An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Home : News : Article View
NEWS | June 28, 2018

Partnerships help boost Jordan security amid serious threats

By Lt. Col. Elena O'Bryan Colorado National Guard

CENTENNIAL, Colo. - Jordan News Agency (Petra) reported earlier this month that Jordan's Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Lt. Gen. Mahmoud Freihat said to Jordanian army officers: "We have to realize that our country is targeted, and therefore, we are required to deny those willing to tamper with Jordan's security and stability."

Jordan's security depends heavily on its capacity to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and related materials across its borders and to counter such threats from within.

Now, eight Colorado Army National Guard Soldiers have received top Department of Defense awards for exceptionally meritorious achievement, as members of a Mobile Training Team for the Jordan Analytical Laboratory System which enhanced Jordan's preparedness to counter the WMD threat.

"This has been by far the most important mission of my military career," COARNG U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Stephen Russ said. "The lessons I have learned will stay with me for the rest of my life."

The mission came into being when the U.S. Defense Threat Reduction Agency partnered with Jordan to increase its preparedness for mass casualty-causing incidents as part of the U.S.-Jordan Countering WMD-Building Partner Capacity Program. As part of the program, Jordan received multiple decontamination systems.

The equipment's arrival in Jordan was only the beginning. DTRA needed experienced operators to help train Jordanian personnel. Operators like Russ, who, for six years, had been working as an active Guard and Reserve member at the Colorado National Guard's 8th Civil Support Team, Buckley Air Force Base, Aurora, Colorado.

"It's an enemy that you cannot see so you have to rely on your equipment that must be maintained properly, and you must know how to operate it," Russ said.

In 2015, his leadership asked if he wanted to accompany U.S. Army Maj. Vincent Cipriano to conduct an initial assessment of Jordan's WMD capabilities.

"I accepted the position immediately," Russ said. He even resigned a coveted AGR position to go on Active Duty for Operational Support orders.

Though he had never before been to the Middle East, Jordan was not an unknown.

"The reason that this mission was so successful was that Jordan and Colorado were already partners," Russ said.

Colorado and Jordan established a relationship in 2005 through the National Guard State Partnership Program which supports geographic combatant commands by building long-term relationships, improving interoperability, and enhancing military capabilities and the principles of responsible governance.

"Not only are Colorado and Jordan like family," CONG Director of the Joint Staff U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Gregory White said. "We also have similar WMD defensive equipment."

DTRA leveraged this long-standing relationship by initiating the CONG military-civilian training in Counter-WMD. Over three fiscal years, practically every month, the CONG team traveled to Jordan. Russ became the non-commissioned officer in charge and lead instructor. COARNG U.S. Army Col. Kelsey Marchalk later became the officer in charge after taking a leave of absence from her civilian mechanical engineering job.

"We hand-picked everyone for the team," Russ said. "This training was successful because of the amount of effort which the team put forward. We bonded as a training team and that filtered to the Jordanians so trust between all of us was built early on."

The MTT developed curriculum and conducted 22 courses, numerous complex scenarios and a joint civilian and military exercise that trained more than 30 Jordanian students in Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and high-yield Explosives response protocols, reconnaissance, sampling, and rescue.

The instructors used professional Arabic translators, and training materials appeared in both English and Arabic. Discussions often became drawn out because word-for-word conversions do not exist between English and Arabic.

Such challenges aside, the MTT, together with the Jordanians, built an effective training program and a trained force, armed with a manual of standard operating procedures, and able to teach its skills. To date, more than 750 Jordanians from four military and civilian units, including the Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army Chemical Support Unit and the Jordanian Civil Defense Directorate, are proficient in mass casualty decontamination operations.

"They have an increased level of confidence in how to respond as an individual or as a team," Marchalk said. "This has been a strategic mission for the U.S. that ties into our own national security."

The DTRA-led and -funded training strengthened Jordan's counter-WMD capabilities and resulted in the completion and opening of Jordan's CBRN Center of Excellence at the CSU.

"The support we have received from our American partners has been great," said JAF Lt. Col. Mirza Hatoqay, from the Arms Control branch. "DTRA and the Colorado National Guard have been very helpful in training with us on SOPs and how to sustain the training and equipment. We are grateful for that."

Ongoing SPP subject matter exchanges between Colorado and Jordan help sustain the program. Hundreds of new friendships also endure.

At the training's graduation ceremony in Jordan, Russ said, in Arabic, to his students:

"To my brothers: My time with you has been extraordinary. I thank you for your brotherhood, love and respect. You will forever be my brothers."

 

 

Related Articles
Maj. Gen. Thomas Friloux, adjutant general of Louisiana, discusses briefing details with Col. Augusto Villalaz, director of the Joint Staff for the Louisiana National Guard, during the annual Hurricane Rehearsal of Concept (ROC) Drill at the Armed Forces Reserve Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, May 21, 2025. The drill helps synchronize plans and strengthen coordination across LANG’s senior leadership ahead of hurricane season.
Louisiana Guard Rehearses Emergency Plans for Hurricane Season
By Capt. Peter Drasutis, | May 28, 2025
NEW ORLEANS – The Louisiana National Guard conducted its annual Hurricane Rehearsal of Concept (ROC) Drill at the Armed Forces Reserve Center in Baton Rouge May 21, uniting key personnel across multiple commands to refine...

U.S. Soldiers assigned to 3rd Battalion, 197th Field Artillery Regiment, New Hampshire Army National Guard, sling load a reduced range practice rocket to a Moroccan CH-47 Chinook during a multinational sling load operation at African Lion 2025 (AL25), May 17, 2025, in TanTan, Morocco. AL25, the largest annual military exercise in Africa, brings together over 50 nations, including seven NATO allies and 10,000 troops to conduct realistic, dynamic and collaborative training in an austere environment that intersects multiple geographic and functional combatant commands. Led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF,) on behalf of the U.S. Africa Command, AL25 takes place from April 14 to May 23, 2025, across Ghana, Morocco, Senegal, and Tunisia This large-scale exercise will enhance our ability to work together in complex, multi-domain operations - preparing forces to deploy, fight, and win.
New Hampshire Guard Teams with Morocco for Sling Load Training at African Lion 2025
By Sgt. 1st Class Jessica Forester, | May 28, 2025
TAN TAN, Morocco – Soldiers assigned to the 744th Forward Support Company (744TH FSC), 3rd Battalion, 197th Field Artillery Regiment, New Hampshire Army National Guard partnered with the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces (FAR), for...

From left, Sgt. Edward Acda, Lt. Col. Vern Perez, Sgt. 1st Class Celine Taitano, Capt. Ryan Arellano, Staff Sgt. Jovencio Mortera, and Sgt. Avery Tyquiengco of the Guam National Guard participate in Balikatan Cyber Defense Exercise, Manila, April 27, 2025. Balikatan is a longstanding annual exercise between the U.S. and Philippine armed forces designed to strengthen the alliance, showcase the capable combined force, and demonstrate the commitment to regional security and stability. (Courtesy asset)
Guam Guard Participates in Balikatan 2025 Cyber Defense Exercise
By Mark Scott, | May 28, 2025
MANILA, Philippines – A team of cyber professionals and an intelligence analyst from the Guam National Guard attended Balikatan 2025, participating in the three-week Cyber Defense Exercise alongside teams from various...