When taken at face value, Morocco might have little in common with a U.S. state more than 5,500 miles away. But beneath the surface, Utah and Morocco share a military relationship spanning two decades and dozens of exercises.
This year, the Utah National Guard and Morocco are celebrating 20 years of working together through the National Guard Bureau’s State Partnership Program. For Maj. Gen. Michael Turley, the program has yielded “encouraging” capabilities for the partner nation over that span. But development has been a two-way street, he told Military Times.
”Just as much as we’ve given to them, [Morocco has] given to us through training opportunities — by planning big exercises, by bringing in artillery and other things,” Turley said. Those kinds of efforts, Turley added, are “invaluable” in helping the Utah Guard in its efforts to remain well-trained.
The Utah National Guard currently holds the record for the longest state partnership with a military in a country located in U.S. Africa Command, beating the New York National Guard’s ties to South Africa by a matter of weeks.
This year’s partnership program, meanwhile, saw Utah Republican Gov. Spencer Cox attend as a special guest.
“It was incredible to see the fruits of Utah’s 20-year partnership with the Kingdom of Morocco in person,” Cox told Military Times. “The exchange benefits both of our countries in terms of training and information, and I’m hopeful this will continue for years to come.”
The relationship between the U.S. and Morocco is extensive. Morocco was one of the first countries to recognize the U.S. following the Revolutionary War, when it opened its ports to American ships in 1777, according to the State Department. Morocco formally signed a treaty of peace and friendship in 1786, which remains the longest unbroken relationship in U.S. history.
Just as Gen. George Patton landed in Morocco to begin the Africa campaign in World War II, Morocco today still holds significant strategic value, said Turley.
“They have this great leadership position in Africa with other African nations,” Turley said. “They really look at Morocco as a mentor, if nations can have mentors. ... They’ve been able to create a very professional military. ... I continue to see Morocco being important.”
This year’s anniversary came during the annual African Lion exercise, the largest U.S. and multinational military exercise on the continent. African Lion 2023 was hosted by four countries, including Morocco, with 8,000 personnel taking part in the exercises. Seventeen countries and numerous NATO partners also participated in the training, which was carried out between May 13 and June 16. Senegal, Tunisia and Ghana also hosted various parts of the month-long drills.
Air Force Col. Carissa Christensen, a public health officer, has been on numerous missions to Morocco during her time with Utah’s Guard, including five African Lion exercises. Christensen’s team provided more than 20,000 consultations over a span of 12 days during the drill.
Such efforts, she told Military Times, are not a one off, but one part of the “continuous communication” that makes the Utah Guard’s relationship with Morocco one of a kind.
“Having the the hands on experience, working alongside their American counterparts and treating the citizens of Morocco, I’ve seen it have just an amazing impact on our junior airmen,” Christensen said. “And it really solidifies why these relationships are so important. I can’t tell you how many times I have been thanked for being allowed to participate in this mission.”
For some troops, the Utah Guard’s relationship with Morocco extends beyond one weekend a month. Sometimes, it even becomes a family affair. Having served in the Utah Guard for 13 years, African Lion 2023 marked Maj. Jared Sorensen’s sixth time in Morocco.
Now, Sorensen’s daughter will have her own Morocco experience. After hosting a Moroccan youth from a military family in Utah, Sorensen’s daughter will soon go to Morocco as part of a military youth exchange. That, he said, made his state Guard’s connection to Morocco all the more meaningful.
“My daughter is going to be able to come over here in July and do the same thing [and] stay with her family,” he said. “For us, it’s not just training. It’s not just coming out here and having a good time and doing military stuff. ... Those connections are even closer because of programs like the state partnership program in the military youth exchange.”
Zamone “Z” Perez is a reporter at Military Times. He previously worked at Foreign Policy and Ufahamu Africa. He is a graduate of Northwestern University, where he researched international ethics and atrocity prevention in his thesis. He can be found on Twitter @zamoneperez.
