Tuesday, October 15, 2024
Hawai'i Free Press

Current Articles | Archives

Tuesday, December 31, 2013
Schofield Combat Engineers Train Afghan Soldiers
By Selected News Articles @ 1:54 PM :: 4447 Views :: Military

by Chief Petty Officer Barry Wood, Joint Task Force EBAAT, DVIDS Hub

CAMP PHOENIX, Afghanistan – Dec. 7 is historic day in our nation’s military history, when the United States was attacked at Pearl Harbor in 1941. For those service members stationed in Hawaii, like the 14th Construction Management Team (CMT), it is all more real with Pearl Harbor in view most days.

Now, with the 14th CMT forward deployed to Afghanistan, Dec. 7, again became an important day for them. Dec. 7 marked the start of the Afghan National Engineer Brigade (NEB) training mission. The 14th CMT, from Schofield Barracks, Hawaii and Seabees from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion Two Eight (NMCB 28), from Barksdale AFB, Louisiana, together create Task Force EBAAT (Engineering Brigade Advise and Assist Team).


To take advantage of every moment and use as much of it as training time, TF EBAAT took the training to the ANA Combined Fielding Center (CFC) and began construction training in conjunction with the shoot, move and communicate training the ANA soldiers were receiving at the time.

Seabees began teaching a two week basic carpentry, plumbing, and electrical. Going back to their own experiences with initial military training, they developed training platforms for each of the skills allowing for maximum interaction from the Afghan National Army (ANA) Soldiers, while remaining expeditionary in nature. The positive results have been getting notice from many stakeholders.

Lt. Col. Richard Collins, EBAAT Officer in Charge, described the early days, “After several months of planning and preparation, the basic vertical construction training provided to the SEK at the CFC marks the start of the NEB development mission for the Theater Engineer Brigade. I don't know who was more excited about the training - the Afghan soldiers who were receiving the training or the Seabees who were providing it.”

According to Master Sgt. Victor Jackson, “I’ve never seen anything like it, the level of enthusiasm, and the willingness to learn.”

Jackson, who is currently on his seventh combat deployment in support of Operation Enduring and Iraqi Freedom, gained experience in training foreign forces during one of his previous deployments in Iraq.

The goals of this initial training were not only to begin the fundamental s of construction, but also to develop the necessary instructional skills for Seabees doing a mission unlike any other in their history.

Chief Petty Officer 3rd Class Jonathan Murray, a vertical construction adviser, said “The ANA have really embraced the training well beyond my expectations and just soak it up like a sponge. They know this training will bring a better life to Afghanistan, and for me, that’s what I came here to do.”

Seabees are scheduled to continue training the National Engineering Brigade through fall 2014.

---30---

Links

TEXT "follow HawaiiFreePress" to 40404

Register to Vote

2aHawaii

Aloha Pregnancy Care Center

AntiPlanner

Antonio Gramsci Reading List

A Place for Women in Waipio

Ballotpedia Hawaii

Broken Trust

Build More Hawaiian Homes Working Group

Christian Homeschoolers of Hawaii

Cliff Slater's Second Opinion

DVids Hawaii

FIRE

Fix Oahu!

Frontline: The Fixers

Genetic Literacy Project

Grassroot Institute

Habele.org

Hawaii Aquarium Fish Report

Hawaii Aviation Preservation Society

Hawaii Catholic TV

Hawaii Christian Coalition

Hawaii Cigar Association

Hawaii ConCon Info

Hawaii Debt Clock

Hawaii Defense Foundation

Hawaii Family Forum

Hawaii Farmers and Ranchers United

Hawaii Farmer's Daughter

Hawaii Federation of Republican Women

Hawaii History Blog

Hawaii Jihadi Trial

Hawaii Legal News

Hawaii Legal Short-Term Rental Alliance

Hawaii Matters

Hawaii Military History

Hawaii's Partnership for Appropriate & Compassionate Care

Hawaii Public Charter School Network

Hawaii Rifle Association

Hawaii Shippers Council

Hawaii Together

HiFiCo

Hiram Fong Papers

Homeschool Legal Defense Hawaii

Honolulu Navy League

Honolulu Traffic

House Minority Blog

Imua TMT

Inouye-Kwock, NYT 1992

Inside the Nature Conservancy

Inverse Condemnation

July 4 in Hawaii

Land and Power in Hawaii

Lessons in Firearm Education

Lingle Years

Managed Care Matters -- Hawaii

MentalIllnessPolicy.org

Missile Defense Advocacy

MIS Veterans Hawaii

NAMI Hawaii

Natatorium.org

National Parents Org Hawaii

NFIB Hawaii News

NRA-ILA Hawaii

Obookiah

OHA Lies

Opt Out Today

Patients Rights Council Hawaii

Practical Policy Institute of Hawaii

Pritchett Cartoons

Pro-GMO Hawaii

RailRipoff.com

Rental by Owner Awareness Assn

Research Institute for Hawaii USA

Rick Hamada Show

RJ Rummel

School Choice in Hawaii

SenatorFong.com

Talking Tax

Tax Foundation of Hawaii

The Real Hanabusa

Time Out Honolulu

Trustee Akina KWO Columns

Waagey.org

West Maui Taxpayers Association

What Natalie Thinks

Whole Life Hawaii