Marines assigned to Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force Crisis Response Africa team trained alongside French gendarmes to respond to a riot during a U.S. embassy reinforcement exercise at the National Gendarmerie Tactical Training Center in Saint-Astier, France, Jan. 18.
The Marines are part of a rotational force deployed to conduct crisis response and theater security operations in Europe and Africa.
U.S. military forces train with civilian law enforcement organizations to build their peacekeeping skills. Training alongside the gendarmerie reinforces the strong U.S.-French relationship and prepares the Marines and gendarmes to work together in possible real-world scenarios around Europe and Africa.
This training event is part of a partnership between the gendarmerie, a French militarized police unit dedicated to public safety, and the task force.