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Airmen train, build relations with Forces Armées Nigeriennes

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Jimmie D. Pike
  • 435th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

Airmen deployed to the 768th Expeditionary Air Base Squadron at Nigerien Air Base 101, Niger, partnered with senior enlisted members of the Forces Armées Nigeriennes to provide training they could take back to their troops.            

 

“The Air Advisory program is a joint knowledge exchange that is set up for us to work with the FAN,” said Staff Sgt. Michael Haney, 768th EABS NCO in charge of Air Advisory. “It allows us to find holes in different types of training that we have to fill. Then we fill the holes for them, or they fill holes for us, so he training can be applied downrange.”

 

Members of the U.S. military work closely with their Nigerien partners to facilitate access, when required, to conduct mission or operations that support and further mutual security goals and objectives in Africa

 

“Our program is one way we build relations with the FAN and local community,” said Senior Airman Joshua Brooks, 768th EABS air advisor. “With the program we cover training on programs such as Self-Aid Buddy Care, Vehicle Searches, Entry Control Point operations, Urban Operations, and other information that can help them when they deploy.”

 

Recently, the addition of ground combatives was included by Brooks to grow the program and assist FAN members in close quarter combat scenarios.

 

“Jiu jitsu is something I’ve done as a personal hobby for a while and I enjoy it,” said Brooks. “I thought it would be good to incorporate in the program and teach them. It’s been phenomenal teaching them and then seeing them do it.”

 

One of the most rewarding aspects of the job has been the FAN’s taking to the program and the feedback that the air advisors have received.

 

“I’ve heard they take what they were taught here and teach it to another class of FAN members,” said Brooks. “I’ve had another guy come up to me and say that what he learned with us helped him when he was deployed.”