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Ammon News - AMMONNEWS - Members of the U.S. Army 83rd Civil Affairs Battalion and Jordan Armed Forces conducted a combined Subject Matter Expert Exchange last week, which will advance the development of Jordan's first Directorate of Civil Military Affairs unit.

"Because it is a brand new directorate, they do not have any civil affairs doctrine," explained U.S. Army Capt. Thomas A. Howard with the 83rd Civil Affairs Battalion out of Ft. Bragg, North Carolina, who is the SMEE lead. "The SMEE is giving them a foundation for civil affairs operations and emergency management techniques."

The SMEE shared U.S. civil affairs and NATO planning doctrine and procedures allowing Jordan to build the foundation for the DCMA, which was established last year in the mist of the ongoing Syrian war and growing refugee crisis. Although Jordan is experienced in dealing with crises and civilian issues, the DCMA's members are new to their positions and new to the civil affairs procedures used by partner nations.


“This training is important because it is a new job for me here," said JAF Col. Raje M. Marii, the new chief of the department of crisis management within the DCMA. "The [Americans] gave us very important information for civil affairs.”

The exchange will also improve the DCMA's ability to manage operations such as population resource control and coordinating with nongovernmental organizations and UN agencies, which have become increasingly involved in Jordan's current management of its Syrian refugees.

"Civil affairs and crisis management go hand in hand," said U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Abednega T. Agbemashior also a SMEE mentor from the 83rd CA. "Through the SMEE we can strengthen the DCMA so they can better respond to crises in general."

The civilian affairs doctrine passed through this SMEE is a practical tool empowering the Jordanian military to handle its ongoing refugee influx as well as additional crises in the future.

*Dvids