Military Review English Edition September-October 2014 | Page 36

evident that small-unit leader training and a vibrant
NCO corps were a necessity. This example shows that
without the immediate need for trained small-unit
leaders, hard-fought gains to develop such leaders easily
can be reversed.
Therefore, the challenge likely will be for the JAF
leadership to continue to recognize the essential
need for small-unit leaders without operations in
Afghanistan to reinforce this point. This challenge will
be all the more difficult in an era of reduced budgets

and limited resources, where the temptation to cut
training is ever present.
On the other hand, violence is erupting in Libya,
Egypt, and Syria, and international coalitions are
forming to respond to such crises. Along with Jordan’s
desire to build partnerships, these events could persuade Jordanian military leaders of the necessity to
maintain the gains already made in modernizing the
JAF through empowerment of its NCO corps. Time
will tell.
Noncommissioned officer cadets conduct an after action review
with NCO Basic Course senior cadre member 1st Sgt. Yousef Ahmad al-Hassan, a graduate of the U.S. Warrior Leader Course and a
combat veteran of Jordanian operations in Afghanistan, March 2013.
(Photo courtesy of Sgt. Maj. Amanda Smith, U.S. Army)

34

September-October 2014  MILITARY REVIEW