Leading an all-female team in Jordan
Six British Army instructors delivered a two-week training course for soldiers from the Jordanian Armed Forces Quick Reaction Force Brigade
Following an exercise where paratroopers jumped into Jordan in support of the Carrier Strike Group deployment, the soldiers from 16 Air Assault Brigade began to train alongside the Jordanian Armed Forces.
One of the units deployed was a Female Engagement Team led by Captain Smith. Female Engagement Teams can help to bridge cultural gaps and integrate female skills within our partner nations.
We spoke with Captain Smith👇
Tell us about the team you have been leading?
“The team of females are experienced instructors, which is why they were selected to conduct this training.
“In preparation for the deployment, we developed lesson plans, which was difficult as we were unsure of the level of experience that we would be pitching to. We also conducted pre-deployment training in the form of cultural briefs and had multiple online meetings with them to discuss the training programme.”
What is the aim of the deployment?
“The aim of the Female Engagement Team STTT is to encourage gender integration within the Jordanian’s Quick Reaction Force (QRF) Brigade.
“They have had a female platoon within the Brigade since 2017, but they are used as a Brigade asset without a specific role. Bringing an all-female team to Jordan, we have delivered a training package to females and males from the QRF and have demonstrated the skills that females can bring to a team.”
What training have you delivered?
“During this deployment, we have delivered a bespoke training package over a 10 day period.
“Each week we covered a variety of topics including Counter Improvised Explosive Devises, Battle Casualty Drills, Urban Operations and ended with a battle exercise testing the soldiers on what they have learned throughout the week.
“We were able to test their tactical knowledge when faced with challenging Rules of Engagement scenarios.”
Why is this important?
“The Jordanian Armed Forces are keen to have the females more integrated, and this short training package is a start point for them to continue working together once we leave.
“Two of the female Warrant Officers from the platoon also led a lesson each, which saw the males being taught by women from their own country, something which is rare over here.
“Our day to day work in Jordan focuses on improving gender integration with their QRF Brigade ahead of upcoming exercises and deployments.
“This gives both males and females the same foundation of training as they progress into their readiness cycles. We have improved their basic skills and set the conditions for continued training.”
What has been a highlight of the deployment?
“One of the highlights has been seeing the females and males develop over the two weeks. As they spent longer with us, they really opened up and worked hard to get the most out of the training.
“As we completed the training, everyone thanked us for how enjoyable we made the training whilst still making it relevant to them. It has been a rewarding experience for the whole team, especially seeing the mixed platoon work together developing operating procedures and delivering orders.”
Tell us about a challenge you have faced?
“An initial challenge was getting the females to want to do physical training (PT). As soon as our PT instructor took a lesson she made it fun, competitive but still challenging for them.
“Instead of the females dreading hearing of PT, they were ready early and excited to start each morning with the session
“It also took a couple of days to get used to the culture within the Jordanian Armed Forces, but the soldiers we were working with really came out of their shells as the first week progressed due to the strong rapport we quickly established.”
What has been something you didn't expect to see whilst deployed?
“We took advantage of weekends off and were fortunate to visit the Dead Sea, Wadi Mujib, Wadi Rum and Petra.
“Unlike the larger exercises, we were not given specific time after our training to conduct cultural visits, but due to our preparation before deploying and subject knowledge, we were able to experience all that Jordan has to offer in a limited time.
“On the final day of training, we were invited to the QRF Brigade HQ where there was a farewell ceremony for the team and a feast of traditional Jordanian food hosted by the Brigade Chief of Staff.”
