ZARQA, Jordan (May 18, 2016) — Exercise Eager Lion has been conducted annually since 2011, marking the sixth iteration of the exercise, and the 5th Marine Expeditionary Brigade has set their goals to
make it the best evolution yet by taking their Deployable Joint Command
and Control — or DJC2, as they call it — capability to the next level.
With a fully functional combat operations center and more than 300
workstations, the DJC2 affords the U.S. and Jordanian leadership the
ability to plan and disseminate timely information to the operators in
the field.
To further enhance interoperability and partnership capacity, the
Marines of the DJC2 have introduced the CENTCOM Partner Network Jordan,
or CPN-J. The CPN-J is a U.S. Central Command initiative design to
heighten lines of communication between coalition forces and their
Jordanian counterparts through a secured computer network.
“The CPN-J allows for rapid communication and collaboration between
coalition forces and Jordanian Armed Forces,” said U.S. Marine Corps Lt.
Col. Harry Gardner, Joint Staff Sustainment observer and trainer. “It
expedites and coordinates efforts of the 5th MEB to help set up the
leadership of the exercise for success.”
Jordanian Armed Forces Brig. Gen. Majed Al-Zuhair, will lead the
Coalition Forces Land Component Command and U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Gen.
Carl E. Mundy III will assume the role of his Deputy CFLCC. Both will
work out of the DJC2 at a training site located outside of Amman, and
will exercise command and control of elements of the 13th Marine
Expeditionary Unit, Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force –
Crisis Response – Central Command, Commander Task Force Five Six, and
elements of the Jordanian Armed Forces.
Eager Lion 16 will consist of a 10-day series of simulated scenarios to
facilitate a coordinated, partnered military response to conventional
and unconventional threats. The scenarios developed will include border
security, command and control, cyber defense and battle space
management.
“Jordan is an important and valued partner nation who shares the goal of
security and stability in the region,” said U.S. Marine Corps Col. John
Polidoro, the Eager Lion 16 Deputy Chief of Staff. “Our main focus is
interoperability throughout the exercise, and ultimately any real world
crisis that may develop. ”
Military leaders from both nations understand that the success of Eager
Lion is not based on this iteration alone, but a representation of
continued partnership working shoulder-to-shoulder well into the future.
“Its ongoing challenges must be faced together as brothers-in-arms,”
added Polidoro, who also is the 5th Marine Expeditionary Brigade Chief
of Staff, out of Naval Support Activity, Bahrain. “We look forward to
reinforcing all that we have accomplished with this exercise over the
past five years, learn from our mistakes, and continue to evolve Eager
Lion to meet the future challenges that we will face together.”