Camp Pendleton, California. (June 9, 2024): Former United States Marine Corps General and Secretary of Defense James “Bull Dog” Mattis referred to them as “Little Sparta” for their ability to punch above their weight. In this photo by Lance Corporal Alexis Ballin, U.S. Marine Corps Corporal Ender Wichlacz, left, a team leader with 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, hikes alongside members of the United Arab Emirates Presidential Guard. These elite Arab troops, although coming from a tiny Gulf nation, are some of the toughest warfighters in the business.

The Emirati troops joined the Marines to train in reconnaissance, counterinsurgency, and small unit tactics. The goal is to practice coordinating forces as they would in combat. UAE forces took part in Operation Desert Storm in 1990 where they lost ten soldiers helping liberate Kuwait. They also sent troops to Afghanistan and have contributed to numerous peacekeeping missions including Kosovo, Lebanon, and Somalia. Recently, the UAE armed forces joined U.S. and Saudi forces seeking to track down Al Qaeda terrorists in neighboring Yemen.

The UAE armed forces have a Navy with two thousand Sailors operating seventy-two vessels and a four thousand strong Air Force. The UAE purchases a variety of aircraft from allied countries France (Mirage 2000), Great Britain (Hawk Aircraft), and the U.S. (F-16s). Their Army is comprised of eight brigades: two armored, three mechanized, two infantry, and three regiments of artillery. Many of their officers are graduates of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

Tiny but tough, America can count on this close ally to be there when we need them.