U.S. military personnel and Nigerian armed forces are conducting a series of combined tactical training engagements at Operating Location Bauchi, aimed at sharing operational expertise, enhancing partner capacity and building mutual readiness between both nations.
The bilateral training forms an integral component of a broader security cooperation framework designed to address regional stability challenges, deepen intelligence sharing and improve interoperability. Rather than using a rigid, predetermined curriculum, training subjects are tailored collaboratively. U.S. personnel identify their available subject matter expertise and coordinate directly with Nigerian military leadership to select priorities that best meet their operational needs.
Past modules at Bauchi have encompassed Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC), combat lifesaver skills, weapons familiarization, camouflage techniques, water purification and testing, explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) and small-unit tactics.
A recent highlight of the programme focused on unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). Led by Sergeant Mark Murphy, an intelligence analyst with the 13th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, the session provided specialized instruction to roughly 10 personnel from the Nigerian Air Force Special Forces Regiment. The syllabus combined technical ground school with practical flight controls, payload operation and tactical employment methods, focusing on how real-time aerial intelligence can be integrated directly into ground operations.
According to Captain Gabriel Feingold, operations officer at OL Bauchi with the U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa, the collaborative approach enables direct engagement between lower-echelon personnel who might not otherwise routinely operate together.
Beyond formal classroom and field evolutions, service members from both nations regularly engage in sports and informal exchanges during off-duty hours. U.S. and Nigerian forces at OL Bauchi are currently developing further training iterations as both militaries continue to identify mutual areas for tactical collaboration and skill sharing.
