An all-female short-term training team from the British Army’s 16 Air Assault Brigade have helped boost the Jordanian Armed Forces’ (JAF) efforts to integrate women into their ranks.

The British soldiers led a ten-day package covering topics such as counter-IED and battle casualty drills, PT and urban operations, with the experienced instructors swiftly overcoming cultural differences to build a rapport with the students.

Jordan’s Quick Reaction Force Brigade established a female platoon in 2017. Part of the UK troops’ remit was to highlight the skills that Servicewomen can bring to their unit, as well as developing a solid foundation of basic skills so both genders can work alongside each other on forthcoming deployments.

Team leader Captain Kathryn Smith RLC said seeing the students’ progress had been rewarding. “As they spent longer with us, they really opened up and worked hard to get the most out of the training,” she added. “Two of the female warrant officers from the platoon also led a lesson each, which saw males being taught by women from their own country – something that is rare over here.”

The package was part of a wider joint exercise between the JAF, US forces and soldiers from The Parachute Regiment’s 2nd and 3rd Battalions.

Soldier. (2021) Plugging the Gender Gap. Soldier: The Magazine of the British Army. August 2021, pp.8.