US trains Nigerian military in combat, drone ops to counter insurgency

In the northeastern Nigerian state of Bauchi, where insurgent groups have carried out repeated attacks that have killed civilians and destroyed property, the United States military has begun a deliberate effort to reshape how Nigeria's armed forces fight back. Since February, roughly 100 American soldiers have landed at an airfield in Bauchi, deployed not to engage in combat themselves but to teach—to transfer skills and systems that Nigerian commanders believe will help them regain control of territory threatened by Islamist militants and other armed groups.

The training is broad and methodical. Sergeant Mark Murphy, an intelligence analyst with the U.S. Army's 13th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, recently led about ten members of the Nigerian Air Force Special Forces Regiment through instruction on unmanned aircraft systems. The course was not abstract. Murphy walked the Nigerian service members through the basics of operating the drones, explaining how the systems work and what techniques make them effective. By the end of the initial instruction, participants were flying the aircraft themselves. But the Americans made clear that the real value lay not just in piloting. The training also covered how to interpret the information the drones collect and how to use that intelligence in actual operations.

This reflects a broader philosophy behind the American presence. Captain Gabriel Feingold, a logistics officer assigned to U.S. Army operations in Bauchi, explained that the American units came with a menu of training options—combat lifesaver instruction, tactical casualty care, weapons familiarization, camouflage techniques, water treatment and testing, explosive ordnance disposal, small-unit tactics. The Nigerian military leadership then selected which areas they wanted to prioritize. The approach was collaborative rather than prescriptive. The Americans identified what they could teach; the Nigerians decided what they needed most.

Unmanned aircraft systems emerged as a particular focus. The technology appealed to Nigerian commanders because it offered a way to gather intelligence and strike targets while reducing risk to ground forces. The Americans emphasized that operating these systems required more than technical competence. It demanded the ability to integrate aerial reconnaissance into broader tactical planning, to move information from the sky into decisions made on the ground. This kind of integration—what military planners call interoperability—was itself a form of training that went beyond any single course.

The U.S. Africa Command framed the deployment as part of a larger partnership. In a statement released on August 24, the command noted that American and Nigerian forces had been working together through combined training, intelligence sharing, and professional exchanges to address shared security challenges. The statement emphasized that while individual American teams performed different functions, each contributed to a broader relationship between the two countries. The Americans were careful to note that U.S. personnel would not participate in combat operations—a constraint that came from the Nigerian government's own request.

What made the training significant was not just the technical content but the relationships it built. Officers and enlisted personnel from both countries worked side by side, learning each other's methods and building trust at the lower levels of the military hierarchy. These connections mattered because they created channels for future cooperation, for the kind of informal problem-solving that happens when soldiers know and respect each other. The Americans saw this as an investment in long-term capability, not just immediate tactical advantage.

The timing reflected Nigeria's urgent need. Bauchi state had become a focal point for insurgent activity, and the Nigerian military was struggling to contain the threat. By August, the American training effort had already begun to show results, with Nigerian forces gaining confidence in new systems and new approaches. But the work was far from finished. The insurgency remained active, and the Nigerian military would need sustained support—not just training, but ongoing intelligence sharing, equipment, and the kind of partnership that only comes from sustained commitment.