Photo By Nathan Rivard | U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Jacob Thompson, instructor, Combat Training Company, 1st...... read more read more
Grand Forks native and North Dakota Army National Guard Soldier, U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Jacob Thompson, recently concluded a significant mission abroad in Togo. His trip involved collaborating with the Togolese Army's Non-Commissioned Officer Academy to enhance mutual understanding of military instruction methods.
As a Grand Forks Central graduate and a devoted member of the North Dakota National Guard since 2009, Thompson's efforts underscore the importance of international cooperation in military exchanges.
“Big takeaway from the trip is that these relationships are a lot more important than we think about,” said Thompson who is a full-time instructor at the 164th Regional Training Institute in Devil’s Lake. “They [Togolese instructors] really like to see the Togolese and U.S. comparisons and it’s a learning experience for me as an instructor.”
This knowledge exchange was part of the National Guard’s State Partnership Program. The SPP was established in 1993 to assist ten former Soviet Union and Yugoslav countries. The program now bolsters 100 partner nations. North Dakota is partnered with Togo, Ghana, and Benin. Thompson has taken part in multiple exchanges with the program.
“I went to Ghana to do demolition training in 2016. In 2023, I went to Ghana for a safety standdown situation, helping them learn and understand risk management and those techniques. I was in Togo for event number three and then this is number four.”
This trip focused on showcasing how instructors at the 164th RTI and Togolese instructors each teach their course. Thompson says he enjoys the exchanges because it allows for development for all Soldiers involved.
“We get to see the progress of the students,” said Thompson. “Watching them make the comparisons and then group and develop as instructors is really important.”
In Thompson’s instructor role at the 164th RTI, he teaches combat engineers, bridge crewmembers, and interior electricians as well as Advanced Leadership Courses. He says a previous combat deployment significantly helped build his knowledge for instructing.
“I went to Afghanistan in 2012 with the 818th Engineer Company,” said Thompson, who has been an instructor since 2020. “I was a 12 Bravo, combat engineer, did a lot of driving, equipment operation, Husky driver, Buffalo driver, RG gunner, communications…if there was a need, just fill it and do it.”
He says being tasked with those additional duties helped him become more proficient.
“I could really focus on that concrete experience that I’ve had in the military previously and apply that to the classroom,” said Thompson, who received his Basic Instructor Badge in 2023. “When we start talking about management of personnel and talent management, building trust in teams, I have that concrete experience, that development to give students some sort of basis, that we can connect on this level.”
2024 also marks the 10th anniversary of the partnership between the North Dakota National Guard and Togo, the 10th anniversary for Benin, and the 20th anniversary of the partnership with Ghana. While this is Thompson’s fourth State Partnership Program event in Africa, he says he looks forward to future events because it is a reunion of instructors.
“Walking into the classroom in Togo and seeing familiar faces from the previous exchange was incredible. They’ve seen my face, they are definitely eager to see me again and then they are super eager to see these new faces that we’re bringing in.”
| Date Taken: | 03.01.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 03.04.2024 11:17 |
| Story ID: | 465266 |
| Location: | TEMEDJA, TG |
| Web Views: | 62 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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