Sustainable proficiencies: Humanitarian Mine Action Program ‘trains the trainer’

U.S. Marines continue the Humanitarian Mine Action Program, implementing a train-the-trainer concept to ensure Moroccan proficiency in their ability to instruct additional Moroccan service members in explosive ordnance disposal.

By Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force - Crisis Response Dec 17, 2019

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KENITRA, Morocco – U.S. Marines, Sailors, Soldiers and Airmen have concluded their temporary joint bilateral humanitarian mine action program here. The training sessions for this program began December 2, 2019. U.S. instructors plan to return for advanced training sessions in spring 2020. The intent of the spring period of instruction is to supervise and pin the coveted EOD badge on new Moroccan Armed Forces explosive ordnance disposal level-one instructors.

During the recent two-week training, the U.S. instructors delivered a “train the trainer” curriculum, covering a variety of topics such as teaching techniques, public speaking, and course preparation. The training also included practical application where students instructed their classmates in the disposal of improvised explosive devices.

U.S. Instructors were all EOD technicians and the training delivered adhered to both U.S. and international safety regulations. U.S. Marine explosive ordnance disposal technicians are all graduates of the Naval School for Explosive Ordnance Disposal where they complete nine months of rigorous training to include locating, accessing, identifying, rendering safe, neutralizing, and disposing of ordnance. The technicians are also screened annually to validate their proficiency in EOD policies and procedures.

The US military has a long history of training with the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces. The HMA training further underscores the strong U.S.-Morocco partnership, improves the capacity of the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces to train its own EOD personnel, and contributes to greater security on the African continent through Morocco’s increased demining capability.

The Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force – Crisis Response – Africa is deployed to conduct crisis-response and theater-security operations in Africa and promote regional stability by conducting military-to-military training exercises throughout Europe and Africa.

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