CAMP BUEHRING, Kuwait (March 2, 2012) -- Since the early 1990s, the American and Kuwaiti militaries have maintained a mutually supportive partnership devoted to the security of the region and the peacetime objectives of both governments.

Perpetuating that relationship is the 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division.

The Stallions have approached this arrangement with a broad spectrum of partnered events including language classes, staff function collaboration and weapon ranges.

Company B executed an M4 rifle and an M9 pistol range with their Kuwaiti partner unit, the 43rd Infantry Battalion, Feb. 24.

The objectives of these ranges were to enable the Bandog infantrymen to qualify as expert on the M4 rifle in preparation for the Expert Infantryman Badge competition and for the tank crewmen to qualify as sharpshooter or expert on the M4 and M9 in preparation for the Excellence in Armor award.

Capt. Reis Korstjen, Bandog commander, invited 20 officers and senior noncommissioned officers, or NCOs, of their Kuwaiti army partners to the qualification ranges to familiarize themselves with the Stallions' standard for range operations.

"[Kuwaiti leaders] were interested to learn about our training methodology and training standards, and were really enthusiastic about watching how the NCOs ran the range," said Korstjens. "The Soldiers greatly benefited from being able to explain the fundamentals of their weapons systems to their Kuwaiti partners."

Korstjens and 2nd Lt. Nick Anania were proud to showcase their company's professionalism for a foreign ally and noted how the partnership presents opportunities that are uncommon among their peers.

"The Kuwaitis are eager to continue to work with us and to talk training and standards with how to run ranges and implement training. They really reached out to our soldiers." said Anania, reflecting on the personal impact of the event.