Fort Jackson is so well known for its training prowess that military personnel from across the globe converge on the post to learn more about how America trains its Soldiers.
Four senior and seven junior leaders with Forces de Armees de Niger, or FAN, have been here since June 13 to discover ways to professionalize their basic training.
The FAN is the armed forces of the African country of Niger.
During their visit, the soldiers were integrated into different training battalions to learn more about the red, white and blue phases of Basic Combat Training.
They met with drill sergeants, drill sergeant leaders, Soldiers in Training and Fort Jackson leadership to better understand how, and why, the Army trains the way it does.
They also were in for a few surprises, including Maj. Gen. Roger Cloutier, Fort Jackson commander, welcoming them and speaking to them in fluent French, the national language of Niger. Niger shouldn't be confused with Nigeria, as the former was a French colony and the latter a former British colony.
"It was really interesting," said FAN Lt. Col. Aboubacar Issoufou, a commander at Niger's training school. "It made us really feel at home."
Cloutier spoke about his wish to visit the FAN's training during his next assignment as AFRICOM chief of staff. When Cloutier asked them how they liked South Carolina, they answered it was "too hot."
FAN Lt. Ismael Amadou Hamani, said even though it was hot and humid during the first part of their stay, "the weather is better here than there."
"We saw a different way of training Soldiers, and also how to increase security," Issoufou said after meeting with Sgt. Maj. Edward Roderiques, the deputy commandant of the U.S. Army Drill Sergeant
Academy. "We got to see how Soldiers work together."
Roderiques explained to the team what it takes to be a drill sergeant leader and when asked if there were ever soldiers from other nationalities trained there, he said a South Korean drill sergeant candidate will soon be going through training.
"It is really interesting because I think that to be a good leader you must leave good impressions," Issoufou said.
Issoufou said that during their tour of the USADSA, they were able to find what they were looking for. He added his group was able to view ways to increase their professionalism during the training.
While on post, the group was separated into two groups based on their ranks. The senior leaders left Fort Jackson June 19, while the junior leaders witnessed in-depth how Soldiers are integrated in the U.S. Army from reception at the 120th Adjutant General Battalion, shipped to their basic training companies, and trained during all three phases of training.
The group watched how the Army trains Soldiers to fire weapons and saw how they react under fire at the night infiltration course. They also saw how males and females interact during training.
Hamani said he was impressed with the U.S. Army drill sergeants and "the hospitality of American Soldiers."
The FAN leaders said they found many things they want to bring back to their training.
"I want to bring back the organization, instilling the will into the soldier, the quality of the training," Hamani said.
"It is really good how they train the trainees without any harm," Issoufou said.
"I think the weeks we spent here are going to be very useful," he said. "That is what I am looking for as the commander of the training school."
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