JACQUEVILLE, Côte d’Ivoire — Amidst the tactical maneuvers and weapons ranges of exercise Flintlock 26, a different kind of training took place; a convergence of lenses and dialogue that propelled the power of storytelling.
In the early days of exercise Flintlock 2026, nine students from the Institut des Sciences et Techniques de la Communication (ISTC) Polytechnique, Côte d’Ivoire’s premier civilian school of journalism, joined U.S. and Ivorian military public affairs Soldiers to observe and document the African-led, U.S.-sponsored special operations exercise.
As future journalists aiming to make an impact on society, the exchange provided students with a firsthand look at military training designed to spearhead regional security, fostering operational transparency and long-term professional relationships. During the unique opportunity, students observed medical simulations and drone reconnaissance training, putting classroom journalism theory into practice.
The medical training, which aimed to equip international partners with the skills needed to provide immediate medical care on the battlefield, highlighted only a small part of the dozens of training events during Flintlock. Enabling civilian journalists to take part in the joint training exercise helps bridge the gap between the military and the local population.
“We have acquired additional knowledge that will help us if we are out at Flintlock in the future,” said Mouity ‘Julien’ Ondo, a student journalist at the ISTC. “This training will help us talk about these topics, wherever it may be.”
Following the medical training, the military public affairs and civilian journalism students participated in a peer-to-peer mentorship exchange, highlighting the similarities and differences in each group’s approaches to journalism. The engagement served as a dual-purpose event, providing students with an inside look into the annual African-led exercise and a mentorship exchange between civilian and military journalists.
During the exchange, students and military communicators shared best practices, streamlining techniques for future battlefield communications.
“This is a good collaboration at its core. Our students have never executed this kind of exercise before, so it comes at the perfect time for them to complete the training they are already learning in the classroom,” expressed Karamoko Ladji, a journalism instructor at the ISTC. “At the end of this training, we’ve noticed that our students are even more passionate about the job.”
To many, this passion is not abstract; it is deeply personal, deeply rooted in personal experiences.
“In 2011, I saw the war. I ran with my mother to evade the war and gunshots,” one student expressed, reflecting on the moments that set her on her journalism path. “My mother carried my brother in her arms as we fled.”
What began as a childhood memory, marked by fear, evolved into a sense of purpose. That experience now fuels her ambition to become a combat correspondent, someone who not only witnesses history but also ensures the people understand it.
For the ISTC students, the opportunity represents their first professional interaction with international military forces, a step toward building enduring relationships for the future. For the military public affairs team, the event enabled deeper collaboration with local journalists and provided a unique opportunity to showcase the exercise’s importance in promoting regional security objectives.
By connecting with Côte d’Ivoire’s future journalists early in their careers, military leaders are building a foundation of mutual respect and media capacity. This collaboration mirrors the military-to-military training occurring throughout the exercise, highlighting that strong partnerships are built not only on shared security goals but also on mutual understanding and professional integrity.
Beyond tactics and training, Flintlock is about people, the stories they carry and the future they shape. For one student, the sound of gunfire once meant survival. Today, it represents a calling: to run toward the story instead of away from it, to give voice to those caught in conflict, and to ensure that even in the chaos of war, humanity is not forgotten.
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