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12-03-2013, 22:45
Marokkaans-Duitse samenwerking

Berufssoldat El Houssain Akki aus Marokko absolviert Praktikum in Alheimer-Kaserne
Ein Oberst lernt das Führen

Rotenburg. In der Rotenburger Alheimer-Kaserne lernt Oberst El Houssain Akki derzeit, ein militärisches Bataillon zu führen. Der Berufssoldat aus Marokko absolviert noch bis Ende September dieses Jahres ein Praktikum beim Führungsunterstützungsbataillon 286 in der Fuldastadt. Damit wird im Rahmen der internationalen Ausbildungshilfe der Bundeswehr die Ausbildung des 49-jährigen Stabsoffiziers zum künftigen Bataillonskommandeur in seiner nordafrikanischen Heimat unterstützt.

Der „Colonel“ der marokkanischen Armee, die mit 220 000 Soldaten inzwischen größer ist als die Bundeswehr, die ihre Stärke bereits auf unter 200 000 aktive Soldaten gesenkt hat, spricht ausgezeichnet Deutsch, was ihm das Praktikum in der Alheimer-Kaserne sehr erleichtert.

Akki hat in München Informatik studiert und dabei auch die deutsche Sprache erlernt. Ein Studienkollege in München war damals Oberstleutnant Uwe Reinhardt, derzeit Kommandeur des in Rotenburg stationierten Fernmelde-Bataillons. Beim ersten Zusammentreffen in der Alheimer-Kaserne hatten sich die früheren Studienkollegen sofort wiedererkannt und pflegen einen freundschaftlichen Umgang miteinander.

Davon konnte sich auch Rotenburgs Bürgermeister Christian Grunwald (CDU) überzeugen, der den Gast aus Marokko, der seit Ende Juni in Deutschland ist, im Rathaus willkommen hieß und sich über die Ausbildungshilfe informieren ließ



http://www.hna.de/lokales/rotenburg-bebra/oberst-lernt-fuehren-2458843.html

12-03-2013, 22:53




Internationale Delegation inspiziert Waffensysteme der Marine

Kiel. Hochrangiger und äußerst ungewöhnlicher Besuch beim Marinestützpunktkommando in Kiel: 63 militärische Vertreter aus 36 Ländern der Organisation für Sicherheit und Zusammenarbeit in Europa (OSZE) besuchten gestern die Landeshauptstadt und nahmen Material und Personal der Marine genau unter die Lupe. "Wir sind zwar viel Besuch auf dem Stützpunkt gewohnt, aber in dieser Form habe ich so etwas noch nie erlebt. Alles war sehr beeindruckend. So ein internationales Treffen ist ein Zeichen neuer Politik und einer neuen Zeit", sagt Stützpunktkommandeur Hauke Lützen.

Zu den 56 OSZE-Mitgliedsstaaten gehören alle europäischen Länder, die Türkei, Zypern, die USA und Kanada sowie alle aus der Sowjetunion hervorgegangenen Nationen. Zudem erhalten zwölf Partnerstaaten wie Marokko und Japan Einblick in militärische Vorhaben und Entwicklungen innerhalb der Streitkräfte.

Die alle fünf Jahre stattfindende Inspektion in einem bestimmten Teilnehmerland geht auf das 1990 verabschiedete Wiener Dokument zurück, in dem sich alle OSZE-Staaten verpflichten, Informationen über neue Waffensysteme und geplante Manöver offen und transparent darzulegen. Ziele sind Friedenssicherung, Vertrauensbildung und Wiederaufbau nach Konflikten. "Seit 1990 hat noch kein Land die anderen OSZE-Staaten belogen", betont Oberstleutnant Friedrich Gegenfurter, der für das Wiener Dokument arbeitet. Untersucht werden dürfen nahezu alle Manövergebiete oder Waffengattungen - einzig wichtiges technisches Gerät wie Tiefenmesser in U-Booten unterliegen militärischer Geheimhaltung.

In Kiel stand für die Delegation zunächst eine Inspektion des Tenders "Werra" auf dem Programm. Danach ging es per Barkasse durch den Hafen, ehe die Stützpunkt-Tauchergruppe vor den Augen internationaler Offiziere Einsatzübungen vorführte. Davon beeindruckt war auch Oberst Beat Spycher aus der Schweiz: "Der Stützpunkt macht einen sehr guten Eindruck. Auch wenn wir als Schweizer keine Marine haben und ich mir daher kein Urteil erlauben kann, bin ich persönlich dennoch dafür, die Marine ins Wiener Dokument aufzunehmen." Bislang ist das nicht der Fall. Der Grund: Das OSZE-Übereinkommen geht auf vertrauens- und sicherheitsbildende Maßnahmen aus den 1970er Jahren zurück, in denen im Konflikt der beiden großen Blöcke NATO und Warschauer Pakt weniger ein Krieg auf dem Wasser denn eine Auseinandersetzung zu Lande drohte. Doch nach dem Zusammenbruch des Warschauer Paktes sind heute große Panzerschlachten in Mitteleuropa kaum noch vorstellbar, weswegen immer mehr Länder auf eine Einbeziehung der Marine ins Wiener Dokument drängen. So war es in 22 Jahren erst der zweite Besuch einer OSZE-Gruppe auf einem Marine-Stützpunkt. Bevor sich die Gruppe am Nachmittag von der Bereitschaft der Sanitäterstaffel, der Feuerwehr und der Einsatzversorgung überzeugte, ging es für die Beobachter in die Truppenküche zum Mittagessen. Auf dem Speiseplan: Putengulasch mit Nudeln, Reis und Kartoffeln.

Gemäß der festgelegten Vereinbarungen hatte die Delegation bereits am Montag und Dienstag den Flugplatz beim Aufklärungsgeschwader 51 "Immelmann" in Jagel besucht und sich am Mittwoch in Putlos die neuen Waffensysteme "Boxer" (Panzerwagen) und "Tiger" (Hubschrauber) vorführen lassen.


[SIZE=1]Verfolgen den Vortrag der Stützpunkt-Tauchergruppe: Kommandeur Hauke Lützen (Mi.), Oberstleutnant Pascal Jeanmougin aus Frankreich (li.) und Oberst Mustapha Maati aus Marokko. (suivant la presentation du groupe plongeurs de la base)[/SIZE]


[SIZE=1]Der marokkanische Oberst Mustapha Maati verlässt den Tender „Werra“. / Le colonel Marocain Mustapha colonel Maati quitte le tender "Werra".[/SIZE]






[SIZE=1]Jagel (51 Immelmann)
Kolonel Maati en Tornado ECR










13-03-2013, 22:29
Moroccan Minister Delegate for Foreign Affairs visits NATO

Morocco’s Minister Delegate for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation visited NATO headquarters on Tuesday 5 March 2013 and was welcomed by NATO Deputy Secretary General Ambassador Alexander Vershbow. "This is the first time a minister from Morocco has visited the Alliance bilaterally, and it bears witness to our continued commitment to strengthen our political consultation and our practical cooperation," said Ambassador Vershbow.

The Deputy Secretary General and H.E. Mr. Youssef Amrani discussed NATO-Morocco relations and the state of play within the Alliance's Mediterranean Dialogue.
Since joining the Mediterranean Dialogue in 1994, Morocco has become a key strategic partner for NATO in the region. The country has contributed to various NATO-led crisis operations, including SFOR in Bosnia; the KFOR mission in Kosovo; Operation Active Endeavour, the Alliance’s anti-terrorism mission in the Mediterranean; and Operation Unified Protector, to protect the people of Libya as mandated by the UN Security Council.
Morocco has also played from the outset a very active role within the Mediterranean Dialogue, contributing to political discussions with NATO on issues such as the Alliance’s Strategic Concept, including hosting in Rabat the first meeting of the North Atlantic Council with all seven MD partners, as well as to practical cooperation through an ambitious Individual Cooperation Programme, designed according to mutually agreed country priorities. Morocco participated in the NATO summit in Chicago last year.
“Political dialogue is a crucial aspect of our cooperation, and it is one we are committed to develop further,” Ambassador Vershbow said.

Nato.int










20-03-2013, 20:46
Controversial Armed German UAVs Plan



.... After almost three decades' continuous military use, the Hellfire remains a staple of modern weaponry, with a top speed of Mach 1.3 and a range of up to five miles. Presently, four nations operate Predator UAVs: Italy, Turkey, Morocco and the US.

Bron: http://www.armedforces-int.com/news/controversial-armed-german-uavs-plan.html


Informatie op Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Atomics_MQ-1_Predator#Operators

20-03-2013, 20:55


AGE Maintenance Training for RMAF (Royal Morrocan Air Force)

The Air Education and Training Command Contracting Squadron (AETC CONS) is seeking information concerning the availability of capable contractors to provide non-personal services in support of the Royal Morocco Air Force for maintenance training for the attached Aerospace Ground Equipment (AGE). All instruction shall be in the English language. This Request for Information (RFI) is issued for informational and planning purposes only. The information will be used in conducting market research to identify qualified, experienced, and interested potential sources and commercial practices in support of the Government's requirements. Contact with Government personnel, other than those specified in this RFI, by potential offerors or their employees' regarding this requirement is not permitted. This is not a Request for Proposal (RFP). It is not to be construed as a formal solicitation or an obligation on the part of the Government to acquire any products or services. The information requested by this RFI will be used within the Air Force to facilitate decision making and will not be disclosed outside the agency. Any information provided to the Government is strictly voluntary and will be provided at no cost to the Government. For purposes of this RFI, the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code is 611519, Other Technical and Trade Schools and the small business size standard is $7.0 Million.

Bron: https://www.fbo.gov/?s=opportunity&mode=form&id=62dead8254b18b53c0f264 ccb175d070&tab=core&_cview=0


AGE equipements list: https://www.fbo.gov/utils/view?id=0d63f2078841e16583a4696e32ba98e7

21-03-2013, 21:31
Exercise Saharan Express 2013



Citaat:
DAKAR, Senegal (Mar. 10, 2013) – Lt. Cmdr. Paul Qualey, right, U.S. exercise control group lead, tracks ships with Royal Moroccan navy Lt. Cmdr. Mohamed Ezzoubairi in the maritime operations center at the Admiral Faye Gassama Naval Base during Exercise Saharan Express 2013. Saharan Express is an international maritime security cooperation exercise designed to improve maritime safety and security in West Africa. (U.S. Navy Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Brian T. Glunt)

Citaat:
Royal Moroccan navy sailors board the British Royal navy frigate HMS Argyll (F231) during Exercise SaharanExpress2013. SaharanExpress is an international maritime security cooperation exercise designed to improve maritime safety and security in West Africa. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class John Herman/Released)

Citaat:
DAKAR, Senegal (Mar. 9, 2013) - Royal Moroccan Navy sailors train Liberian sailors in proper security techniques aboard the Royal Navy frigate HMS Argyll (F231) as part of Exercise Saharan Express 2013. Saharan Express is an international maritime security cooperation exercise designed to improve maritime safety and security in West Africa. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class John Herman/Released)

Citaat:
DAKAR, Senegal (Mar. 9, 2013) – Capt. Andrew Lennon, top left, U.S. exercise director, and Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Peter Wells, left, observe Spanish and Moroccan sailors train during Exercise Saharan Express 2013. Saharan Express is an international maritime security cooperation exercise designed to improve maritime safety and security in West Africa. (U.S. Navy Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Brian T. Glunt)

Citaat:
Royal Moroccan Navy sailors practice boarding techniques aboard the Royal Navy frigate HMS Argyll (F231) as part of Exercise Saharan Express 2013.

Citaat:
Royal Moroccan navy sailors board the British Royal navy frigate HMS Argyll (F231) during Exercise Saharan Express 2013.

Citaat:
A British Royal navy sailor mans a machine gun aboard HMS Argyll (F231) while conducting training with the Royal Moroccan navy vessel Bir Anzarane during Exercise Saharan Express 2013 (SE-13). Saharan Express is an international maritime security cooperation exercise designed to improve maritime safety and security in West Africa. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class John Herman/Released)

31-03-2013, 00:25
Submarines for the Royal Moroccan Navy

Some sources talk about the interest of Morocco to aquire between one and two submarines.


German-made Type 209 in service with the Hellenic Navy


Italo-Russian S1000 submarine
Morocco Mohammed VI 701 Frigate Ord from DCNS Oct 2007 L Sep 11 Del 2013
Morocco FREMM Unconfirmed report Jan 2011
Morocco TBA Type 209? Planned Ann Oct 2012
Morocco TBA Proj 636/877 Planned Ann Oct 2012

http://www.seawaves.com/developments.asp

Jeune Afrique March 2013 (French)

http://www.jeuneafrique.com/Article/JA2722p022-029.xml3/

Morocco bid to acquire $500m submarine

http://en.arabstoday.net/20121030213039/morocco-bid-to-acquire-500m-submarine.html

In 2012 Russia and Italy revisited the project of S1000 non-nuclear submarine. The project was frozen four years earlir. This small submarine was designed specifically for exports to the third world countries – Egypt, Morocco and others.

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/europe/s1000.htm

15-04-2013, 23:35
CRC X-Training met het Marokkaanse Bedrijf MNBG-E

De Portugese militaire KTM verricht een oefening in CRC (Crowd en Riot Control) met de Vennootschap en Marokkaanse BTroop KTM. Zij waren betrokken bij deze oefening 84 Marokkaanse militaire behoren tot de MorCoy MNBG-E. De training is gericht op de subeenheden die betrokken zijn bij de tactieken, technieken en procedures, en om de interoperabiliteit tussen de krachten in te schakelen.

Gedeeltelijke vertaling: Google Translate









Bron: http://www.emgfa.pt/pt/noticias/517

15-04-2013, 23:46
African Lion 13 Begins with Maritime Offload



AGADIR, Morocco – As part of Exercise African Lion 13, a joint force of Marines, airmen, sailors, and soldiers conducted a maritime prepositioning offload at the port of Agadir, Morocco, that delivered, organized, and prepared vehicles and equipment for the joint multi-lateral exercise, April 6.

“We are going through the entire maritime prepositioning process; from planning all the way through to the offload, employment to implementation, and then to retrograde, reconstitution and back-loading the ship,” said Lt. Col. Peter J. Mahoney, the officer-in-charge of the Arrival-and-Assembly Operation Group, AL-13.

The U.S. Navy Ship Dahl, a cargo transport, pulled into the Moroccan port to deliver more than 250 short tons of equipment for the exercise, slated to begin this month.

“This is a true Maritime Prepositioning of Force ‘drill’ where all the equipment from the offload will actually be used during the exercise,” said Mahoney, a Red Bank, N.J., native.

Joint Task Force- Port Opening is a joint-force service element commanded by U.S. Transportation Command with the capability to rapidly establish and initially operate a port of debarkation and distribution, facilitating ship-to-shore support for regional combatant commanders.

“We work with all services depending on where we go,” said Maj. Joseph M. Borovicka, an operations officer for JTF-PO. “It’s replicating what we would be doing during a real-world contingency,” added Borovicka, regarding the MPF here.

“When we say ‘rapid,’ we mean it. I can have my whole unit in-route to an objective in 36 hours. It’s an awesome capability,” said Borovicka, a native of Greenville, S.C.

The current offload of JTF-PO represents an MPF where all task force elements are participating at the same time.

“The JTF-PO usually does this for other drills and exercises [throughout the year], but this is one of the few times they are here with the ‘customer,’” Mahoney said.

“Having the customer here has been great for the task force because we’ve had a lot of integration opportunities,” said Mahoney. “It’s great for the Marines because we don’t always work with USTRANSCOMM assets.”

The offload will continue throughout the week, delivering 7-ton trucks, armored Humvees, Howitzers, and other logistical items such as Meals Ready to Eat (MREs) for the exercise.

“We have to utilize capabilities throughout the entire Department of Defense,” said Borovicka. “We can never train enough, but we need to have the habitual working relations such that we can converge, build the team, and do the mission.”

Exercise African Lion is a U.S. Africa Command-scheduled, U.S. Marine Corps Forces Africa- led, joint multi-lateral exercise that will involve more than 1,400 U.S. servicemembers and approximately 900 Royal Moroccan Armed Forces to conduct military-to-military engagements in various exercises that build military partner-nation capacity. For the first time, members of the Federal Republic of Germany Armed Forces and members of 12 additional European and African countries will observe the exercise. During AL-13, the combined task force will conduct familiarization and training to include: command post exercise, live-fire and maneuvering, peace keeping operations, intelligence capacity building seminar, humanitarian and civic assistance, amphibious operations, aerial refueling and low-level flight training

Bron: Dvids

15-04-2013, 23:49


by Bo Joyner
AF Reserve Command Public Affairs

4/10/2013 - ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. -- Fourteen members of Air Force Reserve Command's 55th Combat Communications Squadron here are in Morocco providing critical communications support for African Lion 2013, an annually scheduled, bilateral U.S. and Moroccan sponsored exercise designed to improve interoperability and mutual understanding of each nation's tactics, techniques and procedures.

The reservists and five pallets of computers, cables, switches, satellite dishes, tents and other supplies left Robins on a KC-135 in early April. After their arrival in Agadir, Morocco, the comm specialists from the 55th set up the communications network that will serve as the backbone for African Lion, which runs through the end of April.

"We are providing SIPR (secure internet), NIPR (non-secure internet), voice and some VTC (video teleconferencing) for this large-scale exercise," said Senior Master Sgt. Bart Sawyer, 55th CBCS superintendent.

"Our folks have been training hard," added Lt. Col. Lee Mumford, 55th CBCS commander. "We finished an ORI in December of 2010 and a UCI in August of 2012 and we're ready to put our training to the test and show that we can provide comm to the war-fighter in an austere location."

Providing communications for Africa Lion is a challenging mission. More than 1,400 U.S. military service members are joining more than 900 Moroccan soldiers in various regions of the country to take part in a wide variety of training, including command post operations, life-fire and maneuvering, peace-keeping operations, amphibious operations, and aerial refueling and low-level flight training. In addition, exercise participants will provide medical, dental, pediatric and optometry care to thousands of Moroccans throughout the country.

"This is a great opportunity for our people to train in a joint environment with people from the other services and other countries," Mumford said. "Providing comm to all of the participants who need it will definitely put us to the test."

"This exercise is the real deal," Sawyer added. "Our mission is to deliver tactical communications systems for dominant combat operations anytime, anywhere and we're ready to prove we're up to the challenge."

Military representatives from close to 20 different nations are expected to check out what African Lion is all about this year. "The embassy has invited a host of nations this year to expand African Lion into a true multi-lateral exercise," U.S. Army Maj. Barrett McNabb, U.S. Embassy Rabat liaison officer, said in a recent Marine Corps Forces Africa news article. "The intent is to invite our partner nations from Europe and Africa to act as observers this year and expand to participation in the years ahead."

Mumford said he is hoping that Reserve combat communications participation might also expand in the years ahead. "We're hoping that our participation in African Lion this year might open up some more doors for us in the future," he said. "This training is a perfect fit for us and we'd love to do more of this type of thing in the years ahead."

The 55th CBCS is one of four Reserve combat communications squadrons that fall under AFRC's 960th Cyberspace Operations Group. The combat comm squadrons provide theater-deployable communications during wartime and contingency operations or humanitarian missions in austere locations.











[SIZE=3]Corpus Christi Policeman, Marine takes on African Lion, military exercise in Morocco

Read more: http://www.dvidshub.net/news/104991/corpus-christi-policeman-marine-takes-african-lion-military-exercise-morocco#.UWnKAKLwmBc#ixzz2QNdKYQq3

Bron: dvids

15-04-2013, 23:51
Joint Task Force teams up for African Lion 13 maritime offload

AGADIR, Morocco -- As the morning rain ended and the Moroccan sun began to dry the pier, members of Joint Task Force Port Opening (JTF-PO), U.S. Strategic Command, emerged from a meager shelter in the overhang of a pier side warehouse. Mobilized to Morocco in support of Exercise African Lion 13, a U.S. Africa Command directed, U.S. Marine Corps Forces Africa-led multi-lateral exercise, they brought their expertise to the Port of Agadir to deliver prepositioned combat equipment to the Marines, soldiers and sailors supporting the exercise.

African Lion is designed to improve the interoperability and mutual understanding of U.S. and Moroccan armed forces, helping both partners understand each other's military tactics, techniques, and procedures.

"We are here to work with our host nation partners and support the mission objectives of USTRANSCOM and USAFRICOM," stated Army Lt. Col. Marcilyn Patterson, the commander of JTF-PO for African Lion 13. "Here in the support side of JTF-PO, we have to make sure we meet the objectives of our higher headquarters and match them against the mission needs for the maneuver Joint Task Force."

JTF-PO members consisted of elements from the 839th Transportation BN, Livorno, Italy, the 688th Rapid Port Opening Element (RPOE), Fort Eustis, Va., and the U.S. Navy Reserve, 107th Expeditionary Port Unit (EPU-107), headquartered in Raleigh, N.C.

"We could not be more joint," said Army Sgt. 1st Class Philip Goodwin, the JTF-PO non-commissioned officer-in-charge (NCOIC) for the J-1 branch. "We have Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines all working side by side in the port here in Agadir to accomplish the same mission. We have trained hard for this for months, and it is exciting to see it in action."

African Lion is one of the premier events for exercising the port opening capabilities of the U.S. Joint Force. Although the capability is spread throughout the services, exercises such as African Lion ensure all the components can come together on short notice to support combatant commander objectives. Army Maj. Borovicka highlighted the value of this dual-purpose exercise and real-world download in the Port of Agadir.

"JTF-PO is very well suited to a fast port entry situation like we have here in Agadir," he explained. The habitual joint relationships, rapid port opening skill sets, and cargo distribution experience in the JTF-PO are serving us well in this environment, and I believe we're bringing real value-added to the entry stage of this exercise."

Navy Cmdr. Eric Gunn, the EPU-107 commander attested to the importance of this annual bi-lateral exercise with the Moroccan military.

"The Moroccans have been great to work with. It's
been gratifying to work with Moroccan civilians and military members alike, and know that both the U.S. and Morocco are benefiting from this outstanding training opportunity."

This Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) directed exercise will involve more than 1,400 U.S. military personnel once they have all arrived in Morocco.

Prior to the start of the field exercise, however, preparations began with the opening of the Port of Agadir to receive military cargo.

More than 400 pieces of military cargo were delivered by commercial carriers and Maritime Prepositioning Squadron Three. Containers, trucks, generators, trailers, and combat equipment were downloaded from the vessel Arc Freedom and USNS Dahl and staged for acceptance by the 14th Marine Regiment to take to the field later this month. Once all U.S. forces have arrived, they will join more than 900 Moroccan Royal Armed Forces (RAF) in various regions of the Kingdom of Morocco.

"Our success in this operation has been determined by the great partnership we share with the members of JTF-PO," commented Capt. Ania Driscoll, officer-in-charge of vessel preparation and cargo operations for the 14th Marine Regimental Arrival and Assembly Operations Group (AAOG).

"Every member of the JTF-PO has been helpful in making our efforts meet the exercise objectives. We are really glad to be deployed with them here and supporting our Moroccan friends and partners."



Agadir, Port of Agadir, Morocco - U.S. Naval Ship Dahl ports in Agadir, Morocco, to begin a Rapid Port Opening for Exercise African Lion 13 conducted by elements of the AL-13 Task Force and Joint Task Force- Port Opening, U.S. Transportation Command, April 6. Joint Task Force- Port Opening is a joint-force service element commanded by U.S. Transportation Command with the capability to rapidly establish and initially operate a port of debarkation and distribution, facilitating ship-to-shore support for regional combatant commanders. Exercise African Lion is a U.S. Africa Command-scheduled, U.S. Marine Corps Forces Africa- led, multi-lateral exercise that will involve more than 1,400 U.S. servicemembers and approximately 900 Royal Moroccan Armed Forces to conduct military-to-military engagements in various exercises that build military partner-nation capacity. For the first time, members of the Federal Republic of Germany Armed Forces and members of 14 additional European and African countries will observe the exercise. During AL-13, the combined task force will conduct familiarization and training to include: Maritime Prepositioning Forces offloading and on loading, command post, live-fire and maneuvering, peace keeping operations, intelligence capacity building seminar, amphibious operations, aerial refueling and low-level flight training.











Bron: dvids

15-04-2013, 23:53
Spc. Ikram Mansori, of San Francisco, Calif., smiles as
she is greeted by a group of Iraqi girls at an elementary school
during a recent combined humanitarian assistance mission in
the town of Salman Pak, Iraq, located 20 miles southeast of
Baghdad. Mansori, who speaks five languages including Arabic,
is a vital asset in assisting Paratroopers and senior leaders of
the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division
communicate with the Iraqi people

It's not difficult to find a service member who can speak two or possibly even three languages, but it's nearly impossible to find one who speaks five different ones, and fluently.

For Moroccan-born Spc. Ikram Mansori, who now calls San Francisco home, being fluent in Arabic, French, Spanish, Moroccan and English has served her well during her 12-month deployment to Iraq.

When Mansori enlisted in the U.S. Army in 2007, she committed herself to be a truck driver. However, because of her language skills, senior leaders of her unit felt she would be a valued asset serving as a linguist. Mansori currently serves with the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division.

Growing up in the town of Youssoufia, Morocco, Mansori thrived as a student learning several languages while living with her father. When she became a junior in high school, Mansori put a lot of thought into her future and what colleges would best suit her. Feeling that the U.S. offered her the best opportunity, Mansori moved in with her mother in San Francisco in the summer of 2004. Despite that fact that she did not speak English very well, Mansori pushed herself to learn the language and fulfill her goal of attending an American university.

"At that time I knew very little English, but I wanted to finish high school in the U.S. in order to go to a four-year university where I could get a degree" said Mansori. "After a year of being in the U.S., I could speak English well."

Mansori went on to graduate high school and attended college at the University of California, Davis for her freshman year. In order to support herself, Mansori said she worked as a waitress at an Italian restaurant. While Mansori was working on her degree, her mother introduced her to a friend who just so happened to be an Army recruiter. Meeting the recruiter started to make her think about military service.

"The recruiter was a friend of my mom's and they were both encouraging me to join. I saw it as a great opportunity," she said.

With that encouragement, Mansori decided to take a break from her studies and enlist in the Army as a truck driver. Despite her language skills, becoming a truck driver offered her an immediate incentive.

"I became a truck driver because the job came with such a large sign-on-bonus," she said. "However, I still planned on taking the DLPT [Defense Language Proficiency Test] and becoming a qualified linguist."

After finishing her individual training, Mansori obtained her Army Linguist Certification and attended the Army's Airborne School. Jumping out of a plane was something that intrigued her.

"I went airborne because I wanted to serve with the 82nd Airborne Division," she said. "I knew how often the 82nd gets deployed and I wanted to go to another country and experience new things."

Being deployed since December 2008 with the 3rd Brigade in Baghdad, Mansori has been able to see much of the change in the country. She says that she will never forget the people or the places she has seen while deployed. Because of her ability to speak Arabic she's had the chance to communicate with the Iraqi people.

"It's amazing that people on the other side of the world are just like everyone else. The Iraqi people just want a better place to live and work. I believe the majority of the Iraqi people want us around to help," said Mansori.

Mansori currently serves in the brigade's command group as a linguist to the command sergeant major for the brigade.

"When I'm not working in the office or assisting the command team, I'm usually out on patrols and humanitarian missions helping the paratroopers communicate with the Iraqi people. I don't have one favorite experience in Iraq because every time I dismount on a patrol I know I'm going to have the best experience," she said.

With her deployment coming to an end, Mansori is excited to return home and see her family especially her 11-year-old brother.

"My little brother is recovering from an incident that happened earlier this year, I miss him and can't wait to go home and take him snowboarding once he's better," she said.

In the future Mansori would like to become an officer in the Army where she hopes to serve as a language cultural advisor or to go back to school and eventually choose a career. Mansori looks forward to becoming a U.S. citizen later this fall.

Read more: http://www.dvidshub.net/news/39409/moroccan-born-soldier-serves-vital-communicator#.UtBpVNLuLTo#ixzz2q2Cx5eHM

16-04-2013, 00:10


Majestic Eagle 2013

Henderson airman headed for assignment with Moroccan air force

Growing up in downtown Henderson, Airman 1st Class Daniel Walling never expected to leave the United States.

Yet, two years after enlisting in the Air Force, the Basic High School graduate has been stationed in Aviano, Italy, and recently was chosen to visit Morocco to train with the Moroccan air force. An F-16 tactical aircraft maintainer (a job similar to an auto mechanic overhauling cars), Walling was one of 150 U.S. airmen selected for Majestic Eagle 13, an air-to-air combat training simulation akin to Nellis Air Force Base’s Red Flag exercises.

For two weeks, Walling will work with Moroccan air force counterparts at Ben Guerir Air Base to establish a relationship and see how they operate. It’s a unique opportunity that took two years to plan and hasn’t been done in about 10 years, Staff Sgt. Jason Armstrong said.

On Thursday, Walling will travel to Morocco — a country he previously knew only in name — for a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Here’s what he had to say about the opportunity:

What will you be doing in Morocco?

We’re going to be focusing on working side-by-side with Moroccan air force. It’s going to be quite different working with a different air force, but making sure that we can be ready for whatever comes our way, and to make sure they know we’re here for them and we know they’ll be there for us if we need them.

How important is this to your career?

Being able to show I can work with other countries and air forces, it will definitely look good on my part. But as far as the career field and my job, being able to work with the other air force will help us gain knowledge to what happens there so that next time we work with another country we haven’t dealt with before, we can take the things we’ve done and learned here and apply it there to better help those countries.

Growing up in Henderson, did you ever imagine you’d be traveling to a place like Morocco?

I didn’t ever really think until I actually enlisted that I’d get out of the United States. When I received my first assignment to Italy, I was just shocked that I’d have a chance to do that. Here I’m getting to travel to a different country in Morocco that I hear is beautiful. It’s such an amazing opportunity that I’m excited for.

What was the first thing you did when you learned you were going to Morocco?

Jump for joy. That’s when I immediately got on (a computer) to figure out where it was so I could understand where I was going, what I was doing. I just hopped right on the computer and Googled Morocco to see what I could see.

What are you most looking forward to about your trip to Morocco?

I’m definitely looking forward to seeing the area, see if there are any beautiful sites. Getting to work with another country’s air force is going to be pretty cool. I’ve never got to work with anybody besides ones in my shops. Getting to see that they do the same job I’m doing, hopefully I can pick up some tips from what they’re doing and hopefully I can share some knowledge I’ve learned the last few years.

Any food you hope to try?

I love food. I’m not too sure what their cuisine is, but I’m ready to try whatever they throw at me.

What have you taken from your experience living and traveling to other countries?

Well, the initial shock of living in Italy was quite devastating. Not knowing the language, not understanding the culture, it was hard to get used to. With time we got used to it, we learned the language and we’re able to associate with our neighbors quite well. I definitely realized I needed to read up on any other country I go to more and learn about them so I don’t have the initial shock. But I wouldn’t give it up. I love this place. It’s amazing out here.

Bron: http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2013/apr/11/henderson-airman-headed-assignment-moroccan-air-fo/




[video=youtube;69QTrZq0bSM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=69QTrZq0bSM#![/video]
[video=youtube;Wkwq8U0jCBQ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Wkwq8U0jCBQ#![/video]

16-04-2013, 00:23
Majestic Eagle 2013

Morocco, US Airmen unite for Majestic Eagle 2013

4/15/2013 - MARRAKECH, Morocco -- Airmen from the Royal Moroccan Air Force and the U.S. Air Force united at Ben Guerir Air Base, Morocco, April 15, for Majestic Eagle 2013, a bi-lateral training exercise, which will continue through April 26, 2013.

The exercise brings Airmen from both countries together to train on air interdiction, air superiority, air refueling and reconnaissance with the intent of enhancing their interoperability through tactical training.

According to U.S. Air Force Maj. Gerremy Goldsberry, Majestic Eagle 2013 director of operations, interoperability of the air forces is critical.

"As allies, we could be called upon to fight in a conflict together," Goldsberry said. "Having knowledge of how one another trains and fights gives insight into how we would integrate and operate as a combined force."

"Each and every Airman, Moroccan or American is vital to accomplishing this training," he added."

Personnel and F-16s from the 510th Fighter Squadron, Aviano AB, Italy, and KC-135 Stratotankers from Royal Air Force Mildenhall, England, are deployed in support of the exercise. More than 150 U.S. Airmen are participating in the exercise.

Throughout Majestic Eagle 2013, Moroccan and American Airmen will train side by side and learn from one another in preparation of combining their forces against a potential adversary. The goal of the training is to promote cooperation and interoperability between the air forces while enhancing peace, stability and security in the region.

The exercise marks the first time in more than a decade Airmen from the 31st Fighter Wing have deployed to Morocco for joint training.

USAF












16-04-2013, 14:08
Majestic Eagle 2013










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