On May 24, U.S. Embassy Freetown, in partnership with U.S. contractor Triple Canopy, completed a six-month long training of 40 Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF) soldiers on how to operate and maintain multiple types of heavy-duty equipment.

U.S. Ambassador Bryan Hunt celebrated the soldiers’ accomplishments with a graduation ceremony at the Triple Canopy location in Freetown.

The six-month long training was an in-depth course that started with classroom learning focused on maintaining and repairing heavy-duty equipment followed by practical training for operations in the field. This heavy-duty equipment training strengthened RSLAF’s engineering asset capacity.

During the graduation, Ambassador Hunt said, “Our countries share a common goal of fostering peace, security, and prosperity in the region…Through joint training exercises, knowledge sharing, and capacity building initiatives like this one, we continue to deepen our defense partnership and enhance our collective security.”

The Ambassador also commended RSLAF’s commitment to gender equality and the selection of female candidates for this training. He reiterated the U.S. Government’s commitment to partnering with RSLAF to strengthen institutional capacity and congratulated the graduates on their achievement.