ALI AL SALEM AIR BASE, Kuwait -- ALI AL SALEM AIR BASE, Kuwait – Members of the U.S. Air Force’s 386th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron and the Canadian Armed Forces’ Operational Support Hub-South West Asia engaged in a personnel exchange, allowing their members to work together and gain a better understanding of how each force operates.
Though American forces work closely with their international partners on a macro-level, this isn’t always seen at the micro-level.
In this instance, Canadian and American electricians were split into two pairs and sent off to work on various projects.
“Personally, I didn’t know how American training would be in comparison to ours,” said Canadian Armed Forces Master Corporal Tanner Stangby, an OSH-SWA electrical distribution technician. “It’s good to know now that if we ever have a big problem and they send American technicians, we can trust them.”
Stangby worked alongside U.S. Air Force Senior Airman David Russell, a 386th ECES electrical systems apprentice, to bring power to new Canadian admin buildings.
“This experience has been really good for me,” said Russell. “It’s a big confidence boost. I’ve gained confidence in both my own abilities and the abilities of my Canadian peers.”
The pairs learned the differences and similarities of how their career fields function within their countries’ militaries. This experience allowed them to gain a better understanding of each other’s capabilities and enhance the strength of the joint force.
“I’ve never gotten to do something like this, but we work well together,” said Canadian Armed Forces Corporal Kishan Patel, an OSH-SWA electrical distribution technician. “Our terminology may be a little different, but our processes are similar.”
“There’s a lot we can get from working together at this level,” said U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Imai Reed, a 386th ECES electrical systems apprentice. “Working together as people, that’s where it all starts. That’s how we become a team.”
The strength of a force starts at the individual level, so there is much to be gained by fostering bonds between allied countries’ personnel. Such bonds can only serve to enhance the interoperability and capability of our combined forces.