US Army Reserve Soldiers sharpen readiness with Moroccan Navy desalination training during African Lion 26

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TAN-TAN, Morocco - U.S. Army Reserve Soldiers assigned to the 753rd Quartermaster Company enhanced their technical proficiency with multinational partners by receiving hands-on training in advanced seawater desalination operations from the Royal Moroccan Navy during African Lion 26, April 23, 2026.

The combined training event provided U.S. Army Reserve water purification specialists with a first-hand look at how Royal Moroccan naval forces convert seawater into potable drinking water, enhancing operational readiness between partner nations.

"We learned about the history of what their [Royal Moroccan Navy] mission is regarding water purification and the principal functioning behind the reverse-osmosis process," said U.S. Army Capt. Kenneth Krueger, commanding officer, 753rd Quartermaster Company.

"The reverse osmosis process, a key element of maritime water purification, forces seawater through semi-permeable membranes at high pressure to remove salt, bacteria, and other impurities, producing potable water. Before filtration, seawater is pre-treated to remove larger particles, and after processing, it is stored, disinfected, and tested to ensure it meets health and safety standards."

The training offered both familiar concepts and new perspectives. U.S. Army Spc. Jose Marin Flores, a water purification specialist with the 753rd Quartermaster Company, described the experience as both educational and reinforcing.

"Today we learned the process of water filtration from seawater and the reverse osmosis process for desalinating the water, having it filtered down to a consumable level, and making it potable for distributing out to the different units," Flores said.

Exposure to desalinating seawater, something many U.S. Army Reserve units do not routinely train on, proved valuable.

"We haven't been able to do any of the sea saltwater filtration before today, so that was amazing to see," Flores said. "It was a great learning experience."

Beyond the technical training, the experience reinforced the importance of readiness and adaptability.

"I think it's very beneficial to help us maintain focus on what our mission is, to keep our minds ready, and it's just an overall good refresher on everything we've learned up to this point and to keep us going for future missions," Flores said.

Leaders from the 753rd Quartermaster Company also emphasized that the training extended beyond water purification, exposing U.S. Soldiers to the realities of operating in a multinational environment.

"I know the Soldiers probably hadn't thought about all the intricacies of training in another country," Krueger said. "Just getting them out of the country in an Army uniform, I think that was probably the first-time 90% percent of my Soldiers had done that."

Krueger noted that while technical training can be replicated at home station, the cultural and operational exposure gained during African Lion 26 is difficult to replicate.

For the U.S. Soldiers of the 753rd Quartermaster Company, the experience underscored a simple yet critical truth: access to clean water is a mission-essential capability, one that is best strengthened through cooperation with trusted allies.

About African Lion

African Lion 2026 is U.S. Africa Command's largest annual joint exercise, designed to strengthen collective security capabilities of the U.S., African nations and global allies. Co-led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) from April 20 to May 8, 2026, and hosted in Ghana, Morocco, Senegal and Tunisia, AL26 involves over 5,600 personnel from more than 40 nations, using innovation to drive partner-led regional security.

African Lion content can be found on the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (DVIDS).

About SETAF-AF

U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) prepares Army forces, executes crisis response, enables strategic competition and strengthens partners to achieve U.S. Army Europe and Africa and U.S. Africa Command campaign objectives.

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