Soldiers, Airmen, Firefighters, and Emergency Medical Responders from the Utah National Guard trained with their Moroccan counterparts in disaster management operations, Sept. 9-20, 2024, in Kenitra, Tangier, and Ksar Sghir, Morocco.

The exercise, known as Maroc Mantlet, is the premier annual disaster planning and preparedness exercise in the Kingdom. Along with partners from the Royal Armed Forces (FAR) and Moroccan civilian agencies, Maroc Mantlet 2024 was the culmination of a year of planning and coordination between the Utah National Guard and their Moroccan counterparts.  The exercise covered six training modules and took place at the Unité de Secours et de Sauvetage (Relief and Rescue Unit) and the 5th Naval Base.

“U.S.-Morocco joint training programs are a critical component of the close, strategic security partnership between our country and the Kingdom of Morocco,” said Ambassador Talwar. “Maroc Mantlet increases our security and enhances our readiness while improving coordination in providing emergency response to natural disasters.”

Maroc Mantlet combines aspects from urban search and rescue; firefighting; emergency medical response training; CBRN response and decontamination; and aquatic rescue which features the use of helicopters.

This year’s edition of Maroc Mantlet centered around a simulated, large-scale earthquake in the vicinity of the 5th Naval Base, which provoked the series of events to drive the training modules.

“The highlight of the exercise was the showcasing of the interoperability between the FAR, the General Directorate of Civil Protection, Ministry of Interior and other agencies of the Kingdom,” said Utah Army National Guard Lt. Col. Brady Pollock, Deputy Commander of the 8th Homeland Response Force. “The teamwork shown from the initial planning stages through to the training and execution at the simulated disaster site, clearly showcased the progress from more than a decade of cooperation between the Kingdom of Morocco and the Utah National Guard.”

The State Partnership Program:

The Utah National Guard and the Kingdom of Morocco are linked through the National Guard’s State Partnership Program, which helps facilitate combined training and mission opportunities.  These include humanitarian civic assistance operations as well as disaster planning and preparedness training such as Maroc Mantlet. The Utah National Guard began its State Partnership with Morocco in 2003, and after more than 21 years, it has proven to be one of the most successful partnerships on the African Continent.

Overall, Morocco participates in more than 100 military engagements with U.S. forces each year. It hosts African Lion – the largest yearly military exercise on the continent – and is a major partner in both the U.S. International Military Education and Training and Foreign Military Sales programs.