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On 10/5/2011 10:45:24 AM Major Christopher I. Loftis, Office of Security Cooperation-Tunis wrote
CPT Gina Jenkins and 1SG Bradley Murphy traveled to Menzil Jemil, Tunisia as part of a US AFRICOM Traveling Contact Team (TCT) to participate in an exchange with members of the Tunisian Armys 61st Engineer Brigade. The weeklong engagement was supported by the 753rd Ordnance Company (EOD), West Virginia National Guard, 12-16 September 2011, and was focused on Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team techniques and procedures.
The TCT was conducted at the 61st Brigades training areas and facilities and included equipment displays and capabilities briefings from Tunisian EOD counterparts. Additionally the Tunisians provided demonstrations of various scenarios related to EOD field operations to include drills for reacting to suspicious vehicles and packages, explosives search and detection techniques, to include a demonstration from their explosives detection canine team.
The 61st Engineer Brigade were generous hosts inviting their American guests to operate various items of engineer equipment and allowing CPT Jenkins to don one of their bomb suits to participate in a manual mine clearing exercise. A significant portion of the engagement was committed to small group discussions. Officers of the 61st Brigade, many of them graduates from US military schools conducted though the International Military Education and Training (IMET) program, asked CPT Jenkins and 1SG Murphy very insightful questions. Both Americans felt that the event was very well executed by the Tunisian Army and were impressed by the existing capability of the Tunisian military. They were grateful for the opportunity to both learn and teach something to their hosts.
Colonel Ali Tlili, Commander of the 61st Engineer Brigade expressed his thanks to the visiting American team and thanked them for making the long journey to Tunisia to share their expertise and experiences, adding that he looked forward to future opportunities to conduct similar information exchanges and engagements.
Photos:
Photo 1: First Sergeant Bradley Murphy, 753rd Ordnance Company (EOD), receives instruction on the operation of a metal detector by Major Ben Abdullah Ahmed of the Tunisian Army, 61st Engineer Brigade.
Photo 2: Captain Gina Jenkins, 753rd Ordnance Company (EOD), operates a remote explosives handling device with Tunisian military counterparts
Photo 3: Captain Gina Jenkins (center). 753rd Ordnance Company (EOD), participates in mine clearing exercise
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