4 SERVICE MEMBERS INJURED AFTER COMING UNDER FIRE IN SOUTH SUDAN

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT SOUTH SUDAN 
Ground Fire Injures 4 U.S. Troops in South Sudan
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Dec. 21, 2013 – Four U.S. service members were injured today when their aircraft came under ground fire in South Sudan during a mission to evacuate American citizens in Bor, according to a statement issued by U.S. Africa Command.

The updated Africom statement reads as follows:
“At the request of the Department of State, the United States Africa Command, utilizing forces from Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), attempted to evacuate U.S. citizens from the town of Bor, South Sudan, today.
“As the aircraft, three CV-22 Ospreys, were approaching the town they were fired on by small-arms fire by unknown forces. All three aircraft sustained damage during the engagement. Four service members onboard the aircraft were wounded during the engagement.

“The damaged aircraft diverted to Entebbe, Uganda, where the wounded were transferred onboard a U.S. Air Force C-17 and flown to Nairobi, Kenya, for medical treatment.

“All four service members were treated and are in stable condition.”
In Hawaii, President Barack Obama was updated on the status of the injured U.S. service members, according to a White House news release issued today. Obama directed his national security team to ensure the safety of U.S. military personnel in the region and to continue to work with the United Nations to evacuate American citizens from Bor.

This morning, following a meeting of his national security principals that was led by National Security Advisor Susan Rice, Obama participated in a secure call with Rice, Deputy National Security Advisor Tony Blinken, Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes, and Senior Director for African Affairs Grant Harris to update him on the situation in South Sudan, according to the White House release. The president, the release said, was briefed on the status of U.S. military personnel and the safety of U.S. citizens in Bor and U.S. personnel at the U.S. Embassy in Juba, South Sudan.

The president was pleased that the injured U.S. service members are in stable condition and he reaffirmed the importance of continuing to work with the United Nations to secure U.S. citizens in Bor, according to the White House release.
Obama underscored that South Sudan's leaders have a responsibility to support U.S. efforts to secure its personnel and citizens in Juba and Bor, the release said.
More broadly, Obama underscored the urgency of helping to support efforts to resolve the differences within South Sudan through dialogue, according to the White House release. South Sudan's leaders, the president said in the release, must know that continued violence will endanger the people of South Sudan and the hard-earned progress of independence. This conflict can only be resolved peacefully through negotiations. Any effort to seize power through the use of military force, the release said, will result in the end of longstanding support from the United States and the international community.

Obama expressed his deep appreciation for the work of U.S. military members and civilians who are operating in difficult circumstances in South Sudan and directed his team to continue to update him going forward, the White House release said.
South Sudan is currently experiencing turmoil that’s pitting the government against armed rebel groups. Secretary of State John F. Kerry said in a statement issued yesterday that it’s time “for South Sudan’s leaders to rein-in armed groups under their control, immediately cease attacks on civilians, and end the chain of retributive violence between different ethnic and political groups. The violence must stop, the dialogue must intensify.”

To help facilitate that effort, Kerry added, U.S. Special Envoy for Sudan and South Sudan, Ambassador Donald E. Booth, has been dispatched to the region.
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel is keeping a close watch on the situation in South Sudan and is reviewing options, Pentagon Press Secretary Navy Adm. John Kirby said. Whatever action the Pentagon takes, it will be conducted in coordination with the State Department, Kirby added.

The United States recognized South Sudan as a sovereign, independent state on July 9, 2011 following its secession from Sudan, according to the U.S. State Department’s website. The United States played a key role in helping create the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement that laid the groundwork for the 2011 independence referendum and secession.

Several disputes between Sudan and South Sudan remain unresolved post-independence, including the management of oil resources and the status of the Abyei region, according to the State Department website. The United States supports the efforts of the African Union High-Level Implementation Panel to help the parties work through these issues.

On Dec. 18, about 45 U.S. service members deployed to South Sudan to support the security of U.S. personnel and the U.S. Embassy, according to a Dec. 19 letter President Barack Obama wrote to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate.

The text of the president’s letter reads as follows:
“On December 18, 2013, approximately 45 U.S. Armed Forces personnel deployed to South Sudan to support the security of U.S. personnel and our Embassy. Although equipped for combat, this force was deployed for the purpose of protecting U.S. citizens and property. This force will remain in South Sudan until the security situation becomes such that it is no longer needed.

“This action has been directed consistent with my responsibility to protect U.S. citizens both at home and abroad, and in furtherance of U.S. national security and foreign policy interests, pursuant to my constitutional authority to conduct U.S. foreign relations and as Commander in Chief and Chief Executive.
“I am providing this report as part of my efforts to keep the Congress fully informed, consistent with the War Powers Resolution (Public Law 93-148). I appreciate the support of the Congress in these actions.”

In recent years, South Sudan “has made great progress toward breaking the cycle of violence that characterized much of its history,” Obama said in a separate statement issued Dec. 19.

Today, however, South Sudan’s “future is at risk,” Obama added. South Sudan, he said, now “stands at the precipice,” with recent fighting there threatening to plunge the country “back into the dark days of its past.”

Obama continued: “But it doesn’t have to be that way. South Sudan has a choice. Its leaders can end the violence and work to resolve tensions peacefully and democratically. Fighting to settle political scores or to destabilize the government must stop immediately. Inflammatory rhetoric and targeted violence must cease. All sides must listen to the wise counsel of their neighbors, commit to dialogue and take immediate steps to urge calm and support reconciliation.”
South Sudan’s leaders must “recognize that compromise with one’s political enemy is difficult, but recovering from unchecked violence and unleashed hatred will prove much harder,” the president said.

“Too much blood has been spilled and too many lives have been lost to allow South Sudan’s moment of hope and opportunity to slip from its grasp,” Obama said. “Now is the time for South Sudan’s leaders to show courage and leadership, to reaffirm their commitment to peace, to unity, and to a better future for their people. The United States will remain a steady partner of the South Sudanese people as they seek the security and prosperity they deserve.”

South Sudan is located on the eastern border of the Central African Republic. The United States established diplomatic relations with the Central African Republic in 1960, following its independence from France, according to Africom’s website. The C.A.R. is one of the world’s least developed nations, and has experienced several periods of political instability since independence.

The United States is deeply concerned about “the shocking and horrific atrocities that have been committed by government-affiliated armed groups and independent militias against innocent civilians in the Central African Republic” in recent weeks, a Pentagon spokesman told reporters Dec. 11.

In an audio message released Dec. 9, Obama called on the transitional C.A.R. government to arrest those who are committing crimes.

“Individuals who are engaging in violence must be held accountable -- in accordance with the law. Meanwhile, as forces from other African countries and France work to restore security, the United States will support their efforts to protect civilians,” Obama said.

On Dec. 10, the president authorized the State Department to use up to $60 million in defense services and articles for countries that contribute forces to the African Union-led International Support Mission in the Central African Republic. The assistance could include logistical support -- including strategic airlift and aerial refueling -- and training for French and African forces deploying to the Central African Republic.

GENERAL HAM DISCUSSED CHALLENGES FOR U.S. AFRICA COMMAND

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Africom Commander Outlines Diverse Challenges Ahead
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, March 7, 2013 - Somalia and Mali represent different stages of the challenges for U.S. Africa Command, Army Gen. Carter F. Ham told the Senate Armed Services Committee today.

Ham, who will step down as Africom commander next month, said the five-year-old command has increased operational capabilities and capacities and has worked to build and focus security cooperation on the continent.

"Our approach seeks to address the near-term threats to our national security while simultaneously building partnerships and fostering regional cooperation which contribute to achieving longer-term U.S. objectives in Africa," he said.

Africa has been a mixed bag in recent years, with positive steps in Somalia and security challenges in Mali.

Along with allies in East Africa, Africom developed a strategy that has seriously weakened the terror group al-Shabaab, Ham said. "Somalia still faces significant political, economic and security challenges, but the Somali people now have something they haven't had for a very long time: hope for a better future," he added. "And I'm proud that we've played a role in that."

In Central Africa, African troops, advised and assisted by U.S. Army Special Forces personnel, have achieved some significant tactical gains against the Lord's Resistance Army and its leader, Joseph Kony. "Today, we are seeing increased levels of LRA defections, fewer LRA attacks, and enhanced cooperation between the military forces in the region," the general told the Senate panel.

Africom also is working with nations and regional groups in the Gulf of Guinea to boost cooperation against pirates, smuggling and illegal trafficking, Ham said.

Such security initiatives illustrate what can be achieved through an Africa-led endeavor to which America provides support and logistical capabilities, he said, and this same approach could be key to establishing peace and stability in Mali. The command has supported French and African allies' efforts in northern Mali and is sharing intelligence and providing some transportation to forces opposing al-Qaida in the Islamic Mahgreb, he said.

But while the increasing willingness of many African partners to actively address shared threats is encouraging, the general told the panel, other trends in the region are deeply concerning. Terror groups in West and North Africa are increasingly working together, he noted.

"The loss of four Americans in Libya and three more in Algeria underscores the threat presented by this growing network," Ham said.

The terror groups individually pose threats to the region, he said, but their increasing collaboration increases the danger they present collectively.

"I'm convinced that if left unchecked," Ham added, "this network will develop into one that poses a greater and more imminent threat to U.S. interests."

Stopping the spread of these groups is the command's top priority, the general said. "At the same time, we're tasked to focus on prevention through a very active partnership strategy," he said. "It remains clear that Africans must solve Africa's problems."

And it is in this area that fiscal challenges will hurt the most, Ham said.

"I'm concerned about the impacts resulting from the combined effects of sequestration and a continuing resolution," the general told the senators. "We've already had to make difficult decisions based on the availability of funds, such as reducing reconnaissance flights."

Budget reductions will cut theater security cooperation engagements and will reduce important joint and combined exercises, Ham said. The cuts, possible cuts and threatened cuts mean uncertainty in both the military ranks and in Africom's civilian workforce, he added.

"They are not sure what to expect of their government," Ham said.

Civilian employees face furloughs, he noted, and military personnel and their families face the question of whether Congress will sustain programs.

"I don't think we yet understand what effect this uncertainty may have in the recruiting and retention of our civilian workforce, and perhaps even more importantly, on the recruiting and retention of what I think is the crown jewel in all of this, and that's the sustainment of the incredibly talented all-volunteer force we have," he said. "I think there are a lot more unknowns right now than knowns."

The command is looking at new ways to address the many challenges in Africa, Ham said. "The Army's regionally aligned force, Navy's Africa Partnership Station, and the Air Force counterpart, Africa Partnership Flight, are programs the services have purposely designed to help us achieve our objectives," he said. "We look forward to the capabilities of the Marine Corps' new Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force, which will bring improvements in our crisis-response capabilities."

Ham commended Africom's service members and civilians as he prepares to turn over the command to Army Gen. David M. Rodriguez.

AFRICOM COMMANDER WORRIES ABOUT COLLABORATGING EXTREMIST

Army General Carter F. Ham

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Collaborating Extremist Groups Worry Africom Commander

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Dec. 3, 2012 – Extremist groups collaborating in Africa pose a threat beyond the region that extends to Europe and the United States, U.S. Africa Command’s top military officer said here today.

Countering violent extremists is a growing challenge for Africom, Army Gen. Carter F. Ham told an audience at George Washington University.

The al-Qaida affiliated terror group al-Shabab is active in Somalia, though it is being dealt with, Ham said, and lawlessness in Libya is attracting another terror group, al-Qaida in the Islamic Mahgreb. That group continues to operate in northern Mali, which Ham calls a "haven" for terrorists.

In Nigeria, the militant group Boko Haram has claimed responsibility for a series of terrorist attacks in recent months. Ham emphasized that these groups and others signal the importance of Africa Command in countering extremists on the continent.

But although those individual organizations are "dangerous and important," Ham said, his biggest worry is a growing linkage and network of collaboration and synchronization among them. That, he added, "poses the greatest threat to regional stability more broadly across Africa, into Europe and the United States as well."

Africom stood up Oct. 1, 2008, and is the newest geographic command. Ham said the command’s mission is to advance the national security interests of the United States in Africa. "We think we do that best by strengthening the defense capabilities of African nations so they are increasingly capable of providing not only for their own security, but contributing to regional security and stability as well," he said.

Africa Command has taken direct action on the continent, as demonstrated last year by the U.S. effort in the skies over Libya to protect civilians there from forces loyal to Moammar Gadhafi. "But we think we are at our best when we are supporting and enabling African nations and African regional organizations to achieve their ends," the general added.

That African officials are best able to confront and surmount African challenges is a mantra for Africom, Ham said, noting that his command is best known on the continent for training African forces and providing enabling technologies.

The defense strategic guidance announced earlier this year gave pause to many on the continent, Ham acknowledged, because of its focus on the Asia-Pacific region. "There was, by my count, one mention of the word Africa" in the document, he said. But he noted the guidance includes more than the Asia-Pacific focus.

"The focus on the Pacific makes sense, but rather than focus on the geographic priorities, take a look at the mission sets that are outlined in the strategic defense guidance," he said. At the top of the list is countering extremist organizations. Next is maintaining global access, followed by building partner capacity. U.S. forces must be ready to contribute to humanitarian and disaster relief missions and to prevent and respond to mass atrocities, the general said.

"All these, sadly, are necessary in Africa," he added.

U.S. DOD 'DISTRIBUTION SYNCHRONIZER'

U.S. Transportation Command's global campaign plan for distribution will ensure the command is postured to ensure warfighters have the transportation and logistical support required to conduct future missions around the world. Here, Army Spc. Chance Alwin with 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, takes the lead during a combat patrol in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, Dec. 9, 2009. Courtesy photo

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Transcom Charts Future as DOD's 'Distribution Synchronizer'
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill., Nov. 14, 2012 - For years, tiny Morón Air Base in Southern Spain appeared to be headed to the chopping block. The base, established with the Spaniards in the early 1950s, had for decades been relegated to standby status for U.S. deployments in support of exercises or crisis response.

U.S. Air Forces in Europe leaders, looking for ways to cut operations that don't directly support their contingency plans, were prepared to close its gates. However, officials at U.S. Transportation Command, working with U.S. European Command, helped them realize that although Morón may no longer be vital to activities in the European theater, it's a key node for operations within both U.S. Central Command and U.S. Africa Command.

The decision to maintain Morón offers a snapshot of Transcom's work as the Defense Department's officially designed "distribution synchronizer," Navy Rear Adm. William "Andy" Brown, the command's director of strategy, policies, programs and logistics, told American Forces Press Service

That mission, assigned in early 2011, charges Transcom to look horizontally across the combatant commands -- rather than vertically, through individual combatant command stovepipes -- to synchronize planning for global distribution operations, Brown explained.

The idea is to help DOD "knit the distribution seams among the combatant commands to better support their theater campaign and contingency plans," Air Force Gen. William M. Fraser III, the Transcom commander, told the Senate Armed Services Committee earlier this year.

This, in turn, will help ensure access to the places vital to Transcom's transportation and distribution mission, Fraser said, ensuring sufficient distribution lines across multiple theaters for it to project and sustain forces around the globe.

A big consideration, Brown said, is to continue posturing Transcom to react to simultaneous events with the transportation and distribution network in place to support them. "What happens if we had to [respond to] a hurricane over here and another operation over there?" he said, pointing to two opposite ends of the globe. "What happens to the global transportation network, and how do you maintain that resiliency and ability to react quickly to changes?"

Transcom's global campaign plan for distribution, expected to be completed by late 2013, will provide the framework for addressing these issues, Air Force Col. Carol Johnson, a plans officer in Brown's directorate, reported.

The campaign plan will help Transcom identify what measures need to be taken now to provide the infrastructure, relationships and other requirements to support the defense strategic guidance, she said. That includes the department's pivot toward the Asia-Pacific region, the drawdown of combat operations within Centcom, natural disasters and other contingencies.

Recognizing that requirements will always outweigh capability, Johnson said the global campaign plan will help DOD identify redundancies, establish priorities, weigh risks and recommend solutions for reducing them.

Working with an initial concept, Transcom brought together stakeholders from across its distribution community to war-game it in July. "Everybody agreed it was feasible and would work," Johnson said of the concept. Now, the Transcom staff is waiting for Undersecretary of Defense for Policy James N. Miller to give that concept the green light, most likely in early December, so they can begin drafting the official plan.

If that plan is approved as expected by the end of next year, Transcom officials plan to spend a year fine-tuning the processes.

Then, once each year, the Transcom commander will sit at the table with defense senior leaders and the other combatant commanders to review their theater distribution plans and identify ways to shore up any gaps.

"Our job will be to look across the spectrum and make recommendations to the chairman," Brown said. "From a national perspective, our No. 1 priority is to get this global campaign plan for distribution right."

The annual review will help keep Transcom's global distribution plan in line with the changing strategic environment and COCOM requirements, Johnson said.

"Most people write plans, get them approved, then put them on the shelf until it's time to pull them off and execute," she said. "But ours is consistently going to be evolving and updating, because we do this every day. Our plan will be updated based on the strategic environment and the strategic needs of the Defense Department."

Ultimately, she said, the new plan will help DOD develop a more strategic posture for the future.

"In the past, we have been reactionary in supporting folks when things happen, and we haven't had that strategic look at distribution," Johnson said. "But with the global campaign plan for distribution, we can be more strategic in the planning effort of distribution. And that will make us more effective in everything we do."

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE PANETTA DETERMINES JUDGEMENT FOR FORMER AFRICOM COMMANDER

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Panetta: Ward Ruling Recognizes High Standard for Leaders
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Nov. 14, 2012 - Emphasizing that Defense Department leaders must exemplify both professional excellence and sound judgment, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta has determined that Army Gen. William E. "Kip" Ward, the former U.S. Africa Command commander, must repay improper expense charges and will be allowed to retire at a reduced rank.

Ward will be demoted to the grade of lieutenant general for retirement and must repay about $82,000 in improper expense payments, Panetta determined following a department inspector general investigation, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little announced last evening.

Secretary of the Army John McHugh concurs with Panetta's decision, Little said.

The decision follows an IG report of investigation issued in June that substantiated Ward's misconduct involving travel, misuse of military aircraft, misuse of staff and the receipt of reimbursements to which he was not entitled.

The findings involve activities during Ward's tenure as the first Africom commander. He served in that role from Oct. 1, 2007, to March 9, 2011.

Since leaving Africom, Ward has been demoted to the grade of major general and is serving as special assistant to the Army vice chief of staff.

Panetta is committed to holding department leaders to a high standard, Little said.

"The secretary recognizes that the vast majority of senior officers in the military abide by the letter and spirit of our laws and regulations and utilize sound judgment in their stewardship of taxpayer resources," Little said. "The secretary is committed to ensuring that any improprieties or misconduct by senior officers are dealt with swiftly and appropriately."

U.S. NAVY PHOTOS OF MISSILE LAUNCHES DURING JOINT TASK FORCE ODYSSEY DAWN

FROM:  U.S. NAVY
110319-N-XO436-136 MEDITERRANEAN SEA (March. 19, 2011) The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Barry (DDG 52) launches a Tomahawk missile in support of Operation Odyssey Dawn on March 19, 2011. This was one of approximately 110 cruise missiles fired from U.S. and British ships and submarines that targeted about 20 radar and anti-aircraft sites along Libya's Mediterranean coast. Joint Task Force Odyssey Dawn is the U.S. Africa Command task force established to provide operational and tactical command and control of U.S. military forces supporting the international response to the unrest in Libya and enforcement of United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1973. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Jonathan Sunderman/Released)

110329-N-XO436-010 MEDITERRANEAN SEA (March 29, 2011) The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Barry (DDG 52) launches a Tomahawk cruise missile to support Joint Task Force Odyssey Dawn. Odyssey Dawn is the U.S. Africa Command task force established to provide operational and tactical command and control of U.S. military forces supporting the international response to the unrest in Libya and enforcement of United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1973. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Jonathan Sunderman/Released)

GENERAL HAM'S AFRICA REPORT

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Ham Reports Progress Against al-Shabab in AfricaBy Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

THEBEPHATSHWA AIR BASE, Aug. 22, 2012 - Calling the elimination of safe havens and support for terrorist groups in Africa his top priority, the commander of U.S. Africa Command reported that U.S. support for Somalia's military has had a direct impact in degrading the al-Shabab terror organization there.

"The performance of African militaries in Somalia ... has been extraordinary," Army Gen. Carter F. Ham told Soldiers Radio and Television Service reporter Gail McCabe during closing ceremonies for exercise Southern Accord here.

Ham noted the U.S. government role in training and equipping these forces and the impact it has had in increasing the African partners' counterterrorism capabilities.

"They really have degraded the capability of al-Shabab, an al-Qaida affiliate operating in Somalia, where most of Somali territory is no longer receptive to al-Shabab," he said. "They certainly still have some strong points, but are [al-Shabab is] greatly diminished over the last year, because of the role of Africans."

While holding up Somalia as a positive trend on the continent, Ham acknowledged progress elsewhere remains mixed. He noted Mali, where about two-thirds of the country "is essentially outside the control of the interim government ... and is largely controlled by transnational terrorist organizations."

Ham called the terrorist threat his most pressing challenge. "In fact, I would say it is my highest priority, as the geographic combatant commander, ... to protect America, Americans and American interests from threats that emerge from the continent of Africa," he said. "And at present, the most dangerous of those threats are transnational terrorists."

Countering this threat is the common denominator that drives Ham's theater engagement strategy and its broad array of operations, exercises and security cooperation programs. This includes teaching partner nations how to improve their border security, intelligence and tactical capabilities and equipping African nations so they can operate more effectively.

It's an effort Ham said involves the entire U.S. interagency – the departments of State, Commerce, Treasury and Justice, the U.S. Agency for International Development and other organizations – as they coordinate efforts to help address the underlying causes that create an environment where terrorists can operate.

The president's recently released policy directive for sub-Saharan Africa recognizes the importance of security in advancing economic development that lays the foundation for democracy, Ham noted.

"The two are interrelated," he said. "You can't really have good, strong economic development if there is not security and stability."

So Africom focuses on helping African partners promote security and stability. "We think it is important that we help African nations develop their own capabilities to provide their own security and also to begin the capability to contribute more expansively to regional security," Ham said.

U.S. engagements in Africa, such as Southern Accord, are tailored to help partners build capacity and to respect the rule of law, the general said. "What we are really trying to do is help you build security forces that are not only tactically capable, but forces that are genuinely responsive to legitimate civilian control – that operate according to the rule of law and see themselves as servants of that nation,'" he explained. "And we are seeing that over and over again, and we certainly see that here in Botswana."

Promoting that kind of engagement requires close relationships that are built over time. "It is all about relationships," Ham said. "It is the ability to talk to a chief of defense or minister of defense and in some cases, heads of state to convey to them what it is that we are trying to do, and make sure they understand that we ... don't want to do anything that they don't want us to do."

A true partnership benefits all the participants, Ham said, recognizing the gains both U.S. service members and Botswana Defense Force members received as they worked together during Southern Accord.

Ham said he's sometimes asked why what the United States needs a combatant command focused on Africa and why what happens in Africa matters to the United States. "I could easily say there are a billion reasons," he said, recognizing the African continent's population.

But also citing global economies and the global nature of security challenges, Ham emphasized that "what happens in Africa affects us in the United States."

"So I think there is a whole host of reasons why America and Americans should care about advancing our interests in Africa," he said. "And security is one component of an overall U.S. approach."

GENERAL HAM SAYS AFRICAN EXERCISE ENDED IN SUCCESS

Marine Corps Cpl. Aaron Bohlen helps a Botswanan soldier fire a non-lethal weapon at a range at Thebephatshwa Air Base, Botswana, during Southern Accord 12. DOD photo by Donna Miles
FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
　
Ham Closes Southern Accord Praising U.S.-Botswana Partnership

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
THEBEPHATSHWA AIR BASE, Botswana, Aug. 16, 2012 - The commander of U.S. Africa Command closed one of the largest joint exercises ever conducted on the African continent here today, praising the Botswanan military as a capable partner and an important and positive influence throughout southern Africa.
　
Army Gen. Carter F. Ham closed Exercise Southern Accord 12, a joint, three-week exercise that included about 700 U.S. soldiers, Marines, airmen and sailors and an equal number of their Botswana Defense Force counterparts.
　
Africom says the purpose of the exercise, the first of seven iterations of Southern Accord to be hosted by Botswana, is to train both militaries in peace keeping operations in Sub-Saharan Africa. An ambitious training schedule covered the gamut, from tactical and peacekeeper training to humanitarian road building and medical outreach missions.
　
"Over the past few weeks, American and Botswanan forces together have done a tremendous amount of training, and they have provided needed assistance to many people here in the country of Botswana," Ham said.
　
Though the engineers built roads and ponds during the exercise, he said, "the most important thing they built ... was trust."
　
That, he told a formation of U.S. and Botswanan troops assembled for the ceremony, helped to deepen an already-strong professional relationship between the two militaries. "It is the friendship, the partnership, the cooperation, the trust that has been built that will endure," he said.
　
Ham, on his first trip to Botswana since taking command of U.S. Africa Command about a year and a half ago, said the visit reinforced his appreciation for the Botswana Defense Force's capabilities. "From my observation, the Botswana Defense Force is one of the most professional military organizations that I have encountered," he said.
　
Maj. Gen. Placig Segokgo, deputy commander of the Botswana Defense Force, said the exercise offered his troops a chance to showcase that professionalism. "It provides an opportunity for us to benchmark ourselves against the very best," he said. "And it provides an opportunity for us to show ourselves to our American counterparts."
　
Achieving the ambitious objectives of Southern Accord with flying colors only enhanced that capability, and well as that of the U.S. participants, Ham said.
　
"I know that the U.S. military personnel depart Botswana better trained than when they arrived," he said. "And I am confident also that the Botswana Defense Force is better trained at the conclusion of this exercise."
　
Earlier in the day, Ham got a chance to see that proficiency firsthand during a live-fire field training exercise that culminated three weeks of intensive training exchanges. The scenario included a Botswanan-led air assault onto a landing zone, with Botswanan and U.S. forces moving onto an objective to take out elements of a notional enemy force. "This is a complete integration of U.S. and BDF soldiers," Army Lt. Col. Bill Gray, the joint task force operations officer, told Carter during the pre-mission briefing.
　
Among lessons reinforced during the exercise is the importance of strong junior- and mid-level officers, noncommissioned officers and warrant officers who serve as models and mentors for younger troops, Ham told reporters before the ceremony.
　
"We need to empower them, we need to train them, we need to help them become [the best] leaders they can possibly be, because they are the leaders at the tip of the spear," he said.
　
"Whether it is a combat operation or humanitarian assistance, it is most often a lieutenant or a sergeant or a staff sergeant or a corporal who is leading those soldiers," Ham said. "And the more investment we can make in training those junior leaders, the better off we will all be."
　
Ham recognized the strong leadership skills both militaries exhibited as they took on the challenges presented to them. "You have all, Botswanans and Americans, demonstrated during this exercise that you are prepared to take on a variety of challenging missions," he said, most importantly, their own national defense.
　
The nature of Southern Accord, with its mix of joint, combined operations that included interagency and nongovernmental aspects, reflects the type of operations the two countries are likely to conduct, Ham noted. "So the more opportunities we have to rehearse the practice those scenarios in a training exercise such as Southern Accord, the better off we will all be," he said.
　
This has far-reaching impact in the region, Ham told the assembly. "The Botswana Defense Force is, indeed, an important partner for the United States that provides a very positive influence throughout the Southern African region," he said.

PROTECTING CIVILIANS IN LIBYA IN MARCH 2011

FROM:  U.S. AIR FORCE
A Qatari C-17 Globemaster III lands at Incirlik Air Base, Turkey, to refuel in support of Operation Odyssey Dawn March 25, 2011. Joint Task Force Odyssey Dawn is the U.S. Africa Command task force established to provide operational and tactical command and control of U.S. military forces supporting the international response to the unrest in Libya and enforcement of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973. UNSCR 1973 authorized all necessary measures to protect civilians in Libya under threat of attack by Qadhafi regime forces. JTF Odyssey Dawn is commanded by U.S. Navy Admiral Samuel J. Locklear, III. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Alexandre Montes

U.S. AFRICA COMMANDER UNDERSTANDS HUMANITARIAN SITUATION

Photo:  Gen. Carter F. Ham.  Credit:  U.S. DOD. 
FROM:  AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE
Africom Promotes Humanitarian Response Readiness in Africa
By Donna Miles
STUTTGART, Germany, July 5, 2012 - As the worst drought in six decades grips the Horn of Africa, displacing millions of people and creating a severe humanitarian crisis, the United States has stepped up its emergency assistance.

An additional $120 million in emergency aid announced in April brings to $1.1 billion the U.S. contribution in drought and famine relief since the crisis began last year, White House officials said, with funding provided by the U.S. Agency for International Development and the State Department.

Army Gen. Carter F. Ham, commander of U.S. Africa Command, understands all too well the security implications of a fragile humanitarian situation that has left millions of people in Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya in need of urgent assistance.

"The linkage between security and humanitarian efforts in Africa is very clear to me," he told the House Armed Services Committee in February.

Ham expressed concern that looming budget cuts, particularly at the State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development, could affect the United States' ability to assist during this and other humanitarian crises on the continent.

"I do worry overall that if there is a significant decline in the State Department's security assistance or in USAID's ability to provide developmental or humanitarian assistance, those will have security consequences," he said.

Since its inception five years ago, Africom has stood ready to support U.S. government humanitarian and disaster relief operations, said Michael Casciaro, the command's division chief for security cooperation programs.

"The military brings unique capabilities that are used for humanitarian assistance," he said. "And that ranges from developing long-range projects like ... building clinics and schools and providing furniture and equipment for them."

It also includes helping African partners to build capability -- from training them how to conduct humanitarian response operations, to helping them promote HIV/AIDS prevention programs -- so they can conduct these missions themselves.
Africom also works with partner nations to help them develop national humanitarian response plans that include their militaries, Casciaro said. "We then focus on those tasks that were assigned to the military, and help them understand what capabilities are required to be able to do that, and how they need to train to do that," he said.

In support of this effort, Africom is emphasizing disaster response as well as traditional military skills through its robust exercise program on the continent. This year alone, the command and its service components are conducting 16 exercises involving about 30 African nations, all to include a component related to environmental disaster, Ham told the Senate Armed Services Committee in March. The scenarios will run the gamut, he said, but most will involve floods or drought.

These exercises help partner nations formulate and practice plans for responding to natural as well as manmade disasters within their borders, explained Marine Corps Lt. Col. Sam Cook, Africom's joint combined exercise branch chief. "It increases their ability and capability and capacity to conduct these operations themselves," he said.
Ham said African nations are "very accepting" of this training, and understand the security effects of humanitarian assistance and disaster response preparedness. He expressed concern, however, that Africom is finding "less traction on the preventive steps than we are on responses."

The general credited the interagency makeup of Africom, which includes about 30 representatives from more than a dozen U.S. agencies and departments, which he said gives it the capabilities needed to help address challenges requiring "nothing short of a whole-of-government approach."

"No one element of the government has all the resources, authorities or capabilities to address the impacts on security of environmental change," Ham said.
That, he said, demands that Africom work closely with chiefs of mission in Africa who have the responsibility to pull together that whole-of-government approach, as well as with various bureaus in the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development to coordinate and synchronize efforts.

That, Ham said, will help achieve the desired end state: "assisting the African countries deal with an increasingly serious security matter that ultimately contributes to our security by them being more secure."

MILITARY COOPERATION IN AFRICA

FROM:  AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE
Army Major General David R. Hogg , center, commander of U.S. Army Africa, and Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces Lt. Col. A.B. Conteh inspect Sierra Leone troops during a deployment ceremony, May 20, 2012. U.S. Army Africa photo.   

Signs of Military Professionalism, Cooperation On Rise in Africa
By Donna Miles
STUTTGART, Germany, June 26, 2012 – Dotting the African continent are promising examples of the capable, professional military forces U.S. Africa Command is working to promote.

As Tunisia spawned what became known as the Arab Spring in December 2010, its military opposed then-President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali’s order to use force against the pro-democracy protesters who ultimately brought down his regime.

The Ugandan army has become a professional force and plays a key role in advancing regional peace and security, conducting humanitarian operations at home while contributing thousands of troops to counterterrorism and peacekeeping efforts in neighboring Somalia.

Uganda is also among four African nations -- also including South Sudan, Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of Congo -- that have come together to fight the Lord’s Resistance Army, one of Africa’s most violent and persistent rebel groups which has brutalized civilians in the region for a quarter-century.

Meanwhile, Uganda, Burundi and Djibouti are contributing forces under the banner of the African Union Mission in Somalia, or AMISOM, to help Somalia deal with the al-Shabab terrorist organization that threatens its transitional government.

And in Liberia -- a nation long wracked by civil war and instability -- the military once discredited as the puppet of former president and convicted war criminal Charles Taylor has become a respected organization under the direction of the democratically elected civilian leadership.

Officials at Africom, the United States’ newest combatant command focused on Africa, see these and other developments as a sign of positive trends they’re helping to shape on the continent.

Strengthening the defense capabilities of African countries and encouraging them to work together to confront common security threats and challenges has been a cornerstone of Africom’s work since its standup in 2008.

Africom has been instrumental in supporting other promising developments, Army Maj. Gen. Charles J. Hooper, Africom’s director of strategy, plans and programs, told American Forces Press Service. “We see increasing trends toward democracy, rule of law and respect for human rights,” he said. “And I think Africom has played a very positive role in supporting those trends.”

Hooper pointed to the role U.S. military advisors and mentors have played in rebuilding the Armed Forces of Liberia through a five-year, State-Department funded Africom program known as Operation Onward Liberty. For the past two years, Marine Forces Africa has led the joint Marine-Army-Air Force effort aimed at helping professionalize the Liberian military and ensuring it's able to defend the country’s borders and come to the aid of its neighbors if needed.

“This small training and education mission [is] focused on developing a cohesive Liberian armed force,” said Hooper. “I saw our Operation Onward Liberty mentors assisting them in everything from [establishing] a fair military justice system and teaching the military police to serve, to working in the clinics, all the way to assisting the young soldiers in the Liberian army who volunteered and started an elementary school on their base,” he said.

Particularly encouraging, he said, was the Liberian military’s new focus on internal development. Engineering units, for example, were using their equipment to build roads and rebuild infrastructure ravaged during years of civil war.

Hooper said he was impressed by the Liberian force that has emerged. “What I saw there was a Liberian military that had a renewed faith in itself, a renewed enthusiasm about being a force for good in its country and serving the people,” he said.
Michael Casciaro, Africom’s security cooperation programs division chief, reported similar promise in Uganda, where the command is providing training and equipment to build capability and capacity.

Casciaro said he received favorable feedback about the transformation taking place in the Ugandan military from the unlikeliest of sources: an opposition leader. “What he told us was, ‘I see the difference in Americans operating in my country… I see the impact of Americans working with the Ugandans because now they … go out and do humanitarian things for their own country, and are being used in a different way,’” Casciaro said.

In 2007, Uganda stepped up to support the African Union peacekeeping mission in Somalia, followed by Burundi; both remain today as the primary troop-contributing nations. “A major objective of ours has been to prepare Africans to go into Somalia to create stability,” Casciaro said. “And [the African militaries] have been instrumental in clearing a prominent terrorist group out of Mogadishu,” a first step toward expanding the effort north to regain control of the country.

Army Brig. Gen. Arnold Gordon-Bray, Africom’s deputy operations director, called the mission in Somalia “one of the best examples of Africans helping themselves that we are involved in.”

The African Union established its African Union Mission to Somalia with a clear vision that a failed Somalia would impact the entire continent, Bray said.

“This collective grouping is epitomizing what Africom is able to do, working with the State Department, working with other international partners, working by, with and through African partners to bring stability,” he said. “It is a great mission. It is symbolic of all the great things we are trying to do.”

A full range of peacekeeping training and instruction falls under the Africa Contingency Operations Training and Assistance, a program funded and managed by the U.S. State Department. It is designed to improve African militaries’ capabilities by providing selected training and equipment required to execute multinational peace support operations. U.S. military trainers play a supporting role, providing mentorship and specialized instruction in areas such as bomb detection or deployment logistics.

Army Gen. Carter F. Ham, the Africom commander, told Congress earlier this year he’s also encouraged by “an increasingly collaborative approach” among African nations standing together against al-Shabab. As they rallied to Somalia’s aid, the U.S. State Department responded to their requests for help in training and equipping those forces so they would be able to deploy to conduct their operations.

Ham called this effort a model of what U.S. Africa Command is all about: a command able to tap into the full range of U.S. government capabilities to help African nations better provide for their own security.

“And it is starting now to have significant benefit… We are seeing those African forces being more and more successful against al-Shabab each and every day,” he said. “This is one example of how building partner capacity really yields a decisive result in Africa,” he said.

Ham cited similar success in helping Africans in their fight against the Lord’s Resistance Army.

U.S. Special Forces advisors working with the four nations on the ground “are having a very positive effect,” he told the House Armed Services Committee in February. “We’re assisting in intelligence fusion, in facilitating long-range communications, logistics operations to sustain forces in the field for long periods of time and increased intelligence collection.”

“So I’m optimistic,” he told the House panel. “But I’m not yet to the point where we see the end in sight.”

The result, Ham said, is fulfillment of Africom’s goal of enabling Africans to solve African problems.

“If that is successful -- and I believe the trend line is pretty good right now -- that means that’s an area where the United States would not have to commit sizable forces to address a security situation,” Ham told the House panel. “And that’s really what we’re trying to do. That’s the essence of building partner capability in this collaborative approach with state and defense.”

LIBYA BECOMES MILITARY PARTNER WITH AFRICOM

FROM:  AMERICAN FORCE PRESS SERVICE
Army Gen. Carter F. Ham, commander of U.S. Africa Command, left, looks on as U.S. Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta lays a wreath on the graves of U.S. sailors at a cemetery in Tripoli, Libya, Dec. 17, 2011. The sailors were lost aboard the USS Intrepid more than 200 years ago. DOD photo by Erin A. Kirk-Cuomo  

Africom Forms Military Relationship With Libya
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
STUTTGART, Germany, June 15, 2012 - Operation Odyssey Dawn, the U.S. Africa Command-led U.S. mission in Libya last year, imparted important lessons the Defense Department's newest combatant command is applying as it welcomes a new African partner to the fold while still dealing with some of the residual challenges left by the former regime, the Africom commander said.

Army Gen. Carter F. Ham conceded during recent congressional testimony that the challenges in Libya didn't end with the fall of Moammar Gadhafi and his dictatorship.

"There are some small pockets remaining in Libya and in other places in North Africa that were centers of foreign fighters who left North Africa, transited along various routes and ended up fighting against us and other coalition forces inside Iraq," he told the House Armed Services Committee in February.

"There are remnants of that, and there are indications that al-Qaida senior leadership is seeking ways to reestablish those networks," he said. "And that's one of the challenges that lie ahead for us."

Ham said he's concerned about their influence on Tunisia as well as Libya as both countries attempt to establish representative governments.
"It's very clear that extremist organizations -- notably al-Qaida, with some direction from al-Qaida's senior leaders -- would seek to undermine that good governance that the Tunisians and the Libyans seek," he told the Senate Armed Services Committee in March. "And so I think that's the real threat that is posed."

"So I think we need to partner very closely with the security forces [and] armed forces of Tunisia and Libya to prevent the reestablishment of those networks [and] to prevent those violent extremist organizations from undermining the progress that both countries are seeking."

Africom is forming a new military-to-military relationship with the Libyans and is working to strengthen its long-term military-to-military relationship with the Tunisians, Ham said, emphasizing the importance of close partnerships with both nations.
"I am very satisfied with the progress of the military-to-military relationship that is developing" with the new Tunisian government, he reported. "We need to sustain that."
"And similarly, with the Libyans, we are forming a good relationship," he continued, noting the standup of an Office of Security Cooperation at the embassy there that can help coordinate security assistance, international military education and training and other security cooperation. "So we're moving in the right direction, but we need to sustain that effort," he said.

Speaking with American Forces Press Service at his headquarters here, Ham said military operations in Libya drove home the point that all U.S. combatant commands including Africom must be capable of operating across the full spectrum of conflict.

"It is probably not going to be very often where Africa Command goes to the more kinetic, the more offensive operations in Africa," he said. "But nonetheless, we have to be ready to do that if the president requires that of us."

Africom typically conducts relatively small-scale, non-offensive missions focused on strengthening the defense capabilities of African militaries, he noted. "But there is an expectation that we must be able to do the full range of military activities."
Operation Odyssey Dawn also reinforced that the United States won't conduct military operations alone, Ham said. "We are always going to do them as part of some type of coalition," he continued. "So building the processes, the mechanisms that allow us to readily incorporate the capabilities of other nations is an important aspect for us as well."
Ham noted the United States' long history of operating with NATO, but said it wasn't as prepared to work side-by-side with non-NATO partners, particularly Arab countries, that joined the coalition. "We had to make sure we were postured to incorporate them very quickly," he said. "I think that is a good lesson for us as we think about operations across Africa in the future."

Africom's close association with U.S. European Command, with both command headquarters here in Stuttgart, proved particularly valuable during the Libya campaign, he said.

Ham called European-based forces absolutely critical to Operation Odyssey Dawn. "Simply stated, we could not have responded on the timelines required for operations in Libya had air and maritime forces not been forward-stationed in Europe," he said.
"Operations in Libya have truly brought U.S. European Command and U.S. Africa Command to a higher level of collaboration," Ham told the Senate Armed Services Committee. "And this year, we'll continue to work closely together to seek to more effectively address security challenges in our respective areas of responsibilities."
The Europeans, both through NATO and through the European Union, are heavily invested in security matters in Africa, Ham told the House Armed Services Committee. "And it is our strong relationship and partnership with U.S. European Command that allows us to have access and meaningful dialogue in the planning and coordination of those activities."

Navy Adm. James G. Stavridis, the Eucom commander who testified alongside Ham, noted that the two commands have shared nautical component commanders and regularly partner in counter-piracy operations.

"We are also exploring ways that we can create efficiencies in intelligence and information sharing," Stavridis said. "And I believe we essentially share intelligence facilities now, and there may be some ways to do even more of that."

MARINES SUSTAINING PARTNERSHIPS

FROM:  AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE
Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Jonathon D. Knudson, right, a rifleman with Black Sea Rotational Force 11, joins Romanian Lance Cpl. Erick M. Walczak in loading magazines for AK-47 assault rifles during a combat marksmanship range for Macedonian soldiers, June 13, 2011. The Macedonian 1st Mechanized Infantry Brigade traveled to Babadag Training Area, Romania, to work with U.S. Marines from the Black Sea Rotational Force as part of its mobilization training for its deployment to Afghanistan. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Tatum Vayavananda  


Marine Rotational Force Promotes Partnership, Efficiency
By Donna Miles
STUTTGART, Germany, May 10, 2012 - A rotational concept stood up in Europe and now extended to Africa is providing valuable lessons in ways to sustain partnerships despite force reductions and tightened resources.

Marine Forces Europe stood up the Black Sea Rotational Force in 2010 to build closer military ties with the Black Sea, Balkans and Caucuses regions without increasing demands on already-strained Army forces based in Europe, explained Marine Corps Brig. Gen. Charles G. Chiarotti, Marine Forces Europe's deputy commander.
The command, with no permanently assigned troops, reached back to U.S.-based Marines to serve six-month rotations helping partner and allied nations build their military capacity and, by extension, to promote regional stability.

The current rotation, the third for the Black Sea Rotational Force, includes 360 U.S.-based Marines, most from the Marine Corps Reserve's 4th Reconnaissance Battalion in San Antonio. Deployed to a base in Constanta, Romania, this special-purpose Marine air-ground task force fans out across the region as it works with 19 nations' militaries.

Chiarotti called the rotational force a model of efficiency, not only saving money and other resources but actually increasing U.S. engagement in the Black Sea region.

In the past, the Marine Corps deployed teams from the United States to conduct specific missions or engagements that supported the commander's theater campaign plan, he said. Often, as many as 20 small-scale engagements ran concurrently -- anything from a two-Marine team teaching basic marksmanship to a large-scale exercise.

That was an expensive way of doing business, in terms of manpower, planning and support requirements and transportation costs, Chiarotti said. "So we started to look at ways to bring efficiencies to the process," he added, recognizing that the Marines had fewer forces available to draw on at the time as they ramped up their presence in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The old U.S. European Command engagement model had a significant shortcoming, Chiarotti noted. In the event of a crisis, the participating Marines weren't equipped or organized to provide the ready response that has always been the Corps' proudest hallmark.

"So we turned the rubric around," he said. Rather than a theater security cooperation force able to respond if needed while operating in the region, leaders began thinking of the rotational force as a crisis response force able to support theater security cooperation.

The force's forward presence during its theater engagement activities would be critical in the event of a crisis, Chiarotti said.

"The most important thing about this is [that] in addition to security cooperation and presence, this is a Marine air ground task force that is forward deployed and able to respond to crises," he said.

So as part of their predeployment training, the rotational force Marines prepare for some of the most likely crisis missions they could be called on to support -- humanitarian assistance and non-combatant evacuations, among them.

Chiarotti said he has no illusions that the task force could assume the role of a larger response force during a contingency operation. But forward-deployed Marines would provide an initial military response, if needed, until additional forces arrive.

"This, by no means, is meant to replace a Marine expeditionary unit," Chiarotti said.
"But we serve as that immediate capability that could possibly respond to a low-level crisis within our capability set," he said, or become the initial enabling force to a larger crisis response force.

The rotational unit has proven to be a hit within the region. Marine Forces Europe doubled its size since the 2011 rotation and extending its deployment schedule to include three major exercises and 91 other training events with 19 partner nations -- 17 of which support the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan.

Each activity is carefully planned between already-scheduled exercises -- a measure that saves millions of dollars in transportation costs alone, Chiarotti explained.

The Eucom and Marine Forces Europe staffs identify priority nations for engagements, getting those militaries to identify skill sets to concentrate on.

The kickoff exercise for the current rotation, Agile Spirit 2012, brought together the Marines and the Georgian armed forces to train in counterinsurgency and peacekeeping operations, including small-unit tactics, convoy operations and counter-improvised-explosive-device training.

The training was particularly valuable in light of Georgia's role in Afghanistan. With a full battalion supporting the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force there and a second to soon join them, Georgia will soon become the largest troop-contributing nation on a per capita basis, Navy Adm. James G. Stavridis, Eucom commander, noted during recent congressional testimony.

Marine Corps Lt. Col. Rick Coates, commander for Black Sea Rotational Force 12, called the exercise a valuable opportunity for his Marines to conduct operations in an area of the world where Marines do not regularly deploy.

"This is a great opportunity to learn from each other while developing our ability to work together," he said.

But unlike in the past, when the Marines returned home at the completion of an exercise, the rotational force returned to its base in Romania using their own C-130 aircraft to prepare for their next engagements in the region.
"So it's all self-contained," Chiarotti said. "You get them there, and then once they are in the theater, we use our own aircraft to get them where they need to go, all over the place. They will do everything from a 300-person exercise like Agile Spirit to a two-man engagement."

The rotation will conclude with the Baltops exercise in Latvia.
Based on the Black Sea Rotational Force's success, Marine Forces Europe used it as a template to stand up a similar rotational force to support U.S. Africa Command.

That special-purpose task force of Marines and sailors was launched in October and operates from Sigonella, Sicily. The force is slated to deploy soon for its second rotation in Africa.

U.S. Southern Command is developing a similar program.
Chiarroti said the rotational force sells itself to American allies and partners, providing professional instruction tailored to their exact requirements and needs. "They see the value, and want to do more," he said.

Ultimately, he added, he hopes to be able to support that as the rotational force grows to a 600- to 700-member unit with limited crisis response capabilities, fixed- and rotary-wing aviation assets and more robust command elements.

In the meantime, he called the Black Sea Rotational Force a model for maintaining forward presence and enduring partnerships in an efficient, cost-effective way.

"With its relatively small footprint, ability to self-deploy and limited, crisis-response capabilities, it delivers precisely what our commander requires," he said.

17TH AIR FORCE STANDS DOWN TO PASS AFRICAN MISSION TO USAFE

FROM:  U.S. AIR FORCE
17th Air Force stands down, passes African mission to USAFE
(Left to right) 17th Air Force Command Chief CMSgt Michael Grimm, U.S. Air Forces in Europe Commander Gen. Mark Welsh and 17th AF Commander Maj. Gen. Margaret Woodward furl and case the 17th AF flag during an inactivation ceremony here April 20. The unit, which served as the air component for U.S. Africa Command, was also designated as Air Forces Africa. During the ceremony, the Air Forces Africa mission was transferred to USAFE and 3rd Air Force. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman Basic Brea Miller)
by Master Sgt. Jim Fisher
U.S. Air Forces in Europe Public Affairs

4/24/2012 - RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany -- Seventeenth Air Force stood down in an inactivation ceremony here today and the Air Forces Africa flag and mission were passed to U.S. Air Forces in Europe.

The numbered Air Force, which has also been known as Air Forces Africa, served as the air component for U.S. Africa Command. USAFE now takes up air component responsibilities for the African area of activity.

U.S. Africa Command commander Gen. Carter F. Ham was joined by USAFE commander Gen. Mark A. Welsh III in overseeing the inactivation and transfer, both lauding 17th Air Force commander Maj. Gen. Margaret Woodward and her organization.

"Air power is defined by speed, agility, decisive application of combat power, teamwork, and audacity. I think those characteristics perfectly describe the 17th Air Force and they especially describe its commander. I have not known General Maggie Woodward all that long, but what a year it's been," Ham said, adding that the period which included Operation ODYSSEY DAWN and the Libyan conflict might be the defining epoch of this incarnation of 17th Air Force.

Taking note of the importance of 17th's accomplishments, Welsh said that as the Air Force prepared to close the latest chapter of 17th history, it also was prepared to continue executing the Air Forces Africa mission. The responsibilities for planning, engagement and command and control of air operations conducted in support of AFRICOM now transfer to USAFE and 3rd Air Force.

"I think [General Ham] and I understand the significance of this transfer, and we understand the significance of the accomplishments of the men and women who have been serving in this air component," Welsh said. "As we get ready to case the colors and close this chapter of 17th Air Force history I need to remind everyone of one very important thing: the mission is not going away. There are still operations to conduct and partnerships to strengthen. The unstable regions of Africa are not suddenly stable. The commitments made to leaders in Africa must be honored. There is no indication that Africa will be any less busy in the future than it has been in the past."

Woodward said she was confident the mission, vital to U.S. national security, was in good hands.

"Even as we pause to reflect on what we have done, we reaffirm the commitment to what we must do because today we know more than ever that there remains a mission in Africa as critical as any other to the protection of America's freedom and the security of our nation," she said, adding that General Welsh overseeing the transition was especially advantageous. "I know of no Airman with a deeper understanding of what airpower brings to the joint force. Our African partners are indeed fortunate to have you leading our new AFAFRICA command. Thanks to you and all the men and women of USAFE for their dedicated support."

Many of the Airmen formerly assigned to 17th Air Force have joined USAFE and 3rd Air Force and remain focused on the African mission.

She also reserved the highest praise for the men and women of 17th Air Force, taking a final opportunity to say thank you to her troops.

"To the men and women of 17th Air Force, it seems like only yesterday that we started this journey," General Woodward said, noting the accomplishments over the last 22 months of her tenure. "We locked arms, and stood together to form one extraordinary team. We may not have been the largest NAF in the Air Force but in my opinion we were certainly the best."

In the almost four years since 17th was reactivated in October 2008 to coincide with the standup of AFRICOM as a unified command, the unit accomplished more than 200 engagement events with 36 partner nations in Africa. They also took planning and command and control responsibility for air operations in Africa. While intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance and contingency response activity was ongoing through its existence, 17th's most momentous accomplishments may have come during the air campaign over Libya.

In Support of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1973 to protect Libyan civilians from Momar Qaddafi's regime forces, Woodward and 17th Air Force served as the Joint Forces Air Component Command, executing command and control via the 617th and 603rd Air and Space Operations Centers, over the coalition air campaign. Seventeenth Air Force was given the Outstanding Unit Award for its role, and Woodward, the first woman to lead an air campaign, was named one of Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People for 2011.