# U.S., Egypt conduct senior leader seminar with 14 nations

/ Published Sept. 19, 2017
MOHAMED NAGUIB MILITARY BASE, EGYPT, 
The U.S. and Egyptian armed forces conducted a senior leader seminar as part of Exercise Bright Star 2017, Sept. 18, 2017, Mohamed Naguib Military Base, Egypt.  

                U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Terrence McKenrick, U.S. Army Central deputy commanding general, gives opening remarks at a senior leader seminar during Bright Star 2017, Sept. 18, 2017, at Mohamed Naguib Military Base, Egypt. More than 200 U.S. service members are participating alongside the Egyptian armed forces for the bilateral U.S. Central Command Exercise Bright Star 2017, Sept. 10 – 20, 2017 at Mohamed Naguib Military Base, Egypt. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Michael Battles)                            U.S., Egypt conduct senior leader seminar with 14 nations                            U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Terrence McKenrick, U.S. Army Central deputy commanding general, gives opening remarks at a senior leader seminar during Bright Star 2017, Sept. 18, 2017, at Mohamed Naguib Military Base, Egypt. More than 200 U.S. service members are participating alongside the Egyptian armed forces for the bilateral U.S. Central Command Exercise Bright Star 2017, Sept. 10 – 20, 2017 at Mohamed Naguib Military Base, Egypt. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Michael Battles)            SHARE IMAGE:Download ImageImage DetailsPhoto By: Staff Sgt. Michael BattlesVIRIN: 170918-F-MI569-1010In addition to being a platform for senior leaders from several nations to discuss issues and concerns, the SLS will serve as an informative portion of Bright Star 17 to converse on topics such as counterterrorism and counter-improvised explosive device operations.“I look forward to today’s senior leader seminar with an interesting and candid discussion on two items of mutual interest to us; counterterrorism and counter-IED operations,” said U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Terrence McKenrick, U.S. Army Central deputy commanding general. “These two topics have shown to be of the upmost importance to our current fight." McKenrick also stated that the seminar will serve as a forum for sharing experiences. “We all have much to share and learn from each other,” McKenrick said. “Sharing our experiences is the only way to ensure an effective response to extremist terrorists throughout the region and the world.”Fourteen countries are participating in the seminar alongside the U.S. and Egypt.According to Maj. Gen. Nasser Mohammed Assi, Chief of Egyptian Training Authority, the SLS is an important aspect of the exercise due to its impact on the region. “The senior leader seminar is an important part of the exercise because it focuses on terrorism and counterterrorism,” he said. “This allows us to fight terrorism with an effective strategy.” Bright Star is a combined bilateral U.S. Central Command field-training and command-post exercise aimed at enhancing regional security and stability by responding to modern-day security scenarios being conducted by more than 200 U.S. service members and their Arab Republic of Egypt counterparts Sept. 10 – 20, 2017.Started in 1981, Bright Star builds on the strategic security relationship between the U.S. and Egypt, a partnership that supports counterterrorism, regional security, and efforts to combat the spread of violent extremism. Bright Star was last held in 2009 with more than 15 countries and 15,000 participants.