very excited about the future of the JAF NCO corps.”
As part of the reorganization of the JAF NCO leadership, Smadi will become commandant of the JAF NCO Academy, the first NCO to lead the school. All previous commandants have been colonels and brigadier generals.
"I am honored to be the first NCO to be commandant of the NCO training school," Smadi said. "We have built a strong partnership with the U.S. Army and were able to achieve success in many areas."
The project to shift the command and responsibilities of NCO schools from officers to NCOs began in 2012, according to Smadi. With his move to become commandant of the NCO training school, they have completed the shifting of all these positions to NCOs.
"They all have the same vision and the same courage to go out and provide leadership," Wahl said of the senior enlisted leaders of the JAF.
Jordan is a valuable member of the global coalition but building its NCO corps isn’t just about strengthening their enlisted ranks. It’s also about strengthening Jordan's relationship with the U.S. and other coalition members.
"Our armies have built a strong relationship dedicated to peace and security," Mustafa said.
In addition to the Sergeant Major of Armed Forces, over the past few years the JAF has added a Senior Enlisted Leader for each command, including the Royal Jordanian Air Force and the Royal Jordanian Navy.
But while the JAF NCO corps looks more and more similar to the U.S. military model, it still maintains a distinctive Jordanian identity. And that’s by design.
“Sometimes you have to take what we have and then adapt it to your military and your culture, to find out what works for you,” Thetford said during a meeting with Smadi the day before the ceremony.
“Yes, we need to Jordanize it,” Smadi explained. “This is a big step for our military. It hasn’t been easy. But this shifting will help the military change the mindset of what NCOs can do.”
Smadi said he has worked with many general officers who are supportive of the NCO corps and their role in the military and looks forward to seeing just how professional the NCO corps can become.
“Jordanian NCOs lead the way in Arabic armies,” Smadi said. “We are creating a national identity. It hasn’t happened overnight. But the Jordanian NCOs have arrived.”
| Date Taken: | 05.14.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 05.22.2017 09:37 |
| Story ID: | 234677 |
| Location: | AMMAN, JO |
| Web Views: | 416 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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