CAMP ARIFJAN, Kuwait -- Alaska Army National Guard Soldiers with the 297th Military Police Company; Army Reserve Soldiers with 1st Detachment, 160th Military Police Battalion; along with the Kuwait Army’s 54th Military Police Battalion, joined forces in a riot control exercise November 3-6, 2019, at Camp Arifjan.
The hands-on experience allowed Soldiers to refine job-related skills and react to events, said U.S. Army Sgt. Scott Sandoval, a military police officer assigned to the 297th.
“Anytime we are training in this capacity, it helps us learn better,” Sandoval said.
The four-day exercise allowed the MPs to work together, discuss best practices and build relationships with their host nation counterparts, said U.S. Army Maj. Gabriel Araujo, Area Support Group – Kuwait Director of Emergency Services.
“The Kuwait and U.S. forces worked together to quell a simulated riot and use a special reaction team to assist in 'hostage’ recovery,” said Araujo. “This strengthens the Defense Cooperation Agreement and our relationship with our host nation partners.”
This is not the first time that the Kuwaitis and Americans have worked together to better both forces, said Kuwait Army Col. Mohamad H. Alhaddad, 54th Military Police Battalion. Nor will it be the last.
“Having the experience to learn from the U.S. Soldiers and them learning from us is important,” said Alhaddad. “We will continue to work with this unit and the next, because everything is updating; we want to always be prepared.”
The Defense Cooperation Agreement partners U.S. and Kuwaiti forces to create mission-ready Soldiers and enduring relationships while providing defense support for the country of Kuwait.