Three dozen Georgia National Guardsmen returned this month from a secret mission in the Middle East, where they trained Jordanian troops amid the war against the Islamic State.
The Cumming-based 560th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade trained some of Jordan’s brigade and battalion-level commanders on planning missions and “battle-tracking.”
Jordanian troops — who have joined a coalition of more than 40 nations fighting the Islamic State — could use that training in a number of ways, including defending their borders against the jihadist group, also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or ISIS.
Col. Jeff Dickerson, the commander of the 560th, said the Jordanians he worked with were still upset about how Islamic State fighters burned alive a Jordanian military pilot, Lt. Muath al-Kaseasbeh. He was captured in December after his plane crashed while he was participating in the U.S.-led air campaign against the Sunni militant group.
“They are certainly concerned and want to ensure that their borders are protected,” said Dickerson, a veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. “This event in essence helps the Jordanians plan for essentially anything. And of course, if it had to be an event involving ISIS, then the Jordanian brigade we trained will certainly be better prepared to plan an operation, if that is what they needed to do.”
The Georgia guardsmen did not discuss their weeks-long mission with the news media until they left Jordan to protect themselves and their Jordanian counterparts. Their trip to the Middle East highlights again how National Guardsmen are increasingly doing more than responding to national disasters and civil unrest and fighting in wars. Last year, for example, Georgia guardsmen traveled to Guatemala and Honduras and trained troops in the two Central American nations to fight drug cartels. Those gangs have caused many unaccompanied children and teens to surge north of the U.S.-Mexico border.
More than 100 U.S. troops participated in this year’s mission in Jordan, including Army reservists and active-duty soldiers. Dickerson said his troops got a lot out of the mission, especially his unit’s Arabic interpreters.
“It was a great opportunity for our soldiers to work in a joint-coalition environment because that is the way the world operates now,” he said. “None of us go it alone.”
A U.S. military article about the mission says a Jordanian brigadier general credited the mission with fostering an understanding of each nation’s forces. The brigadier general added that it provided opportunities for Jordan’s junior military leaders to become more prepared to respond to threats.
Dickerson also described a touching closing ceremony his troops held with their Jordanian counterparts on the last day of their visit.
“A lot of strong relationships were built in just a two-week period between our Jordanian partners and our soldiers — and I mean strong relationships,” he said. “There were a lot of hugs and a few teary eyes. There was a lot of gratitude by the Jordanian officers and soldiers for the insights and coaching that our soldiers provided.”
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