US Marines from Marine Corps Forces Central Command (MARCENT) and Task Force 51/5 joined counterparts from the United Arab Emirates Air Force and the Royal Saudi Navy for the Task Force 19 Non-Commissioned Officer Leadership Seminar, held April 11–17, in Abu Dhabi and Dammam.
The weeklong seminar emphasized the importance of shared values, professional dialogue, and leadership development in strengthening security cooperation across the Middle East.
Task Force 19 (TF 19) is a MARCENT initiative designed to enhance regional cooperation by uniting Marines with partner forces for training, exercises, and leadership exchanges.
The program focuses on non-commissioned officer development, a critical component of each nation’s fighting force, and seeks to build trust, familiarity, and shared understanding among regional partners to improve interoperability during joint operations.
This year’s seminar continued TF 19’s long-standing mission of fostering collaboration among allied militaries while placing a renewed emphasis on leadership development as a cornerstone of effective teamwork and operational success.
Training components
During the seminar, MARCENT Marines led sessions on leadership ethics, operational planning, and risk management, sharing insights from their extensive experience.
Regional partners from the UAE and Saudi Arabia contributed their perspectives, creating a dynamic forum for comparing leadership philosophies and refining decision-making approaches.
A particular focus was placed on ethical leadership, examining how integrity influences decisions under pressure and how trust between leaders and their units directly impacts mission outcomes.
Participants explored accountability, discipline, and responsibility, ultimately finding common ground in the principle that ethical leadership is inseparable from operational effectiveness.
The seminar produced tangible outcomes for all participants.
Service members gained a better understanding of each other’s planning methods, strengthened ethical leadership practices, and built personal relationships that will enhance future combined operations.
By anchoring cooperation in trust, shared responsibility, and professional dialogue, the Task Force 19 seminar reinforced regional security and highlighted the enduring value of partnerships between the US Marines and Middle Eastern partner forces.
