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 | Nov. 18, 2019

U.S., Qatar rev up Eastern Action exercise

By Master Sgt. Jeff Lowry 38th Infantry Division

QATAR – More than 100 service members with U.S. and Qatari forces opened the Eastern Action exercise Oct. 31.

During the ceremony, U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Steven T. King, deputy commanding general, 38th Infantry Division, Indiana National Guard, and Qatar Brig. Gen. Mubarak Mubarak Al-Shayeq received the mission brief from Qatari company grade officers.

“The United States partnership with the Qatari Emiri Land Forces is an important component of deterring aggression from regional adversaries,” said King, a Task Force Spartan deputy commanding general. “The ability to engage with our partners in exercises like Eastern Action is a key component to ensuring interoperability and standing strong together in support of regional security.”

Eastern Action is an annual command post exercise with U.S. and Qatari battalion staff to execute defensive command and control and is designed to then transition to an offensive operation with situational training exercise lanes as mechanized infantry troops of the two nation’s forces work together, learning from one another.

“Working side-by-side presents a unique opportunity to learn from our Qatari Emiri Land Forces partners as we share our tactics, techniques and procedures with them,” said King. “The interaction makes for a rich learning environment.”

The goal is to strengthen relationships between the U.S. Army and Qatari Emiri Land Forces while assessing capabilities.

King said he gained personal and professional satisfaction from the exercise.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to participate in the opening ceremony and the mission brief,” said King. “It is important to embrace the dynamics of partnership, in order to learn from one another and gain shared understanding.”

Through Operation Spartan Shield, approximately 11,000 Task Force Spartan service members maintain a U.S. military posture in southwest Asia sufficient to strengthen defense relationships and build partner capacity.

Units supporting Spartan Shield provide capabilities such as aviation, logistics, force protection and information management, and facilitate theater security cooperation such as key leader engagements, joint exercises, conferences, humanitarian assistance planning and disaster response planning.

 

 

Related Articles
Left to right, West Virginia Army National Guard Sgt. Michael Atik, Qatari Emiri Land Forces soldier Sultan Saleh Al-Mrri and West Virginia Army National Guard Solider of the Year Spc. Dominic Starry pose for a photo in Umm Salal Muhammed, Qatar, Feb. 5, 2025. The West Virginia Army National Guard hosted its annual Best Warrior Competition in partnership with Qatar Armed Forces Feb. 2-5, 2025, at the National Service Academy in Doha, Qatar.
West Virginia, DC Guard Compete in Qatar for Best Warrior
By Officer Candidate Ayden Norcross, | Feb. 7, 2025
UMM SALAL MUHAMMED, Qatar - Sixty-five service members from the West Virginia and District of Columbia National Guard traveled 7,000 miles to Qatar’s National Service Academy for the 2025 Best Warrior Competition.Qatar and...

Members of the Bulgarian Defense Ministry and the Tennessee Air National Guard pose for a photo after Bulgaria took delivery of its first batch of F-16 “Fighting Falcon” aircraft at Lockheed Martin’s Greenville, South Carolina, site, Jan. 31, 2025. Tennessee and Bulgaria have been partners in the Department of Defense National Guard Bureau State Partnership Program since 1993.
Tennessee National Guard Supports Bulgaria’s F-16 Acquisition
By Tech. Sgt. Darrell Hamm, | Feb. 7, 2025
GREENVILLE, S.C. – The Bulgarian Air Force received its first batch of F-16 “Fighting Falcon” aircraft at Lockheed Martin’s production facility Jan. 31, marking a milestone in its efforts to modernize its military as a NATO...

A U.S. Air Force Airman assigned to the 146th Airlift Wing marshals a C-130H Hercules at the Combat Readiness and Training Center, Gulfport, Mississippi, Feb. 5, 2025. Exercise Sentry South-Southern Strike is a joint military training focusing on contingency response operations, agile combat employment, aeromedical evacuation, maritime training, specialized fueling operations and strategic airlift and airdrops.
Air Guard Conducts Sentry South-Southern Strike Exercise
By Senior Airman Shardae McAfee, | Feb. 7, 2025
GULFPORT, Miss. – Approximately 500 service members from the Active, Guard and Reserve components of the U.S. military participated in exercise Sentry South-Southern Strike 2025 at the Gulfport Combat Readiness Training...