By Master Sergeant Peter Walz
U.S. Marine Forces Reserve  Print     Share  

THIES, Senegal - Multi-national forces from West Africa attend command post classes taught by U.S. service members to learn the military decision-making process as part of Western Accord 2012. Western Accord is a multi-lateral exercise with Senegalese and several Western African nations. The training exercise runs from June 26 - July 24 and involves the armed forces of Senegal, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Gambia and France. (U.S. Marine Forces Africa photo)

THIES, Senegal - Service members from Senegal man the command post to test their skills at managing and coordinating deployed troops as part of Western Accord 2012. Western Accord is a multi-lateral exercise with Senegalese and several Western African nations. The training exercise runs from June 26 - July 24 and involves the armed forces of Senegal, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Gambia and France. (U.S. Marine Forces Africa photo)

THIES, Senegal, 

Jul 19, 2012 — "We have a situation," cried out a radio operator of the Gambian Armed Forces. U.S. Marines and multi-national forces from Senegal, Burkina Faso, Guinea, The Gambia, and France encountered an angry mob as part of a mock training exercise, June 26 - July 24, 2012, to prepare them for real-world crisis events.

The multi-national forces gathered at the Thies training area to enhance military leadership and tactical procedures through training simulations.

The service members on the ground reported back to the command center where a team of multi-national officers were overseeing all the actions of the final training exercise.

For the past few days, the officers learned how to better command the battlefield using the Military Decision-Making Process -- an analytical approach to problem solving.

"The MDMP is a method that allows the staff to collaborate on a military problem and provide viable options to the commander in order to make the best military decision," said Army Reserve Lieutenant Colonel Gordon Quinn, project officer for the command post exercise.

About 40 West African students learned how to make operation orders and plans. Exercise participants focused on mastering the basics during two days of academic training provided by a cadre of mentors and command staff trainers from the Texas Army National Guard from Austin, and the Army's 75th Division based in Fort Sill, Oklahoma.

The final training exercise allowed the collective teams to put what they've learned into action. The military leaders had to react to changing events or "injects" that forced them to make decisions in a timely manner.

"It's easy to address these scenarios in a classroom environment, but once you add in time constraints it creates pressure and friction among the staff," added Quinn, who is part of the Army's 75th Division.

Executive officer, Major Niocdeme Ndione, from the Senegalese armed forces, said "This training was useful to our forces and it is preparing them for real-world scenarios."

While the U.S. service members bring technical and tactical operations expertise, the West African partners bring real-world experience from their participation in previous U.N. peacekeeping missions. Working side-by-side and combining efforts, both nations benefit from the training exercise.

Western Accord 2012 is a multi-lateral exercise with Senegalese and several Western African nations. The exercise will focus on various types of military training to include: live-fire training, peacekeeping operations, intelligence capacity building, command post, and disaster response training. In addition, a medical humanitarian assistance project will run concurrent with the training.

The exercise is coordinated by Marine Forces Africa and runs from June 26 - July 24. More than 600 U.S. service members and approximately 600 members of the armed forces of Senegal, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Gambia and France are participating.

See also: Reserve Marines Provide Logistical Support during Exercise Western Accord 2012