Infantry and logistics Soldiers from the Senegal Army recently spent two weeks visiting Fort Campbell to observe 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division operations, in order to promote multinational sharing of information and develop interoperability among Senegal and U.S. forces.
“We were able to bring in our Senegalese partners to see how we do things and show them how we do logistics specifically,” said Maj. Joseph Loar, executive officer, 1st BCT. “We have the opportunity to show them how we rapidly deploy our forces and build combat power in order to close on the enemy and destroy them.”
Loar says the Senegalese are here as part of a U.S. Army Africa program. 1st BCT is currently assigned to the Regionally Aligned Forces – Africa mission.
“We are here in cooperation with AFRICOM. We are here to see training of the airborne unit,” said Capt. Mamadou Fall, a logistics officer with the Senegalese army. “We want to see training at the brigade level to see how the brigade operates and how the companies of the brigade operate with infantry and logistics support.”
The Senegalese military sent the seven officers and noncommissioned officers to see the U.S. military operate, and determine if they can adapt their own concepts based on observations and lessons learned. Their visit was coordinated to happen during the Bastogne brigade’s major field training exercise this month. The group visited and toured operations for each type of battalion within the brigade, such as 2nd Battalion, 327 Infantry; 326th Brigade Engineer Battalion; and 426th Brigade Support Battalion.
“We have a small army and we can’t learn certain things from books or school. We know what a brigade support battalion does, but we don’t have the opportunity to see it in action,” said Fall. “Here we get to see what happens on the ground because we don’t have the capacity to do brigade training. This is our chance to share with our military what we learn here.”
The Senegalese Soldiers received an inside look at what makes 1st BCT an elite fighting force during the FTX. They observed air assault operations, sustainment operations, and many other Soldiers in action.
“I used to think that America is so powerful because they have a lot of equipment, but now I know it is not the might of having equipment, it is the might of commitment,” said Fall. “I see people very committed and everyone is really involved in what they do.”
Fall says he saw the first sign of commitment within the brigade during the combined arms rehearsal. Multiple units and sections throughout the brigade explained to the commander what they will do for their part of the exercise.
“I have never seen a commanding officer asking every question to the platoon leaders about what they will be doing and what their part is. By doing that they know what they will be doing on the ground,” said Fall. “This kind of rehearsal must be shared because the first thing we have to do is a real rehearsal so that everyone understands what they have to do.”
Fall says he will not look at being a logistician the same way after observing how the Bastogne brigade operates in the field.
“At first I only saw my part of a mission, but now I see it is weird that our mechanics think that they should not be involved on the battlefield, that is the very wrong way,” said Fall. “Seeing this on the ground (I see) that everyone has their part in security and in battle.”
The Senegalese also had a cultural day and toured the Sabalauski Air Assault School where three of the Soldiers were able to rappel off the tower.
“We are very lucky that we have the opportunity to come to see one of the best armies in the world,” said Fall. “We are very happy to be here and we thank our boss who trusted in us to send us here to learn and share.”
1st BCT is the Regionally Aligned Force supporting U.S. Army Africa missions and exercises across the African continent this year. USARAF brings the Army team to assist U.S. partners in building ready forces and operating as part of a multi-national coalition.
