WEBVTT 00:00.009 --> 00:02.176 Of course , uh Lieutenant Colonel Mike 00:02.176 --> 00:04.231 mcnamara from the Massachusetts Army 00:04.231 --> 00:06.409 National Guard . Uh I'm the task force 00:06.420 --> 00:08.560 uh chops the chief of the Operations 00:08.569 --> 00:11.640 Division . Yes , it's uh Michael M IC 00:11.649 --> 00:15.170 Hael mcnamara is MC N A 00:15.199 --> 00:17.829 MA R A . Yes , absolutely . So , uh as 00:17.840 --> 00:20.489 the chief of the operations uh cell , 00:20.500 --> 00:23.149 we basically man the jock uh with all 00:23.295 --> 00:25.184 sorts of different staff prior uh 00:25.184 --> 00:28.245 primaries and uh we coordinate anything 00:28.254 --> 00:30.421 that's happening in the training areas 00:30.421 --> 00:32.310 uh from personnel to logistics to 00:32.310 --> 00:34.421 operations . Yeah , of course . So uh 00:34.421 --> 00:36.643 here at Justified Accord , we were buil 00:36.643 --> 00:38.421 building interoperability in uh 00:38.421 --> 00:40.587 partnerships with multinational forces 00:40.587 --> 00:42.587 from Kenya , Somalia and Djibouti , 00:42.587 --> 00:46.380 Rwanda , Tanzania , the UK and the U Ss . 00:46.389 --> 00:48.409 Yep . So up here at the counter 00:48.439 --> 00:50.272 insurgency terrorism , Stability 00:50.272 --> 00:52.217 Operations Center , uh we have two 00:52.217 --> 00:55.139 primary focuses . The first is the 772 00:55.150 --> 00:57.549 military police company from the 00:57.560 --> 00:59.671 Massachusetts Army National Guard has 00:59.671 --> 01:02.900 embedded KDF Kenyan Defense Force , 01:02.909 --> 01:05.131 military police embedded with them . So 01:05.131 --> 01:07.379 they're training on um quick reaction 01:07.389 --> 01:10.800 forces . Um ECP operations , tactical 01:10.809 --> 01:13.599 control points as well as stability 01:13.680 --> 01:15.513 operations with civilians on the 01:15.513 --> 01:17.569 battlefield . Uh That's one of their 01:17.569 --> 01:19.847 key priorities from the KDF leadership . 01:19.847 --> 01:23.264 Uh that focuses on uh the second focus 01:23.375 --> 01:26.855 is the 11th dust fab from uh the UK 01:27.125 --> 01:29.625 and how they are training uh the 01:29.635 --> 01:33.625 infantry platoons plus uh from uh 01:33.635 --> 01:36.245 Somalia , Tanzania , Rwanda , Kenya and 01:36.254 --> 01:39.025 Djibouti . Um So they've been doing 01:39.035 --> 01:41.885 three different areas of focus . Uh one 01:41.894 --> 01:44.970 being counter IED um down at the range 01:44.980 --> 01:48.120 area . Uh The second being counter UAs 01:48.250 --> 01:51.110 and how that's being uh in , placed in 01:51.120 --> 01:53.209 current operations across uh the 01:53.220 --> 01:55.629 continent and the globe and then urban 01:55.639 --> 01:57.750 operations . So up at our , our mount 01:57.750 --> 01:59.695 site as , as we call it , how they 01:59.695 --> 02:01.806 clear rooms , how they detain uh high 02:01.806 --> 02:04.139 value targets and things of that nature . 02:04.139 --> 02:06.361 So they've had a round robin uh circuit 02:06.361 --> 02:08.472 going for the last uh week and a half 02:08.472 --> 02:10.528 um to , you know , uh dedicate who , 02:10.528 --> 02:12.750 who uh who does what best . Yeah . So , 02:12.750 --> 02:15.020 so um so all this , the culminating 02:15.029 --> 02:17.196 event is our distinguished visitor day 02:17.196 --> 02:19.196 on 7 March um where we have leaders 02:19.196 --> 02:21.196 from , from all countries coming to 02:21.196 --> 02:25.039 attend . Um And although it is a 02:25.050 --> 02:27.050 demonstration for the distinguished 02:27.050 --> 02:29.161 visitors , the , the ultimate goal is 02:29.161 --> 02:31.217 to take back , you know , what the , 02:31.217 --> 02:33.272 the US and the UK have , have taught 02:33.272 --> 02:35.383 these countries , take that back home 02:35.383 --> 02:37.550 and be a train , the trainer , so they 02:37.550 --> 02:39.772 can uh they can train their soldiers uh 02:39.772 --> 02:41.717 uh from , from all their different 02:41.717 --> 02:43.717 countries . Yeah . So , so training 02:43.717 --> 02:45.828 with , with our , our forces that are 02:45.828 --> 02:47.939 here on ground uh is vital simply for 02:47.939 --> 02:50.050 the fact that we want to prepare them 02:50.050 --> 02:53.520 for their um enemies . Uh 02:53.529 --> 02:56.520 So that way , uh American and UK 02:56.529 --> 02:58.880 influence , um you know , pre presides 02:58.889 --> 03:01.000 throughout without our forces being , 03:01.000 --> 03:03.111 you know , on the ground . So they're 03:03.111 --> 03:05.167 taking our , our TT PS , our , our , 03:05.167 --> 03:07.000 our um and our battle drills and 03:07.000 --> 03:08.833 placing them uh in their current 03:08.833 --> 03:10.889 operations . So , uh it gives them a 03:10.889 --> 03:13.000 better foothold uh to say , hey , you 03:13.000 --> 03:15.111 know , they can fight off the enemy , 03:15.111 --> 03:17.333 you know , um from , from any part of , 03:17.333 --> 03:19.556 of their country uh through the actions 03:19.556 --> 03:21.556 that , that they're learning here . 03:21.556 --> 03:23.778 Favorite memory is probably just seeing 03:23.778 --> 03:25.889 everybody come together . I know it's 03:25.889 --> 03:27.945 probably a little cliche to say , uh 03:27.945 --> 03:30.000 especially as a , a senior officer , 03:30.000 --> 03:32.830 but uh really just seeing the , the 03:32.839 --> 03:35.309 smiles from the partner forces , uh 03:35.320 --> 03:37.710 they , they are enjoying training , you 03:37.720 --> 03:40.190 know , there isn't a , a down moment , 03:40.199 --> 03:43.149 uh which sometimes when you get into a , 03:43.160 --> 03:45.382 uh you know , this type of exercise and 03:45.382 --> 03:48.029 at this point in the exercise , um you 03:48.039 --> 03:50.240 know , it is fatigue sets in safety 03:50.250 --> 03:52.361 becomes compliant , uh you know , non 03:52.361 --> 03:54.361 compliant . Uh That hasn't been the 03:54.361 --> 03:56.306 case , you know , I think that's a 03:56.306 --> 03:58.528 point of pride . So I think just seeing 03:58.528 --> 04:00.694 everybody uh working together is , has 04:00.694 --> 04:02.750 really been uh something that I'll , 04:02.750 --> 04:04.806 I'll , I'll remember , you know , uh 04:04.806 --> 04:06.806 and , and just see how , how people 04:06.806 --> 04:08.861 interact at chow uh integrating with 04:08.861 --> 04:11.194 each other . I just think it's , it's a , 04:11.194 --> 04:10.789 it's a great um it's something I'll 04:10.800 --> 04:12.911 always look , uh , tell my kids about 04:12.911 --> 04:15.078 put it that way . I think one of the , 04:15.078 --> 04:17.309 the main things that , you know , I 04:17.320 --> 04:19.653 would bring up is , is just a continued , 04:19.769 --> 04:22.420 um , relationships that have been built 04:22.660 --> 04:26.160 uh throughout our time here . Um So , 04:26.170 --> 04:28.337 you know , I came on the advance party 04:28.337 --> 04:30.670 uh with our senior NC Os and , and some , 04:30.670 --> 04:32.670 some of our other uh members of the 04:32.670 --> 04:34.739 Mass National Guard and , you know , 04:34.750 --> 04:37.010 from day one , getting on ground , you 04:37.019 --> 04:39.241 know , the hospitality , whether it was 04:39.241 --> 04:41.760 from the 11 des Fab gentlemen , um who , 04:41.769 --> 04:45.019 who were at uh Bato with us um 04:45.200 --> 04:48.220 to the DC O here at Sito uh Major 04:48.510 --> 04:51.630 Kainga . Um Everybody working towards 04:51.640 --> 04:53.751 the same goal , our , our CF partners 04:53.751 --> 04:56.029 that were uh embedded with us from the , 04:56.029 --> 04:58.500 from the jump . Um I , I think was so 04:58.510 --> 05:01.790 vital uh to us and , and our success uh 05:01.799 --> 05:03.910 that we couldn't have done it without 05:03.910 --> 05:05.966 them , you know , we , you know , we 05:05.966 --> 05:08.077 came here uh never being , never been 05:08.077 --> 05:10.188 to the African continent , never been 05:10.188 --> 05:12.188 to Kenya . And uh and , and we were 05:12.188 --> 05:14.132 received so welcoming . So I think 05:14.132 --> 05:13.940 that's something that , you know , I'd , 05:13.950 --> 05:16.006 I'd like to reinforce how , how well 05:16.006 --> 05:18.006 that's taken out how good that does 05:18.006 --> 05:20.117 feel , you know , for , for not being 05:20.117 --> 05:22.228 uh for being a f you know , not , not 05:22.228 --> 05:21.570 from here . So ,