December 2010

United States Africa Command Public Affairs Office +49 (0) 711-729-2687 (Stuttgart, Germany)
Notable events at U.S.
Africa Command
What’s New at U.S. Africa Command
General Ward
interview with Radio U.S. AFRICOM Hosts
France Internationale; 2010 Maritime Security
Stuttgart, Germany;
October 13.
Conference

U.S. Naval Forces Interagency personnel and

Europe-Africa Change African participants came
of Command
Ceremony; Naples, together for a two-day
Italy; October 8. conference, October 13-14,
on ―Maritime Safety and
Congratulations to
U.S. Army Africa on Security: Towards Economic
their success at the Prosperity.‖ The event, co-
Association of the U.S.
Army Convention; sponsored by the
Washington, D.C.; Departments of State and
October 25-27
Defense, provided a forum STUTTGART, Germany—Participants of the 2010
U.S. Africa Command for interaction among African conference on Africa Maritime Safety and Security:
welcomed new Deputy
to the Commander for
and U.S. policymakers and Towards Economic Prosperity, gather on the steps of the
Military Operations non-traditional maritime Millenium Hotel for a group photo October 13, 2010.
Vice Admiral Charles
J. “Joe” Leidig Jr. ;
safety and security
August 16. stakeholders. discuss common cross-sector trafficking, terrorism, oil theft
maritime security strategies and arms and drug smuggling.
U.S. Africa Command This international event for sustained capacity
welcomed new Senior ―These are crimes of a global
Development Advisor
brought together more than building and economic
Mark Anthony White; 170 participants representing nature," Mwencha said.
development, according to
October 11. the African Union "Without a concerted effort
conference organizers.
Foreign Policy Advisor Commission, nearly 20 by the global community, the
Dr. Raymond Brown African nations, U.S. With maritime challenges health of Africa's oceans and
represented U.S.
Africa Command at government agencies, growing each year off most significant inland
the Africa Bureau international and inter- Africa's coasts, African waterways will be irreversibly
Chiefs of Mission Union Commission Deputy damaged."
Conference; governmental
Washington, D.C.; organizations, along with Chairperson Erastus
October 4-9. Mwencha delivered the
academic and private sector Mwencha emphasized the
conference's keynote address.
experts. The goal was to importance of international
"Until there is true
provide a forum for partners in developing a
understanding of the strategic
interaction among African strategy to tackle issues that
Inside this issue: importance of Africa's
and U.S. policymakers and affect not only Africa, but
Message from the 2 domain, vulnerabilities will
non-traditional maritime also the world. These include
Commander continue to grow," Mwencha
safety and security piracy, illegal fishing,
said.
stakeholders to identify and environmental crimes, human
NEWSMAKERS: 3
Recent U.S.
AFRICOM Exercises Maritime Safety and
and Activities Security Conference also on

Interview with Senior 4

Development Advisor
Mark A. White

Click on image to the right to view

video clips of the conference.
 Page 2

Message from the Commander

Dear Colleagues,
Coordination with our
country teams is an
Africa Command
operating tenet and
underlies what we do
on the continent and its
island nations. One of
our most important
coordination
mechanisms is our annual
Theater Security Cooperation
Conference (TSCC), our primary with many partners to encourage investment in time and energy
event for synchronizing DoD
program objectives and activities conference yet and
in Africa with those of other
U.S. Government agencies.
This year's conference took
place November 15-19 at
Ramstein Air Base near
Kaiserslautern, Germany, with
more than 640 security
cooperation stakeholders from
across the U.S. Government
participating.
This was our fourth security
cooperation conference since
Africa Command's establishment This year's meeting
in 2007. We continue to work
with our partners to refine our
format and ensure the
participation of key our five-year regional and
personnel to make this country security cooperation
event as useful as objectives, which will help guide
possible for all our activities in Africa through
involved. Two years 2014.
ago, we moved the
timing of the conference The insights and perspectives
from February to that our partners contributed
November in order to during the TSCC are essential to
better synchronize our our ability to plan effectively
planning timeline with and in full support of your
the Mission Strategic Resource mission strategic objectives. I
Plan process. We have worked know that it was a significant
input making this the best for everyone to be there, and I
want to underscore how
have been pleased by much I appreciate it.
the positive impact “The insights
and
I witnessed rich and
this has had on our
productive discussions
theater security perspectives
in Ramstein. We look
cooperation planning. that our
forward to continuing
This year, in response partners will our partnership in
to feedback from our contribute achieving U.S. foreign
partners, we further during the TSCC policy and national
refined the TSCC to are essential to
security objectives in
take a more strategic Africa. Thank you for
our ability to
and long-term the fantastic teamwork
plan this past year, and I wish
approach to security
cooperation planning. effectively…” you the best in 2011.
was designed to lay –Kip
the foundation for developing

Commander
General William ―Kip‖ Ward

Deputy to the Commander for Military Operations

Newsletter published by Vice Admiral Charles J. ―Joe‖ Leidig Jr.
U.S. Africa Command Public Affairs Office
Deputy to the Commander for Civil-Military Activities
Email: Africom-PAO@africom.mil Ambassador J. Anthony Holmes
+49 (0)711 729-2687/2670
Senior Enlisted Leader
www.africom.mil Command Sergeant Major Mark S. Ripka

U.S. Africa Command Public Affairs +49(0)711-729-2687/2670 (Stuttgart, Germany) - www.africom.mil; africom-pao@africom.mil

NEWSMAKERS: Exercises and Activities
Review of U.S. AFRICOM Exercises and Regionally Focused Activities with Partner Nations
Event: Shared Accord
Location: Maputo, Mozambique
Date: August 2-12, 2010
Description: This annual peace-and-
stability-operations exercise was coor-
dinated by U.S. Marine Forces Africa,
with participants from all branches of
the U.S. military. About 700 U.S. personnel trained alongside
about 1,000 troops from Mozambique and Angola.
Event: Africa Aerospace and Defense
Exposition
Location: Cape Town, South Africa
Date: September 21-25, 2010
Description: More than 150 aircrew
and personnel from 17th Air Force and
the N.Y. National Guard participated in the largest air show in
Africa, the Africa Aerospace and Defense Exposition. It
featured aircraft from 35 countries and 135 manufacturers.
Highlights included the massive U.S. C-17 Globemaster III and
the newest model of the C-130J Hercules transport plane.
Event: Support to the New Armed
Forces of Liberia
Location: Liberia
Date: Ongoing
Description: Defense Sector Reform is
the follow-on to the Department of
State-sponsored Africa Contingency Operations Training and
Assistance (ACOTA) training performed from 2008 to 2009.
Training is led by U.S. Marine Forces Africa (MARFORAF)
and supported by other components using military members to
train, mentor, and develop the capacity of the New Armed
Forces of Liberia to become a self-sufficient, capable and
professional military force.
Event: Support to the Democratic
Republic of the Congo
Location: Kisangani, DRC
Date: February 2010-present
Description: U.S. AFRICOM
supports military aspects of wider
U.S. government programs to promote
stability in the DRC. In 2010 AFRICOM trained and equipped
about 750 soldiers of a DRC light infantry battalion that is
intended to be a model unit for professional military reforms.
The program includes courses addressing sex-and gender-
based violence concerns, as well as partnership with the
Borlaug Institute for International Agriculture to build the
unit‘s ability to provide its own source of food.
U.S. Africa Command Public Affairs +49(0)711-729-2687/2670 (Stuttgart, Germany) - www.africom.mil; africom-pao@africom.mil
Page 3
Event: Natural Fire 10
Location: Kitgum, Uganda
Date: October 16-25, 2009
Description: Led by U.S. Army
Africa, this multi-national, globally-
resourced exercise is focused on
humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, and regional
security. The FY 2010 exercise took place in October 2009
and included more than 500 U.S. soldiers alongside more
than 600 troops from Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania,
and Uganda.
Event: Support to Uganda and Burundi /AMISOM
Location: Uganda and Burundi
Date: Ongoing
Description: U.S. Africa Command has provided uniformed
military subject-matter-experts to augment Department of
State-led Africa Contingency Operations Training and Assis-
tance (ACOTA) training for troops deploying to the African
Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM). In addition to assist-
ing in training and familiarization for peacekeepers, AFRI-
COM shipped tactical HF radios to Uganda and trained
Ugandan and Burundi forces on their use.
Event: Flintlock 10
Location: Sahel region
Date: May 2-23, 2010
Description: Approximately 1,200
European, African, and U.S.
personnel from 14 nations
participated in interoperability activities in several countries as
part of Flintlock 10. Led by Special Operations Command
Africa, the exercise focused on military interoperability and
capacity-building. The first week included classes on logistics
and military strengths of partner nations. The last two weeks
included tactical and strategic training events in Burkina Faso,
Nigeria, Mauritania, Mali, and Senegal.
Event: Africa Endeavor 2010
Location: Accra, Ghana
Date: August 9-19, 2010
Description: Communications experts
from more than 25 African nations
participated in the continent‘s largest
communications interoperability exercise, Africa Endeavor
2010. A direct satellite link also was established with the
African Union‘s Peace Support Operations Center in Addis
Ababa. Africa Endeavor encourages interoperability,
information exchange, and regional cooperation among
African nations so they can coordinate with one another
during natural disasters or emergencies.
 Page 4

Other U.S. Africa Command Updates

Interview with U.S. AFRICOM’s New Senior Development Advisor
The Senior Development Advisor to the United States Africa Command, Mark Anthony White, re-
ported for duty on October 11, 2010. U.S. AFRICOM’s Public Affairs Office had the opportunity to
ask him some questions about his current role, goals, and background. Below are excepts from the
interview. The complete transcript is available at www.africom.mil.

What is your title here at U.S. Africa Command? I am
the senior development advisor to the commander, General
Ward. One might ask what that title means. I look at my
role as one where I infuse development expertise into the
command. General Ward has told me that he wants me to
work on all levels at the command, helping to shape
processes, provide practical suggestions/advice and to
bring the development perspective into the mix. I also see
my role as facilitating the coordination between USAID
missions and AFRICOM. Having a senior development
advisor working in the command is a true reflection of how
the three Ds (Diplomacy, Development and Defense) can
be operationalized.
How does your job help U.S. Africa Command in its
mission to promote security and stability in Africa?
Achieving a sustainable level of peace, security and
stability, in my opinion, is not a vertical act, and is best
achieved when approached comprehensively.
Development is vital for both security and stability to
thrive. For example, countries are more likely to be stable
if they have systems in place for the ‗rule of law,' economic
growth—including jobs and skills, education and improved
health—just to name a few. All are essential components
for sustainable success. My job is to bring in that
development component and to serve as the nexus between
organizations that have different cultures.
Do you think your position here at AFRICOM will help
link the 3 Ds? (Development, Diplomacy, and Defense)
Most definitely. I would not have come if I didn‘t think I
This is a brief excerpt of the interview. View the entire interview transcript at www.africom.mil
could make a difference and if I didn‘t believe in whole of
government approach. I am a believer…and I have seen
where working together can result in a more substantial
impact than working alone. I have worked in collaboration
with the U.S. military previously – with very good results.
More than just a cliché, the three Ds make perfect sense.
We can mutually reinforce our good work. That‘s
important for me.
What type of work is USAID doing in Africa? How can
AFRICOM best support this work? USAID is an
independent agency that provides economic, development
and humanitarian assistance around the world in support of
the foreign policy goals of the United States. In Africa,
USAID works to help African governments, institutions
and organizations incorporate good governance principles
and innovative approaches to health, education, economic
growth, agriculture, and the environment. We strive for
productive innovation---and to be on the cutting edge of
new science and technology approaches as they relate to
development. It‘s all about creating a better quality of life
for people in developing nations. How can AFRICOM
help? AFRICOM is well on the right track. Promoting
interagency collaboration at the command and continuing
to stress the ‗whole of government‘ approach is smart and
practical. The Theater Security Cooperation Conference is
a bold and innovative step toward bringing different
government agencies together to discuss goals and
objectives and moving forward in one common direction.
After all, we all want the same thing: peace, security, and
stability for countries on the African continent.

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