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Sharing Cultural Experiences

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Jacob Dastas
  • 379TH Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

During the holiday season, members from both nations met to forge and expand their relationship over a meal. This inaugural event gave the ESFS an opportunity to share American culture with the unit’s host nation counterparts.

 

“The Qatari leadership has been incredibly generous with their hospitality by including our security forces leaders in their events,” said Lt. Col. Matthew Butler, 379th ESFS commander. “Sharing this meal was the least we could do to reciprocate in this partnership.”

 

Prior to this event, members of the QEAF Ground Defense Wing and 379th ESFS Airmen participated in community functions, informal conversations, and opportunities that increased the Airmen’s understanding of the Qatari culture.

 

Alongside these personal interactions, the two forces make a deliberate effort to improve the effectiveness of their combat capabilities, ground defense, and communication through joint trainings.

 

“The squadron continually looks for opportunities to strengthen our ties with the Qatar          Emiri Air Force,” said Butler. “The more time we spend cultivating our relationship, the more it fortifies our shared base defense posture and readiness to protect Al Udeid Air Base and its people.”

 

While enhancing this partnership is an ongoing process, the Airmen’s commitment to taking an active role in the development plays a critical role in influencing current and future missions. Every effort, formal and informal, bolsters readiness and operational capabilities to prevail through tomorrow’s fight.

 

“This will definitely not be the last event we share together,” said Butler. “We have a full slate of combined exercises, training, and events ahead of us, so there will be plenty more reason to celebrate together in the future.”