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MOUNT ROLLAND TRAINING SITE, Senegal – Vermont National Guard Engineers worked together with Senegalese Armed Force Engineers to complete a firing range project here April 27, 2018. The project strengthened the partnership between the Vermont National Guard and Senegalese Armed Forces, who have been paired together as part of the National Guard Bureau’s State Partnership Program since January 2008. The firing range gives the Senegalese Armed Forces a quality, long-term and sustainable range.
“Our mission is to improve the KD (known distance) range with the Senegalese army and their operators for better utilization of the range in the future by ourselves, the Senegalese, and possible NATO allies as well,” said U.S. Army Spc. Steven Newton, heavy equipment operator, Alpha Company, 572nd Brigade Engineer Battalion, Vermont National Guard.
Together engineers from both Vermont and Senegal built the range as a single team. This strengthened the partnership while teaching both sides about one another’s culture and skillset. The new experience and new surroundings did not impede the Soldiers who worked hard with the Senegalese.
“We have seen that they are fully engaged in what they are doing, so we are doing certain drills,” said Senegalese Staff Sgt. Moustapha Sene, vice chief of demolition, Senegalese Armed Force Engineers. “They’re showing us certain skills, so we are learning from their know-how, and they are learning from us too.”
“Our Soldiers worked well with them, and they worked well with us. We operated equipment together. We did layout together,” said Chief Warrant Officer 3 Matthew Reed, mission commander, Garrison Support Command, Vermont National Guard. “We spent a lot time working with each other, learning about cultures, and then learning our engineer skills together, so we can take it back to our units and even develop more.”
Learning is a top priority during these exchanges.
“We’ve learned a lot of things that we are perfecting through time,” said Sene. “Then from time to time they may come back and learn certain stuff with us.”
While both the Senegalese and Vermont Guardsmen learned a lot, this also presented an opportunity of growth for Vermonters to serve abroad.
“I think it’s great because many of them haven’t deployed,” said Reed. “And it gives them a chance to get out of their comfort zone.”
It’s one of the many great things about the partnership that has helped both forces build and grow.
“We, the Senegalese engineers, have seen a lot of improvement in working with the U.S. National Guard from Vermont,” said Sene.
And it is a rewarding experience for the Vermont guardsmen as well.
“It’s such a great thing,” said U.S. Army Staff Sgt. George Johnson, horizontal construction engineer, Alpha Company, 572nd Brigade Engineer Battalion. “It shows how the job that we’re doing is really important. I think that’s all any Soldiers really wants to know, is that their job is very important.”
| Date Taken: | 05.02.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 06.13.2018 17:30 |
| Story ID: | 278292 |
| Location: | MOUNT ROLLAND TRAINING SITE, SN |
| Web Views: | 36 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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