WEBVTT 00:09.170 --> 00:11.070 ^- Welcome to this edition of the Desert Vision 00:11.070 --> 00:12.980 ^presented by US Army Central. 00:12.980 --> 00:14.953 ^I'm Staff Sergeant Dae McDonald. 00:14.953 --> 00:17.023 ^- And I'm Staff Sergeant Tom Bixler. 00:19.590 --> 00:21.730 Coming up on this edition of the Desert Vision, 00:21.730 --> 00:24.793 soldiers dispose of vehicles in an explosive manner, 00:25.000 --> 00:26.330 we train side by side with 00:26.330 --> 00:28.110 Jordanian non-commissioned officers 00:28.290 --> 00:30.260 and military working dogs take flight 00:30.260 --> 00:31.533 during medevac training. 00:32.548 --> 00:35.048 (theme music) 00:45.040 --> 00:46.900 - To dispose of US embassy vehicles 00:46.900 --> 00:48.563 that are no longer serviceable, 00:48.570 --> 00:50.980 Explosive Ordnance Disposal professionals 00:50.980 --> 00:53.163 were called in to practice their skills. 00:53.350 --> 00:55.355 Sergeant Dylan Grace has the story. 00:55.355 --> 00:58.770 - [Dylan] The United States Ambassador to Kuwait 00:58.940 --> 01:02.940 has given the 797th Explosive Ordnance Disposal Company 01:03.070 --> 01:05.313 a unique opportunity for training. 01:06.080 --> 01:09.200 Four vehicles no longer used by the MC staff 01:09.230 --> 01:12.713 have been donated for destruction and training purposes. 01:14.730 --> 01:17.750 - My vehicle, it had gone past its shelf life basically, 01:17.750 --> 01:19.630 ^so we're moving on to another vehicle 01:19.630 --> 01:22.220 ^and this is a good opportunity obviously, 01:22.220 --> 01:23.830 ^we need to get rid of this one 01:23.830 --> 01:28.403 ^and to give people the chance to have this practice. 01:30.070 --> 01:31.800 - [Dylan] This rare occasion serves as 01:31.800 --> 01:33.660 both a training opportunity for 01:33.710 --> 01:36.394 junior EOD technicians of different branches, 01:36.394 --> 01:38.596 as well as a token of appreciation 01:38.596 --> 01:42.253 from the embassy to service members stationed in Kuwait. 01:43.650 --> 01:45.110 - It's a once in a lifetime opportunity. 01:45.110 --> 01:47.430 Not every day does an embassy ask you 01:47.430 --> 01:49.093 to blow up their vehicles. 01:50.010 --> 01:51.990 ^And our younger guys get an opportunity 01:51.990 --> 01:55.340 ^to interact with different people and different services 01:55.340 --> 01:57.483 ^and practice their EOD skills. 01:59.690 --> 02:02.030 - All of us at the US embassy and of course 02:02.030 --> 02:03.260 everyone back in the United States 02:03.260 --> 02:05.620 greatly appreciates what you're doing 02:05.620 --> 02:07.050 and what you've accomplished, 02:07.050 --> 02:09.545 the sacrifices you've made and of course the sacrifices 02:09.545 --> 02:11.653 that your families have made. 02:11.970 --> 02:13.970 - [Dylan] For Area Support Group Kuwait, 02:13.990 --> 02:17.143 I'm Army Sergeant Dylan Grace, Camp Buehring, Kuwait. 02:17.180 --> 02:18.630 - [Soldier] Fire in the hole. 02:23.912 --> 02:26.995 (sound of explosion) 02:30.690 --> 02:32.310 - Training like this allows officials 02:32.310 --> 02:33.740 to engage with service members 02:33.740 --> 02:34.960 to gain a better understanding 02:34.960 --> 02:37.210 of what's happening in our area or operation. 02:38.860 --> 02:41.450 Next, we'll head to Jordan where Specialist Joseph Black 02:41.450 --> 02:44.633 covered US and Jordanian forces working side by side. 02:45.000 --> 02:47.610 While Jordanian non-commissioned officers conducted 02:47.610 --> 02:50.223 their first hands-on squad leaders course. 02:51.546 --> 02:54.629 (speaking in Arabic) 02:56.570 --> 03:00.196 ^- So we're here today to observe the Jordanian forces 03:00.196 --> 03:03.150 ^go through their exercise 03:03.150 --> 03:06.620 and how they move through terrain features 03:06.620 --> 03:09.363 going through ditches, going over hills, 03:10.140 --> 03:11.963 and how to assault the objective. 03:18.749 --> 03:21.083 ^- This new program of instruction, 03:22.490 --> 03:23.327 ^basically the breakdown for that is 70% hands-on 03:23.327 --> 03:27.773 and 30% in the classroom. 03:28.140 --> 03:30.310 And that's what they've been doing for the past four days 03:30.310 --> 03:31.990 is they've been conducting their MRFs 03:31.990 --> 03:34.773 for a culminating exercise, utilizing those new skills. 03:41.090 --> 03:44.380 ^- We are working with US soldiers 03:44.400 --> 03:46.680 ^and instructors here in this exercise 03:46.680 --> 03:51.103 and they helped us to show us a new techniques. 03:52.340 --> 03:56.730 - The importance of the NCO Corps cannot be over stated 03:57.000 --> 03:59.470 and I feel that the best thing we can do 03:59.470 --> 04:03.113 as a partner nation is to share that school of thought, 04:03.190 --> 04:04.773 foster that idea. 04:07.514 --> 04:11.193 - You are the backbone of the Jordanian Army. 04:11.434 --> 04:14.919 (translating into Arabic) 04:14.919 --> 04:16.440 - The course not only allowed leaders to 04:16.440 --> 04:18.680 assess the new program of instruction, 04:18.680 --> 04:21.843 but to build up partner nation capacity as well. 04:31.360 --> 04:34.890 - I've been in the Army Reserve for 19 years now 04:34.940 --> 04:39.343 and I joined after completing medical school. 04:39.603 --> 04:43.900 In the 90s there was a billboard that spoke to me, 04:43.900 --> 04:47.517 that said, "Be all you can be, and travel," 04:47.830 --> 04:50.970 and I ended up joining the Army Reserve 04:51.520 --> 04:54.430 and have not looked back and have not regretted 04:54.430 --> 04:55.480 not one moment of it. 04:58.914 --> 05:02.164 (dramatic piano music) 05:14.883 --> 05:17.270 - I was a witness to sexual assault. 05:17.270 --> 05:19.193 - I was a witness to a sexual assault. 05:19.630 --> 05:20.480 - I was a witness. 05:20.480 --> 05:21.543 - I was a witness. 05:22.020 --> 05:24.303 - I was a witness to a sexual assault. 05:24.570 --> 05:26.363 - My battle buddy was harassed. 05:26.830 --> 05:28.723 - I will not let fear hold me back. 05:29.240 --> 05:30.623 - I refuse to stay quiet. 05:31.030 --> 05:33.713 - I will not let offenders escape justice. 05:33.972 --> 05:35.844 - I am speaking up. 05:35.844 --> 05:37.427 - I am speaking up. 05:37.853 --> 05:39.423 - I am taking a stand. 05:40.078 --> 05:42.483 - I'm a survivor of sexual assault. 05:44.120 --> 05:46.583 - These are you brothers and sisters in arms, 05:46.710 --> 05:49.380 it is imperative that you have the personal courage 05:49.380 --> 05:51.413 to intervene and act. 05:51.450 --> 05:54.753 - If you've been a victim or witness sexual violence, 05:54.920 --> 05:56.993 break the silence, say something. 06:05.140 --> 06:07.250 - It's a soldiers duty to remain technically 06:07.250 --> 06:08.550 and tactically proficient. 06:08.740 --> 06:10.320 Next up, we'll join soldiers from 06:10.320 --> 06:12.580 the First Security Forces Assistance Brigade 06:12.720 --> 06:14.830 as they conduct on-the-job training at 06:14.830 --> 06:15.963 Camp Buehring, Kuwait. 06:16.190 --> 06:20.823 - Today we conducted some MRAP rollover egress training. 06:20.900 --> 06:24.350 Basically, you go over what a rollover would be 06:24.350 --> 06:26.670 in a simulated environment, 06:26.670 --> 06:28.820 that way in case it actually does happen, 06:28.820 --> 06:31.403 you are able to do it properly and safely. 06:31.445 --> 06:33.340 The main other training that we've done, 06:33.340 --> 06:37.477 OJT, I guess, as we say, training on counter-UAS systems, 06:37.477 --> 06:39.651 being the drone defender, 06:39.651 --> 06:42.770 as well as some also hands-on training 06:42.770 --> 06:44.830 for some of the small UAS systems, 06:44.830 --> 06:47.710 ^being the InstantEye and the PD100, 06:49.502 --> 06:51.600 ^which is also called the Black Hornet. 06:51.600 --> 06:53.750 - Alright so you've got two and two, shake, 06:55.220 --> 06:56.463 I'm going to start this up. 06:58.089 --> 06:59.756 It should tell me to 06:59.790 --> 07:02.033 calibrate, left, right. 07:03.360 --> 07:05.393 When your tail boom starts to spin, 07:05.990 --> 07:07.593 that's you cue to launch it. 07:07.780 --> 07:10.580 - You know, any training we can get here, realistically, 07:10.700 --> 07:13.773 gives us a leg up for when we get down in the theater. 07:14.091 --> 07:17.073 If we do happen to fall in on these systems. 07:17.720 --> 07:19.930 - The Security Forces Assistance Brigade 07:19.980 --> 07:23.280 is an all-volunteer unit deploying to Afghanistan 07:23.330 --> 07:26.623 to advise and assist the Afghan National Army. 07:28.960 --> 07:31.040 Members of the Kuwaiti and US Armies 07:31.040 --> 07:32.710 gathered at Camp Buehring, Kuwait 07:32.710 --> 07:35.453 to participate in joint IED training. 07:37.930 --> 07:40.877 ^- Today we're doing a joint training with Kuwait Army EOD. 07:41.520 --> 07:43.810 ^We're focusing on improvised explosive devices, 07:43.810 --> 07:45.643 ^specifically in urban environments. 07:46.220 --> 07:48.820 Improvised explosive devices are a new emerging threat 07:48.820 --> 07:50.370 and consistent throughout the world, 07:50.370 --> 07:51.810 so the purpose of this training is just to 07:51.810 --> 07:54.470 get both units spun up, just practice what we know, 07:54.470 --> 07:56.520 maybe learn a few things from each other. 07:56.730 --> 07:58.460 We have training lanes set up 07:58.460 --> 08:01.123 with different training aids essentially, 08:01.250 --> 08:05.340 practice IEDs that we're going to try and discover 08:05.340 --> 08:08.293 and then exploit and render safe eventually. 08:08.520 --> 08:11.057 What that means is that we are going to 08:11.057 --> 08:16.057 identify the threat and then assess the situation 08:16.260 --> 08:18.260 and then eventually come up with a plan 08:18.260 --> 08:20.690 in order to either diffuse the situation 08:20.690 --> 08:21.990 or get rid of it entirely. 08:23.200 --> 08:25.193 ^- A lot of the training that we do, 08:25.584 --> 08:27.620 ^as far as the set up for it goes, 08:27.620 --> 08:29.020 ^it's usually pretty similar. 08:30.012 --> 08:33.230 IEDs don't change based on what equipment you have 08:33.230 --> 08:35.640 so we all have to practice with what we have. 08:35.640 --> 08:39.390 It is nice to see the Kuwaiti partner forces 08:39.390 --> 08:41.560 as well as other partner forces running with their equipment 08:41.560 --> 08:43.908 because we can see if there's something we might need to get 08:43.908 --> 08:46.337 as well as them looking at our gear and saying, 08:46.337 --> 08:49.017 "Hey, maybe that's a robot we want to get hold of," 08:49.855 --> 08:51.772 or something like that. 08:52.440 --> 08:53.590 - The threat is global, 08:53.940 --> 08:57.903 so any time we can train together and share experiences, 08:57.930 --> 09:00.083 we want to take full advantage of that opportunity. 09:02.410 --> 09:05.240 - This combined training is one of the most successful means 09:05.240 --> 09:07.970 of fostering relationships and building interoperability 09:07.970 --> 09:09.020 with partner nations. 09:16.450 --> 09:17.400 - I love what I do, 09:17.670 --> 09:21.783 I have zero regrets on joining the military at 33 years old. 09:22.030 --> 09:23.453 I thoroughly enjoy it. 09:23.480 --> 09:28.010 It's got it's challenges but my family supports me 09:28.027 --> 09:31.453 and without my family I couldn't do this. 09:31.800 --> 09:34.080 But it's something that fulfills me, 09:34.080 --> 09:37.263 it fills a void in my life and I thoroughly enjoy it. 09:38.525 --> 09:39.925 I'm glad I decided to do it. 09:46.580 --> 09:48.730 - [Woman] Alright, you have a nice evening. 09:53.847 --> 09:56.514 Hey, are you going to head over? 09:56.957 --> 09:58.723 Alright, well I'll see you over there. 10:02.703 --> 10:05.036 Hey, quit it, get off of me. 10:20.890 --> 10:22.150 - When things get chaotic, 10:22.150 --> 10:24.510 it helps to rely on training to stay calm 10:24.510 --> 10:26.393 and focus on the task at hand. 10:26.690 --> 10:29.140 Let's get up with Specialist Nicole Savatiera 10:29.240 --> 10:32.450 as she highlights marine military working dog handlers 10:32.550 --> 10:34.520 as they conduct medevac training 10:34.520 --> 10:35.963 with army aviators. 10:41.690 --> 10:44.390 - So the purpose of this training with the helicopters 10:44.420 --> 10:47.763 ^is for pretty much mission-oriented training, 10:48.400 --> 10:50.390 ^that way when we're loading up on the birds, 10:50.390 --> 10:51.903 ^or exiting off birds, 10:52.230 --> 10:54.940 the dogs aren't going to be scared of that 10:54.940 --> 10:56.520 and they're going to be used to it. 10:56.520 --> 10:59.033 Just like a soldier or marine would do. 11:00.100 --> 11:02.593 What we'll do is, get the dogs used to loud noises, 11:02.593 --> 11:04.524 people moving around them, 11:04.524 --> 11:06.670 that way they can actually see that 11:06.670 --> 11:08.863 and kind of be like in a chaotic environment, 11:08.970 --> 11:11.903 and so be able to perform the way we need them to perform. 11:13.350 --> 11:16.003 Dogs can end up on birds for different reasons, 11:16.003 --> 11:18.943 like today, what we doing with the medical. 11:20.080 --> 11:22.610 If something happens to the dog or anything like that, 11:22.610 --> 11:23.950 the dogs are going to get taken care of 11:23.950 --> 11:25.450 just like a soldier or marine, 11:25.926 --> 11:26.873 they're going to get loaded on that bird. 11:27.626 --> 11:28.900 So the more familiar they're used to this, 11:28.900 --> 11:30.319 the better it's going to be for us and them. 11:30.319 --> 11:32.967 This is our second time on a helicopter 11:32.967 --> 11:35.240 and she's used to it now, 11:35.240 --> 11:37.140 today's just like a refresher for her. 11:37.240 --> 11:39.090 She was nice and calm the whole time, 11:39.220 --> 11:41.150 no problems and we actually had two dogs 11:41.150 --> 11:42.563 in the helicopter at once. 11:42.880 --> 11:45.600 So that adds another factor in, with her and other dogs. 11:45.600 --> 11:47.623 For them to work around other dogs, 11:47.830 --> 11:49.580 and still be able to keep focused on the handler 11:49.580 --> 11:52.130 and what the mission is, is really important to us. 11:54.190 --> 11:57.063 - The dogs' primary mission is to sniff for explosives. 11:57.660 --> 11:59.050 - I really enjoyed that story. 11:59.050 --> 12:00.190 You know I plan to get a puppy 12:00.190 --> 12:01.540 when I get back to the states. 12:01.540 --> 12:02.600 - You do? What kind. 12:02.600 --> 12:03.503 - A Pomeranian. 12:03.582 --> 12:05.113 - That's not a real dog. 12:06.430 --> 12:07.960 - Well that's going to do it for this edition 12:07.960 --> 12:09.140 of the Desert Vision. 12:09.140 --> 12:11.870 For these stories and more, check out our Facebook page 12:11.870 --> 12:14.080 at facebook.com/usarmycentral 12:15.650 --> 12:19.010 - And our YouTube channel at youtube.com/usarmycentral 12:20.050 --> 12:22.090 - I'm Staff Sergeant Dae McDonald. 12:22.090 --> 12:23.890 - And I'm Staff Sergeant Tom Bixler. 12:23.899 --> 12:27.163 - Thanks for watching. - Thanks for watching.