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(Colonel Don Zimmer discusses military-to-military and humanitarian-assistance programs)
I'm Colonel Don Zimmer, U.S. Army, chief of the Security Cooperation Programs Division, Directorate for Strategy, Plans, and Programs. My division is responsible for overseeing the implementation of various security assistance programs in Africa. These efforts are often referred to as Theater Security Cooperation programs. We use these programs to help the countries who wish to partner with the United States to improve their capabilities to provide security and stability for their people.
A variety of the programs are designed to do the following: train and educate African military personnel in the United States or in Africa; train and equip African militaries to respond to crises; improve the military to military relationship between the United States and African militaries, peacekeeping training, and humanitarian assistance.
I'd like to highlight two programs we are conducting in Africa: military-to-military programs and humanitarian assistance.
The military-to-military program is designed to improve the working relationships and skills of both militaries. This includes such events as flight safety, security awareness, search and rescue, harbor and port security, aviation safety, training management, disaster response planning, medical procedures and expertise, officer exchanges, air traffic control, peacekeeping mission pre-deployment preparations, and a host of other issues.
The humanitarian assistance effort consists of small scale civic actions projects like well drilling in arid areas, repairs of schools and medical clinics, and the provision of excess defense articles in order to mitigate on-coming or current disasters. All of these are done in civilian areas at the request of and with the approval of local African leaders and governments.
Both of these programs are bringing value to Africa today. One program, the military-military effort, helps to improve the capabilities of the United States and African militaries. The other program, humanitarian assistance, seeks to aid civil society. As we improve and expand these programs, we seek to help African partners where they need and desire our assistance in building their own security and stability.
On 3/8/2008 11:50:23 AM Andrew P. in Nigeria GK, Germany wrote Col J.N. Kamer, God bless you for all that you do and continue to do. It is people like you who embody what the United States and AFRICOM is all about enablement and the creation of opportunities.
The anti AFRICOMers need to realize that the American intentions are of good and not of evil. Ther purveyors of evil are oftentimes the corrupt leaders ubiquitous in African countries.
On 2/24/2008 9:14:52 PM Janet M. Kamer, Col, USAFR, BSC in HQ AFRC SG, Robins AFB, GA wrote I am interested in helping AFRICOM. I am the functional manager of all Air Force Reserve Psychologists, and Executive Team member of the Air Force Reserve Force Development for the Air Force Reserve biomedical science corps. I have made previous attempts in 2007 to contact AFRICOM to offer assistance, including volunteering to go on humanitarian medical missions to Nigeria, but only received information about civilian administrative job postings. I just learned last week that the US Navy sent a mission to Nigeria. We are sponsoring a Nigerian child who is now attending college in the United States, and have worked on a local level with two NGOs to build a high school and supply medical clinics in Lagos, Nigeria. We have a group of local people in Illinois who would be very interested in partnering with AFRICOM to get books and medicines to Nigeria. I look forward to your respond, so we can begin considering options.
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