Dutch and US forces carry out joint exercise at Erbil Airport
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The US Army and the armed forces of the Netherlands conducted a joint aerial response force exercise at the Kurdistan Region’s Erbil Air Base, the official account of the US-led coalition tweeted on Tuesday.
The exercise was in support of the US-led coalition’s advice, assist, and enable mission. The Erbil Air Base hosts soldiers from the multi-national coalition against ISIS and has troops from several different countries.
“Exercising this capability ensures forces are mission-ready and demonstrates operational support capabilities,” tweeted the official account of the CJTF-OIR (Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve), the US-led coalition against ISIS.
Recently, @USArmy Soldiers & Dutch forces conducted a joint-aerial response force exercise at Erbil AB, Iraq, in support of OIR's #AdviseAssistEnable mission.
— Inherent Resolve (@CJTFOIR) May 31, 2022
Exercising this capability ensures forces are mission-ready & demonstrates operational support capabilities. #Army247 pic.twitter.com/zNwFYPiNR2
The Netherlands is a member of the anti-ISIS coalition and has approximately 150 soldiers stationed at Erbil International Airport.
Read More: Dutch army underlines need to protect Erbil airport after rocket attack
“We all remember in 2014 the rise of ISIS and the war to defeat them,” the Deputy Consul General of the Netherlands in the Kurdistan Region, Maaike Keizer, said during a conference on Monday.
“We as the Netherlands and our allies support the fight against ISIS, and we continue to do so.”
The Netherlands, together with the US, UK, and Germany, also supports the reform program in the Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs that aims to bring all Peshmerga forces under a unified command rather than separate commands under different political parties.