US Expands Military Training Programme For Nigerian Troops In Bauchi

The United States has increased military training for Nigerian troops in Bauchi State, focusing on unmanned aircraft systems, combat casualty care, and other battlefield skills.

The training, which was held at an operational location in Bauchi, is part of broader US-Nigeria security cooperation to strengthen the military capability, operational readiness and long-term capacity of Nigerian forces.

The drills included Combat Lifesaver and Tactical Combat Casualty Care, weapons familiarization, camouflage, water treatment and testing, explosive ordnance disposal, small-unit tactics and unmanned aircraft systems, according to a United States Africa Command report released Monday.

“The U.S. and Nigerian forces are engaging in a series of training events at Operating Location Bauchi, Nigeria, to exchange military expertise, develop partner capacity and build relationships between service members of both countries.

“Training between U.S. and Nigerian forces at Bauchi has included Combat Lifesaver and Tactical Combat Casualty Care instruction, weapons familiarization, camouflage, water treatment and testing, explosive ordnance disposal, small unit tactics and unmanned aircraft system training,” it said.

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Capt Gabriel Feingold, logistics officer with the US Army Southern European Task Force, Africa and operations officer at OL Bauchi, said Nigerian personnel were given the chance to identify the training areas they found most useful.

“We give them a list of a few different training topics, and they choose what they think would be most useful to them,” Feingold said.

The report said the Nigerian forces were particularly interested in the unmanned aircraft systems. The training was led by Sgt. Mark Murphy, an intelligence analyst with the 13th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion and included about 10 members of the Nigerian Air Force Special Forces Regiment.

The Nigerian personnel were first provided approximately 45 minutes of instruction before participating in hands-on exercises on the operation of the aircraft and the use of information collected by the systems in military operations.

“They were really excited to get hands-on time with it,” Murphy said, adding that the Nigerian personnel were interested in more training.

The exercises were also intended to strengthen relationships and improve interoperability between U.S. and Nigerian personnel, particularly at the lower levels of the two forces, the U.S. Africa Command said.

“It helps build relationships between Soldiers and the partner force, especially down at the lower levels,” Feingold said.

This is after AFRICOM said in July that the United States had withdrawn most of the troops it sent to Nigeria for a particular counterterrorism mission but kept up intelligence-sharing and security cooperation with the country.

AFRICOM said the two countries were continuing to identify areas for sharing expertise and improving military capabilities, and additional training opportunities were being developed at the Bauchi operating location.