A team of U.S. technicians and experts in explosive ordnance disposal (EOD), assigned to the 6th Civil Engineer Squadron, are training Moroccan soldiers on tactical skills of mine detection and clearance in desert zones.
The training is part of the Humanitarian Mine Action (HMA) program with U.S. partner nations. “The HMA missions in Morocco strengthens our partnership with the Kingdom of Morocco by fostering trust, cooperation and interoperability,” said Staff Sgt. Julian Venegas in a press release issued by the 6th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs.
“This relationship not only provides the United States with a reliable ally in a strategically important region but also contributes to deterring near-peer adversaries by demonstrating unity and shared commitment to regional stability”, he added.
MacDill EOD technicians are not working alone. They joined U.S. Army EOD specialists in a collaborative effort to build partner expertise.
“The HMA mission is a joint-force effort,” said Venegas. “Our instructional teams are made up of four-man elements, typically composed of two Army and two Air Force instructors.” Working side by side across branches, the teams demonstrate how shared purpose drives every EOD mission.
“Our team at MacDill Airforce Base has completed three Department of State and Africa partnership program missions in Morocco, all at the Phase Three Plus level,” said Venegas, noting that the goal is to transition into a more advisory and evaluative role with Morocco while also exploring the possibility of expanding HMA missions to additional partner nations.
Morocco now has several certified soldiers for the safe demining of the previously war-scarred nation. For U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Emilio Solis and his team, the goal is to stand up a self-sufficient Moroccan EOD program.
