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The clatter of rifle drills and the sharp cadence of martial arts training echoed across a São Tomé military compound as Marines assigned to Combat Logistics Battalion (CLB) 25 led São Toméan troops through a hands-on exchange of skills in support of Obangame Express 2025.
Over several days, Reserve Marines delivered focused instruction on small-unit tactics, weapons handling, and Marine Corps Martial Arts Program (MCMAP) fundamentals. All of which aimed at strengthening both technical skills and partnerships.
"Training side-by-side like this builds skill and trust," said Sgt. Trent Young, lead MCMAP instructor and combat marksmanship coach. "You learn to rely on each other, push each other, and that shared experience is what truly prepares you for real-world operations."
A key aspect of this training was that it was led entirely by Reserve Marines, citizen Marines who balance military service with civilian careers. Their experience outside the wire added an extra layer of relatability and authenticity to the engagement.
Reserve Marines like Combat Engineer Staff Sgt. Jonathan Vanderway, a Bolingbrook, Illinois, police officer and SWAT team operator in civilian life, brought real-world experience to the training.
“A lot of what I do as a police officer translates directly into what the São Toméan Marines will face in the maritime environment,” said Vanderway. “Skills in detainee escorting, handcuff procedures, and verbal commands translate across a wide range of situations.”
Vanderway said that his team’s civilian experience enabled them to connect more closely with their São Toméan counterparts.
“Being a Reserve unit gives us a unique perspective,” said Vanderway. “We know what it means to adapt, to balance, and to be ready when called. That resonated with the São Tomé forces. They saw that we’re just like them in a lot of ways.”
For other members of CLB 25, like Motor Transport Operator Sgt. Jesus Martin, the training also became an opportunity to bridge language barriers. Martin, a native Spanish speaker whose parents are from Guatemala, grew up speaking both English and Spanish in Fresno, California.
“It’s been a great experience. Sometimes the language barrier was difficult, but because many of the São Toméan Marines spoke both Portuguese and Spanish, we were able to communicate,” said Martin, who works as a juvenile corrections officer in Logansport, Indiana. Serving as both a weapons instructor and interpreter, Martin said he was impressed by the São Toméan Marines' motivation to learn and their insightful questions.
“They were always thinking about how to apply what we were teaching to scenarios they would encounter at sea,” said Martin.
The sessions combined classroom instruction with hands-on practice. MCMAP tan belt techniques were drilled until they became second nature, and tactical movements with weapons were rehearsed repeatedly under the hot island sun. Every push-up, every takedown, and every repetition helped build a shared language of discipline and readiness.
The training served a dual purpose: strengthening São Tomé’s operational capabilities and deepening the ties between U.S. and African forces which is critical to maritime security efforts across the Gulf of Guinea.
Obangame Express is one of three regional maritime exercises led by U.S. Sixth Fleet as part of a comprehensive strategy to provide collaborative opportunities to African forces and international partners to address maritime security concerns.
Commander, U.S. Sixth Fleet, headquartered in Naples, Italy, conducts the full spectrum of joint and naval operations, often in concert with allied and interagency partners to advance U.S. national interests, security and stability in Europe and Africa.
| Date Taken: | 04.27.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 05.12.2025 10:36 |
| Story ID: | 497617 |
| Location: | SAO TOME ISLAND, ST |
| Web Views: | 26 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Reserve Marines Lead Martial Arts, Weapons Training with São Toméan Military, by CPO Justin Stumberg, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
