Guam National Guard's Bravo Company stationed in Ethiopia

Guam National Guard's Bravo Company stationed in Ethiopia

by Jean Hudson, KUAM News Sunday, December 11, 2005

Many of our brave sons and daughters of Guam are serving our nation, away from home in areas of conflict. One exercise is just part of the training that soldiers of the Guam Army National Guard's Bravo Company 1st of the 294th Infantry (Light) are conducting for Ethiopian soldiers at Camp Hurso in Ethiopia, some 27 kilometers from the country's capital city, on the Somali border.

Non-commissioned officer in charge Sergeant Ryan Castro says the training involves field battle drills. "In the instate, we do border security operations so they can protect their borders from terrorists that try to enter their country," he explained.

Bravo Company is training 56 Ethiopian soldiers border security and anti-terrorism tactics. The Ethiopian soldiers then become instructors and pass the knowledge. Speaking through an interpreter, Captain Tsegaye Kahassay of the Ethiopian Army says this is sixth training cycle he has participated in and feels this is the best training he has received on protecting his country from infiltrators and worldwide terrorist tactics.

"As far as I am concern I spent a lot of years in the Army, 18 years of service, I have gone through training with my government protect our country, this is our basic training we have. I come to the point where I am now the lesson given to us about terrorists activities were getting now, this class is new to me but I have now a better knowledge how they infiltrate so I have better knowledge now than I had in previous time," he stated.

Sgt. Castro also said, "Something I learning from them, is how to get the point across as an instructor because all my military career I have been training with U.S. soldiers. With these guys it's a challenge to get the point across also because they also don't speak English and then when it does get across it's amazing how these guys can take that little information you give them and it goes a long way."

Castro believes the program will help with the global war on terror because the Ethiopians will be able to fight terrorism in their country. Kuhassay agrees, but says Ethiopia is trying to move towards conducting its own training exclusively; however, he knows they still lack the resources at this time and is grateful for the support from United States forces. Aside from the training, working so closely together gives the soldiers from both nations a chance to interact and build strong friendships.

Said Sgt. Castro, "We start off in the beginning as total strangers and towards the end we have this feeling like we knew each other for quite some time. We share knowledge from the U.S. and then they give us their knowledge and their experiences with training and also real life combat and I also learn from them. We talk about our war-gaming and next thing you know we have that relationship like I knew you for a while."

Added Cpt. Kuhassay, "I can say they our family to us. We trust them, they trust us, and we live together. Then we go to the outskirts of the town, day and night, the relationship between us. Our Army and U.S. is very strong."