{"id":91255,"date":"2024-01-16T23:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-01-17T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=91255"},"modified":"2024-01-18T03:17:49","modified_gmt":"2024-01-18T03:17:49","slug":"nco-development-a-goal-of-dc-guard-jamaica-partnership","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=91255","title":{"rendered":"NCO development a goal of DC Guard, Jamaica partnership"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n Sgt. Maj. Esmeralda Vaquerano, G-1 (personnel) Sergeant Major for the D.C. Army National Guard and Sgt. Jessica A. Frazer, Recruitment and Retention Battalion, D.C. Army National Guard stand with members of the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) for a group photo during a State Partnership Program visit to the Caribbean Military Academy (CMA), Dec. 12-14, 2023. D.C. Guard members participated in an NCO Career Development Subject Matter Expert Exchange (SMEE) which included reviewing training, promotions, leadership, duties and responsibilities of NCOs with JDF\u2019s Jamaica Regiment, Support Brigade, and the Martitime, Air and Cyber Command (MACC).
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KINGSTON, Jamaica \u2014 District of Columbia National Guard members participated in an NCO career development exchange with the Jamaica Defence Force Dec. 12-14 at the Caribbean Military Academy in Kingston.<\/p>\n

Jamaica, known for its culture and vibrant beaches, is investing in national defense and strengthening security in the Caribbean basin. That entails placing the role of noncommissioned officers under a microscope.<\/p>\n

\u201cA primary security goal is the development of NCOs in the Jamaica Defence Force,\u201d said Capt. Aaron Lies, bilateral affairs officer, U.S Embassy Kingston security cooperation office. \u201cIf they learn how we operate and study our doctrine, it promotes shared understanding.\u201d<\/p>\n

Since 1999, as part of the Department of Defense National Guard Bureau State Partnership Program, the D.C. Guard and Jamaica have supported the U.S. Southern Command\u2019s goals of mutual security cooperation and enhancing Jamaica\u2019s defense, security force and disaster-response capabilities.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis changed my perception of a state partnership and the gravity of it. I also have a different respect for Jamaica as a country,\u201d said Sgt. Jessica A. Frazer, Recruitment and Retention Battalion, D.C. Army National Guard. \u201cThis is why I left the tourism industry. There\u2019s more to Jamaica than hospitality. This is about enhancing the lives of NCOs, where they serve and live.\u201d<\/p>\n

Frazer worked in tourism for six years after high school. But in 2020 her focus shifted.<\/p>\n

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\n Sgt. Maj. Esmeralda Vaquerano, right foreground, G-1 (personnel) sergeant major for the D.C. Army National Guard, tours the Caribbean Military Academy with a member of the Jamaica Defence Force during a State Partnership Program expert exchange Dec. 12-14, 2023, in Kingston, Jamaica.
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\u201cI wanted to go to school in the U.S.,\u201d she said. \u201cThe District of Columbia National Guard afforded me the opportunity to do more, start a new career and attend school for free. Today, I\u2019m helping other people achieve their goals \u2014 immigrants, females, anyone who needs help to learn more about opportunities they never thought existed. I was once where they are.\u201d<\/p>\n

Frazer is serious about helping recruitment prospects in the Washington metropolitan area and is committed to the empowerment of noncommissioned officers in the Jamaica Defence Force.<\/p>\n

\u201cI believe developing an NCO starts from the lowest rank. One doesn\u2019t have to be an NCO to start developing leadership skills; it began well before that,\u201d she said. \u201cNCOs are the backbone of the Army, and it\u2019s imperative that we\u2019re engaged in the overall vision and strategy.\u201d<\/p>\n

During the three-day seminar in Kingston, attendees focused on the tenets of NCO development, including training, promotions and leadership. Guard members gained insight from the JDF\u2019s Jamaica Regiment, Support Brigade and the Maritime, Air and Cyber Command.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the biggest things we focused on was the duties and responsibilities of a noncommissioned officer,\u201d said Sgt. Maj. Esmeralda Vaquerano, G-1 (personnel) sergeant major for the D.C. Army National Guard. \u201cThey\u2019ve adopted the U.S. Army\u2019s NCO creed, but it\u2019s imperative that they operate using it as their guidebook to accomplish their mission. We also discussed the \u2018This Is My Squad\u2019 initiative to build more cohesion, and how that relates to a more involved NCO mindset. We\u2019re closing gaps.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\n Sgt. Maj. Esmeralda Vaquerano, G-1 (personnel) Sergeant Major for the D.C. Army National Guard recites the U.S. Army\u2019s NCO Creed to members of the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) during a State Partnership Program visit to the Caribbean Military Academy (CMA), Dec. 12-14, 2023. D.C. Guard members participated in an NCO Career Development Subject Matter Expert Exchange (SMEE) which included reviewing training, promotions, leadership, duties and responsibilities of NCOs with JDF\u2019s Jamaica Regiment, Support Brigade, and the Martitime, Air and Cyber Command (MACC).
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Vaquerano and Frazer recognize a diverse and inclusive force is a warfighting imperative. Today\u2019s National Guard is the most modern, ready and interoperable force in its history. National Guard members spent almost 7.5 million personnel days supporting combatant commanders in 2023.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were able to let the JDF know they\u2019re not alone,\u201d Frazer said. \u201cThe exchange allows us to help mitigate present and future challenges in a constructive way. My hope is that we\u2019ve helped them better identify the roles and responsibilities of an effective NCO.\u201d<\/p>\n

The State Partnership Program has grown to 100 partner nations since its 1993 inception. The program proactively addresses complex challenges regardless of rank.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt makes us more effective and stronger,\u201d Vaquerano said.<\/p>\n

The D.C. National Guard-Jamaica Defence Force exchange solidifies the need for future engagements.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe empower our NCOs at all levels and demonstrate effective mission command,\u201d Lies said. \u201cThe Jamaica Defence Force sees how the U.S. military utilizes NCOs and they want to do the same.\u201c<\/p>\n

For more National Guard news<\/a><\/p>\n

National Guard Facebook<\/a><\/p>\n

National Guard X (Twitter<\/a>)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sgt. Maj. Esmeralda Vaquerano, G-1 (personnel) Sergeant Major for the D.C. Army National Guard and Sgt. Jessica A. Frazer, Recruitment and Retention Battalion, D.C. Army National Guard stand with members of the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) for a group photo during a State Partnership Program visit to the Caribbean Military Academy (CMA), Dec. 12-14, 2023. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":91257,"comment_status":"close","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-91255","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91255","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=91255"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91255\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":91261,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91255\/revisions\/91261"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/91257"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=91255"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=91255"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=91255"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}