U.S. army trains Nigerian military on Boko Haram operations

Some 12 U.S. soldiers have trained Nigerian troops on a six-week advice-and-assist mission in Jaji, Kaduna State, the Pentagon has said.

The U.S. Department of Defence said Nigerian Army’s 26th Infantry Battalion might be the next to deploy to North-east to confront the violent extremist organisation, Boko Haram.

The department, while documenting some accounts of the U.S. soldiers during the training said it was important to prepare the Nigerian troops for the threats they faced from the terrorists.

A sergeant, Saul Rodriguez, the most experienced of the 12 U.S. soldiers said “even in triple-digit heat and with AK-47 automatic rifles in hand, it’s easy to forget these soldiers are likely headed into imminent danger. My job is to train you as much as I can.

Your job is to fight the bad guys out of your country,” Pentagon quoted Rodriguez as shouting to a group of soldiers demonstrating their best cover and concealment efforts behind Jaji’s bushes and trees.

A staff sergeat, Kevin Martin, of the 10th Mountain Division Fort Drum, New York, said after lecturing the troops on the significance of maintaining noise discipline that they needed the skills as they faced real threats.

“Yes. We are hard on them. We have to be. Their life depends on it. They might need these skills one day. They face a very real and lethal threat. We aren’t going to slow down; we are going to pack as much training in as possible.”

Pentagon said: “All in all, this mission is the definition of the U.S. Army’s top priority: readiness.”