Photo By Sgt. Angela Wilcox | U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Grecia Tierrafria, left, a combat marksmanship coach assigned...... read more read more
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Over the course of a week in October, nearly a dozen U.S. female Marines joined forces with Jordanian Soldiers from the Shiek Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Quick Reaction Force (QRF) Brigade’s Female Engagement Team (FET) for a dynamic subject matter expert exchange as part of Exercise Intrepid Maven 25.1 (IM 25.1) for U.S. Marine Corps Forces Central Command. This exchange, spearheaded by Naval Amphibious Force, Task Force 51/5th Marine Expeditionary Brigade, is part of a broader series of events and symposiums that foster an enabling environment for implementing international women, peace, and security initiatives.
IM 25.1 represents another chapter in the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) relationship with the Jordanian Armed Forces (JAF). In its eight iteration, IM 25.1 builds on previous advancements conducted in Jordan, expanding beyond bi-lateral infantry training, and including a unique Subject Matter Expert Exchange (SMEE). This exercise demonstrates the stalwart partnership and interoperability between the USMC and the JAF, paving the way for future peace and security efforts to deter adversarial threats and ensure readiness for crisis response.
The Jordanian Armed Forces (JAF), consisting of ground, air, and naval forces, serve as the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan military and are a vibrant participant in United Nations peacekeeping missions. The JAF’s main objectives are to defend Jordan, preserve its independence, protect its legitimacy, and defend the land, sky and sea of the kingdom.
In recent years, the JAF pushed to modernize by developing a newer and younger force that is professional, well-trained, organized, and equipped. The QRF is a newly established rapid intervention/high readiness brigade part of the JAF.
The U.S. team at the SMEE consisted of highly skilled female Marines who taught proper firearm handling and shooting techniques. Among them are Gunnery Sgt. Ashlee McWhirt and Sgt. Carissa Benavides from 3rd Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company, Force Headquarters Group, U.S. Marine Corps Forces Reserve, one of six elite military units of its kind in the Marine Corps. Staff Sgt. Julie Ortiz, a Marine from the 3rd Force Reconnaissance Company, 4th Marine Division, U.S. Marine Corps Forces Reserve, and qualified parachutist and combatant diver, brings valuable experience as a combat marksmanship coach. Sergeant Angela Scolari, a parachute rigger from 6th ANGLICO, is airborne qualified and is also a civilian pilot.
Participants engaged in both individual and collective marksmanship training, honing their skills with M4 carbines- the main infantry rifle issued to U.S. and multinational militaries- and Beretta M9 pistols against stationary targets.
Each morning the team worked together to prepare and set up shooting targets at the firing line at Range Dunn, Camp Quwayrah. Equipped with six magazines each, they loaded 30 rounds of 5.56×45mm NATO cartridges, pronounced "five-five-six", the main bullet type used by guns made for NATO militaries- both the U.S. Marines and Jordanian Soldiers.
Good marksmanship is a critical factor in warfare. The Female Marksmanship Training, designed to foster community, empowerment, and self-advocacy, began with dry-fire iterations followed by live-fire drills. After a day of rifle shooting, the team transitioned to pistols, focusing on speed reloads, efficiency, accuracy, and tactical reloads from the holster—replicating realistic engagements in urban environments. This training enabled the team to recognize evolving conditions in a potential battlespace, allowing them to adapt and make timely decisions against a potential adversary. Throughout, they emphasized safety, skill, and decision-making in combat, while navigating societal and cultural expectations surrounding women and firearms.
Leading the women’s marksmanship training was Sgt. Brianna Eisenhower, a cannoneer with the Weapons Field Training Battalion, Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego. When she is not firing M114 155 mm howitzers, she is a Combat Marksmanship Coach, training and mentoring fellow USMC marksmanship coaches and recruits in entry level marksmanship, ensuring the next generation of Marines excels. She has previously deployed to Okinawa, Japan with her battalion's Unit Deployment Program.
At the beginning and end of each drill, Eisenhower demonstrated, gave commands, and clear and concise guidance.
“Notice how my posture isn’t collapsing…Marksmanship is really easy. Shooting pistol is really easy…We need to put our mind on something else that matters,” she emphasizes.
Before Eisenhower’s military career, she competed in multiple shooting competitions, including the Junior Olympics with her Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps program in her high school precision air rifle team. Regarding her favorite part of the job, Eisenhower says, “Seeing them proud of themselves, the joy on their faces, and witnessing them achieve their goals—even if it’s just a few rounds. You invest a lot of yourself as a teacher.”
Together, the U.S. Marines and Jordanian Soldiers engaged in multipurpose “bill” drills designed to enhance speed and accuracy for various combat scenarios, including firing from covered barricades. The U.S. Marines and Jordanian Soldiers progressed through the SMEE to include night live-fire, advancing their skill sets and exchanging valuable knowledge together. Leading the Jordanian FET Platoon was a First Lieutenant, who with her team of 21 female soldiers, showcased the strength, resilience, and capability of women in the armed forces. The team shot over 18,000 rounds of 55.6mm and 2,700 rounds of 9mm ammunition by the end of the five-day training evolution, improving their overall accuracy, proficiency, lethality, and mutual supportability.
“This exchange was mutually beneficial for the JAF FET and the Marines. The FET arrived eagerly each day to learn and listened intensely, ready to maximize the training value. Their humbleness and gratitude toward us made us feel valued. It instilled in us the necessity to be the best and to carry ourselves as such because the world is watching,” says Captain Crystal Young, Headquarters Executive Officer with TF 51/5 and officer in charge of the women’s marksmanship training.
In shared moments during training, U.S. Marines and Jordanian Soldiers exchanged not only tactics but also conversations about their families, creating a strong bond of solidarity.
“This is my second time leading a JAF Female Marksmanship Team with the JAF Female Engagement Team,” says Young. “My admiration for the FET grows fonder with every iteration. They treat one another as sisters. I observed them always helping one another out and giving positive reinforcement. This contagious positive energy was even extended to the Marines. The FET treated us like family and for that, I am forever grateful.”
Every iteration of the women’s marksmanship training is a call for progress, emphasizing the inclusion and contribution of women in peace and security decision-making processes while addressing their unique needs in relief and recovery situations. The success of each training evolution shapes the paradigm of peace and security, as well as modern approaches to conflict prevention and resolution.
The full, equal, and meaningful participation of women at all levels of peacebuilding, security, and decision-making is essential to stabilizing and sustaining international peace. The White House’s Women, Peace, and Security strategy builds on these efforts by addressing the unique needs of women in safe and supportive environments across diplomacy and defense. Global peace and security issues remain paramount, despite evolving worldwide challenges. Investing in training opportunities for women to boost their confidence and self-assurance contributes to the successful security of communities and countries worldwide.
| Date Taken: | 11.13.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 11.13.2024 04:02 |
| Story ID: | 484733 |
| Location: | JO |
| Web Views: | 627 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, U.S. Female Marines Unite with Jordanian Female Engagement Team, by 1LT Michelle Lin, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
Female
Women in the Military
M4 carbine
Marksmanship
Combat Marksmanship Coach
M9 Beretta pistol (9 mm)
