NIAMEY, Niger -- Soldiers from Niger's Counter-Terrorist Company stood proudly during a graduation ceremony here yesterday that marked the successful completion of an eight-week training package led by U.S. Marine instructors. The soldiers participated in the training under the Trans Sahara Counter Terrorism Initiative, a U.S. State Department program aimed at enabling Niger and other countries in Africa's Sahel region to better stem the flow of illicit goods, arms, and people throughout their borders. The underlying motive behind the initiative is to preclude terrorists and their organizations from gaining sanctuaries in the region - a big challenge for a small military in a region known for its porous borders and vast ungoverned areas.
"The Niger military is a very capable military, but like all security forces, skills can also be improved, and new capabilities are always needed to carry out the military's missions and guard against threats to national security," said Gail D. Mathieu, U.S. Ambassador to Niger. "The Niger rapid response company will be at the forefront of the fight against the flow of illicit arms, goods, and people through the Sahel as well as preventing terrorists and bandits from establishing safe havens in Niger."
Training here began in early August, and the Nigerien soldiers underwent a barrage of instruction in marksmanship, land navigation, field medicine, individual combat skills and squad through company level tactics. The company was also equipped with 12 light trucks, communication gear, and individual uniforms and equipment for each soldier.
"The soldiers are really excited about the training they received," said Maj. Salaou B. Moussa, commanding officer of the Nigerien Counter-Terrorist Company. "They learned a lot of new things, and it's a great thing for them to be trained by United States Marines. They are very proud and can't wait to go to the field to implement what they've learned."
In fact, the Nigerien soldiers did so well that their Marine instructors were challenged just to keep the curriculum ahead of them. To capitalize on the already advanced skills of the soldiers, the training detachment introduced specialized sniper, mortar, and machine gun training to some of the members of the Counter-Terrorist Company. This training, in particular, was very well received.
"This training truly gave them assets they never have possessed," said Maj. Paul Baker, commander of the Marine training detachment. "They now have reconnaissance capabilities with a sniper unit attached. With their mortars coupled with snipers adjusting fire, they can reach out and hit a target five or six kilometers away before the enemy even hears them. Hopefully, they'll continue to train and rehearse this capability and be able to implement it in a real-world situation."
The completion of the training in Niger, while not the end of TSCTI, marks the end of the Marine trainers' four-month-long deployment to Africa, where the 24-man team trained not only the Nigerien company, but also a similar company in Chad under the same program. The Marines came together from several different commands to form the training cadre, and all are now returning to their parent units. Nevertheless, the pride they received from helping two other nations develop professional, able militaries will stand with them for the rest of their lives.
"The training was very successful. It was awesome to be a part of it," said Baker. "There is no question that these companies are tactically ready to be employed, and if given the opportunity, I would love to serve beside them."