Kenitra, Morocco. (October 20, 2022): In this photo by Captain Clay Groover, a U.S. Marine with Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force Crisis Response teaches explosive ordnance identification procedures to a member of the Moroccan Royal Armed Forces. As part of its “Humanitarian Diplomacy”, the United States assists critical allies with intractable problems, in this case unexploded mines that threaten their civilian population.

Kenitra, Morocco. (October 20, 2022): Morocco was one of the first countries to recognize the fledgling United States in 1777 and has been one of America’s closest allies ever since. It has the fifth largest economy in Africa and is an influential member of the Arab League and the African Union, two organizations that are often critical to American diplomatic goals in the region. Most importantly, the Moroccans have proven to be a stabilizing force in the tumultuous conflicts besetting the Maghreb Desert.

Along with economic ties (the U.S. recently signed a free-trade agreement with favorable terms for the desert kingdom), American and Moroccan military forces have developed deep ties over the years. An example of this “Humanitarian Diplomacy” is the presence of U.S. Marines assisting the Moroccan Army in dealing with deadly land mines left over from previous conflicts.

Under the Humanitarian Mine Action program, the Marines provide highly skilled ordnance disposal technicians to assist partner and allied nations with identifying and safely defusing dangerous land mines that have wounded or killed thousands.  The U.S. Navy also assigns medical corpsman to train alongside Moroccan troops on tactical combat casualty care.

Rather than simply defusing mines, the Marines train local forces to identify, secure, and safely disarm a variety of ordnance types by conducting complex scenarios to test student’s knowledge in real time. Helping build local capacity is a job for the Marine Corps Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force Crisis Response for Europe and Africa. This 2,000 Marine unit has heavy lift capability and are experts in humanitarian assistance and disaster response.

For the Marines participating in the Humanitarian Mine Action program, the payoff comes in knowing they are using their courage and skill to prevent deaths and injuries from these terrible devices.

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