Amman, Jordan --
The Royal Jordanian Air Force had received intelligence on a certain vehicle
traveling in the vicinity of Amman on Tuesday, Nov. 27, the occupants of which were believed to be engaged
in suspicious behavior.
Midway through the afternoon, a RJAF force
protection professional recognized the vehicle attempting to gain access to their
location outside the city and ordered the vehicle to halt.
“Ok,” said Capt. Damon Gandy, 332d Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron
operations officer, watching from nearby.
“Phase one is complete, they’ve identified the vehicle in question.”
This is a familiar scene, as Jordanian and visiting U.S. forces
frequently train together to share best practices and learn from each
other. The partnership builds
understanding, trust and respect, and according to Gandy, reduces reaction time
and improves the efficiency and effectiveness of participants.
“The (RJAF) has a different methodology than we do,” said Tech. Sgt.
Antonio Howard, 332d ESFS, who was an occupant of the vehicle trying to gain
access. “Continued exercises such as
this uncover new ideas and ensures everyone is on the same page.”
Today’s exercise involved identifying, securing and eliminating the
threat of a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device. All the initial steps were covered, which was
described as 25 percent education and awareness and 75 percent hands-on
practice. Strengths and suggested areas
of improvement were identified, which is the whole point of such training
exercises.
Perhaps the biggest proponent of the mutual training exercises was Maj.
Haytham Al-Shahadat, RJAF Force Protection operations officer who help
supervise and evaluate the response.
“The most important point is the level of trust that develops,” he
said. “Trust helps us overcome any issue
or deficit in training or operations. We
will continue to enhance our relationship through more exercises and
information exchanges.”
The 332d Air Expeditionary Wing
is the continuing legacy of the famous Tuskegee Airmen of World War II,
delivering full-spectrum integrated air and space power, providing agile combat
support, developing and empowering innovative Airmen, cultivating relationships
with joint and coalition partners, and posturing the wing for enduring
strategic presence.