AMMAN, Jordan — U.S. Army and Jordan Armed Forces Soldiers conducted a noncommissioned officer Subject Matter Expert Exchange (SMEE) at the Jordan Armed Forces Noncommissioned Officer Academy (JAF NCOA) in Amman, Jordan April 6-10, 2019.
The event was planned by the 158th Military Engagement Team and the 1st Theater Sustainment Command to focus on enhancing the NCO corps in the Jordanian Army.
Objectives of the SMEE included discussions of the enlisted force structure, promotions, professional military education, performance feedback, evaluation processes, and career development for both armies.
U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Sedena Broaddus, 1st Theater Sustainment Command, provided briefings on the troop leading procedures, and how the exchange helps further the advancement of the NCO corps.
“We didn't just teach the class, we gathered their information, and they gathered ours,” Broaddus said. “It's a really good thing because we are the backbone of the Army and we need the subject matter experts to train younger soldiers coming into the military.”
The exchange helped better inform the JAF as to how U.S. Army NCOs operate in expeditionary force.
“The NCO's have more responsibility and the participation of this course is sharing the information between the U.S. side and the Jordanian side, and sharing the experience between each other,” said JAF NCO Warrant Officer Mohammad Basim, an instructor at the JAF NCOA. JAF warrant officers are considered senior NCO equivalents.
While the event provided the opportunity for U.S. Soldiers to collaborate with the JAF, it also afforded the U.S. and Jordan to reinforce their strong bilateral relationship built on shared interests and mutual respect.