SOUTHWEST ASIA –
The COVID-19 pandemic is having a global impact. Movement is restricted, face-to-face engagements are less common, stay home orders are enforced and preventative measures are implemented to reduce the spread of the virus. These changes directly impact people worldwide, to include the members of the Special Operations Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve serving in the Middle East.
With the world seemingly shut down, how do service members continue with their mission to defeat Daesh in Syria and Iraq? Technology and innovation.
“Leveraging technology has helped us continue our mission to defeat Daesh, while allowing the Coalition and partner forces stay healthy during this pandemic,” said Maj. Gen. Eric Hill, commanding general for SOJTF-OIR.
The increased use of video teleconference technology enables the Coalition to continue advising partner forces on multiple topics, including ongoing defeat Daesh operations and implementing COVID-19 prevention measures. As another innovation, Coalition advisors use aerial drones to help document partner force training exercises. The video recordings are then reviewed by Coalition advisors and partner forces to help improve their tactics.
“Face-to-face engagements with the partner forces will always be a preferred method of communicating and building partner capacity, but technology continues to bridge-the-gap in times like these when in-person engagements and movement opportunities are limited,” said Hill.
Advancements in communication equipment used between the Coalition and the partner forces give partner force commanders on-the-ground immediate support.
“This pandemic provides the Coalition an opportunity to be less hands-on with partner forces, empowering them to become more independent and confident in their military abilities,” said Hill. “The fight is not over despite COVID-19 and we remain committed to our partners to ensure the enduring defeat of Daesh.”
To see in Arabic: CJTF-OIR PR-202004017-02 Defeating Daesh during COVID (Arabic)-النسخة ال
To see in Kurmanci: CJTF-OIR PR-20200417-02 Defeating Daesh during COVID (Kurmanci)
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