Soldiers from Fort Campbell, Kentucky shared their expertise in Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) during a train-the-trainer engagement last month with Chadian engineers at the DIRGENIE (Combat Engineer) Battalion Headquarters in N’Djamena, Chad.
The technicians from the 723rd Ordnance Company (EOD) shared best practices with Chadian engineers to increase their capacity to conduct counter-improvised explosive device (C-IED) missions.
U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Garrett McGuire led the training team using language assistance from members of the U.S. Air Force Language Enabled Airman Program (LEAP).
Chadian engineer students were given instruction on basic awareness of improvised explosive devices, safety, awareness of home-made explosives, ground signs, handheld detectors, dismounted and mounted C-IED operations, personnel searches and vehicle searches.
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Following each module the Chadian students prepared and conducted a “teach-back” to the instructors to demonstrate their proficiency in teaching the modules. Students demonstrated their ability to teach the information that they had learned and ensured that the information was instructed in an understandable fashion.
“This system allows for the exponential expansion of C-IED knowledge within the Chadian Forces,” said McGuire. “By teaching this course, we have begun to provide Chadian EOD engineers the ability to strengthen their forces by giving them the tools and knowledge to teach awareness to other troops on the ground.”
The DIRGENIE (Combat Engineer) battalion commander, Chadian Defense Force Commandant Issaka, said, “the American training started not too long ago, but we have benefited from it tremendously because of the methods the Americans use to teach, which is to make us independent, and not rely on them in the future. Chadians have the courage to fight terrorism but we lack the experience the Americans have.”
The U.S. Army Africa Command (USARAF) C-IED program plans, coordinates, and oversees the execution of C-IED training with multiple partner nations across the African continent with the intent of increasing C-IED capacity and capability on the African continent.
Article adapted from original by Oli Talbott, U.S. Army Africa Counter-IED Fusion Cell, edited for context and format by CBRNE Central.