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On 9/14/2012 9:27:24 AM LTC Richard Murphy, AFRICOM Humanitarian and Health Activities Branch wrote AFRICOM Disaster Preparedness Program Conducts Engagement in Kenya "The U.S. Africa Command Disaster Preparedness Program conducted a key leader engagement in Kenya on September 10-11, 2012 with the Commander of the Kenyan Rapid Deployment Capability (KRDC) force, the Director of the Kenyan National Disaster Operations Center (NDOC) and with other civil and military ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 9/10/2012 2:02:03 PM LTC David Knellinger wrote Central Africa Region Environmental Security Symposium "The Central Africa Region Environmental Security Symposium, hosted by the United States Africa Command Environmental Security Program and the United Nations Environmental Programme -- Abidjan Convention Secretariat, was conducted on September 4-6, 2012, in Libreville, Gabon.
The Symposium attracted ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 7/19/2012 8:54:32 AM Brigadier General Stayce Harris wrote Planning for Disasters and Saving Lives "The following blog is by Brigadier General Stayce Harris, U.S. Africa Command's mobilization reserve assistant to the commander.
Over the past 2 years, I have had the honor of working with AFRICOM/J5's Pandemic Response Program (PRP) run by AFRICOM, funded by USAID and implemented ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 7/17/2012 2:13:38 PM LTC Jim Gotlewski wrote First International Pandemic Conference in Ghana "Ghana's 1st International Conference on Pandemics took place June 27-28, 2012 in Accra, Ghana and was co-hosted between the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) and the Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ - German Society for International Development). Erik ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 6/22/2012 10:56:14 AM Lieutenant Colonel James Gotlewski wrote Pandemic Disaster Rresponse Program in Kenya "A team representing US Africa Command's Pandemic Response Program(PRP) conducted engagements in Nairobi, Kenya for the purpose of establishing pandemic preparedness and disaster management curriculum that will serve military and civilian disaster management stakeholders for Kenya as well as the ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 4/24/2012 2:56:01 PM Yasmin Rosa, AFRICOM EEO Manager wrote AFRICOM Observes Holocaust: Days of Remembrance "On Wednesday, 18 April 2012, the United States Africa Command hosted Holocaust Days of Remembrance observance. Mr. Edwin Baer, Deputy Chief, DIA Forward Element, AFRICOM J2, keynote speaker, honored his father, a survivor of the holocaust, by sharing his father's experiences and hardships through ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 3/28/2012 2:38:37 PM Staff Sergeant Ulufemi Owolabi, U.S. AFRICOM Public Affairs wrote A Trip to the Fish Market, Benin Style "Staff Sergeant Olufemi Owolabi, U.S. Africa Command Public Affairs, is reporting this week from Benin. Below is an excerpt from his recent blog:
When we entered the gate of the market, the stench of dead fish filled the air. It became even more unbearable as we went further into the market. ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 2/28/2012 1:18:31 PM Yasmin Rosa, EEO Manager, U.S. Africa Command wrote For Love of Liberty "Brigadier General Arnold N. Gordon-Bray, Deputy Director of Operations/J3 celebrated Black History month by hosting a facilitated overview of the documentary film by Frank Harris, For Love of Liberty. BG Gordon-Bray kicked off the event by acknowledging the audiences diversity. He provided a ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 2/23/2012 3:03:46 PM Lieutenant Colonel James Gotlewski wrote Tanzania Disaster Response Plan "Tanzanian disaster management subject matter experts, military leaders and U.S. planners from the Center for Disaster and Humanitarian Assistance Medicine (CDHAM) and U.S. Africa Command met in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania on 23 and 24 January, 2012 to review and discuss final edits to draft plans for pandemic ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 2/17/2012 12:43:29 PM Lieutenant Colonel James Gotlewski, U.S. Africa Command wrote Tanzania National Government Pandemic Disaster Response Tabletop Exercise "Tanzanian disaster management subject matter experts, military leaders and U.S. planners from the Center for Disaster and Humanitarian Assistance Medicine (CDHAM) and U.S. Africa Command met in Dar es Salem, Tanzania on 23 and 24 January, 2012 to review and discuss final edits to draft plans for pandemic ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 2/1/2012 3:49:47 PM Lieutenant Colonel Carmichael, U.S. AFRICOM J5 Humanitarian Assistance program manager wrote AFRICOM Supports Tunis Assistance Center for Muscular Dystrophy "Lieutenant Colonel Carmichael, U.S. Africa Command J5 Humanitarian Assistance Program Manager, and members from the U.S. Embassy, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), members from the German contracting office Gauff Ingenieure GmbH Co and members of Best Engineering, a Tunisian firmed hired by Gauff ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 1/31/2012 1:34:19 PM Phillip J. Heyl, Chief, Air & Maritime Branch wrote Supporting Maritime Security in Ghana "I just returned from a very successful planning meeting (January 23-27, 2012) with the Petroleum Security Coordination Center (PSCC) in Ghana -- the agency responsible for developing a strategic security plan for their oil and gas industry. We have been asked to support their effort by conducting a ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 12/13/2011 4:21:33 PM Nicole Dalrymple, U.S. AFRICOM Public Affairs Office wrote Gabonese Military HIV/AIDS Program "The nation of Gabon in Sub-Saharan Africa straddles the equator and is one of the least densely populated countries in Africa. The nation, which is about the size of Colorado, has an estimated population of 1.54 million people, which is smaller than some U.S. cities.
The week after Thanksgiving ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 12/2/2011 10:37:01 AM AFRICOM Commandant wrote World AIDS Day - "Getting to Zero" "Many at US AFRICA COMMAND may not realize that our HIV/AIDS program is the largest health program executed on the continent. At approximately $114M this program touches the lives of thousands of members of African militaries and their families. The HIV/AIDS program sponsors testing, education, prevention ..." (Read Full Text)
On 10/5/2011 10:45:24 AM Major Christopher I. Loftis, Office of Security Cooperation-Tunis wrote Explosive Ordnance Detachment Mine Awareness "CPT Gina Jenkins and 1SG Bradley Murphy traveled to Menzil Jemil, Tunisia as part of a US AFRICOM Traveling Contact Team (TCT) to participate in an exchange with members of the Tunisian Armys 61st Engineer Brigade. The weeklong engagement was supported by the 753rd Ordnance Company (EOD), West Virginia ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 9/19/2011 11:28:58 AM Major Michael DeCicco wrote Building Networking Capability in Djibouti "I traveled to Camp Lemmonier in Djibouti from 15-16 September. My mission's task was to nurture the relationship with CJTF-HOA J5 (Strategy, Plans, and Programs) engagement strategists in order to build networking capability. No longer will I communicate with just a voice over the phone or an email ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 9/14/2011 1:37:24 PM Petty Officer 3rd Class Casey Matthews wrote Joining a community: Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 5's reception in Dikhil, Djibouti "Editor's note: The following article is a commentary by Petty Officer 3rd Class Casey Matthews, a builder assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion Five, of his experiences while working in Dikhil and Kontali, Djibouti.
On August 10, 2011, Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 5, a ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 9/9/2011 11:58:32 AM Master Sergeant Shawn Parker, U.S. AFRICOM Air Force Personnel Strength manager wrote Remembering 9/11 "My wife and I were in Manhattan on 9/11. It was to be the last day of her first trip to New York City, my hometown. I showed her everything from Bronx Zoo to Coney Island to include the famous views from atop the WTC, only six days before they were struck. For me, that day is as vivid as if it were ..." (Read Full Text)
On 7/19/2011 2:35:27 PM Sergeant Daniel T. West, 358th Public Affairs Detachment wrote Marking Progress at Africa Endeavor "As Africa Endeavor enters the heart of its final phase, participants seem pleased with the results so far. Among the technical details learned or refreshed in the minds of participants is a lesson about cooperation.
For Ugandan Lieutenant Abdallah Matovu Kamoga, learning about how other countries ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 7/19/2011 10:26:06 AM Sergeant Daniel T. West, 358th Public Affairs Detachment wrote Addressing the Heart of the Matter "Delegation heads and dignitaries from several nations and international organizations sat down today to address members of the media about exercise Africa Endeavor.
Central to the group were Brigadier General Robert Ferrell, U.S. Africa Command J6 director, and Commodore Madani Senghore, the commander ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 7/19/2011 10:02:16 AM Sergeant Daniel T. West, 358th Public Affairs Detachment, Africa Endeavor 2011 wrote Communication on a Different Level "They took to the field together, only their uniforms separating them, blue and green, no rank, no flags.
A casual observer could have been forgiven for not realizing they came from nations all over Africa and from as far away as America. Participants in Africa Endeavor come from 39 African countries, ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 7/18/2011 2:18:55 PM Sergeant Daniel T. West, 358th Public Affairs Detachment wrote A Universal Language "Africa Endeavor is a communications exercise.
For most participants, that means radios, networks, telephones. It's all about technology. Participants from various nations come together because they've got the same task, and work with the same equipment.
U.S. Navy Petty Officer Victor Hornilla ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 7/13/2011 10:05:57 AM Sergeant Daniel T. West, Africa Endeavor Public Affairs team wrote Africa Endeavor 2011 Kicks Off "AFRICOM PAO Note: Sergeant Daniel T. West is part of the Africa Endeavor (AE) 2011 Public Affairs Team. AE is a U.S. Africa Command-sponsored initiative focusing on interoperability and information sharing among African partner nations. See related article: Africa ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 7/11/2011 1:01:04 PM Ashby Payne wrote Humanitarian Activities Workshop "The Humanitarian and Health Activities Branch conducted a Humanitarian Activities Workshop for the North, East, and South regions of Africa June 21-22, 2011 in Kigali, Rwanda.
U.S. Ambassador to Rwanda, Stuart Symington, opened the event highlighting the importance of inter-agency cooperation and
partnership ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 7/11/2011 12:40:23 PM Brigadier General Stayce D. Harris, mobilization reserve assistant to the commander wrote Kenya Planning and Preparedness Work Plan Development Workshop "In June, I returned from the inaugural Kenya Planning and Preparedness Work Plan Development Workshop hosted by U.S. Africa Command and the Kenyan National Disaster Operational Centre. I want to thank Permanent Secretary Mondoh for his sustained commitment of our cooperative work along with the government ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 7/1/2011 2:32:10 PM Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff wrote Chairman's Corner: Independence Day 2011 "This Independence Day we celebrate our nation's 235th birthday. As we enjoy all the traditions and pleasures this singularly American holiday has to offer, I also ask that we take a moment to remember those who have done so much to secure and safeguard our independence throughout our history.
Today, ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 7/1/2011 11:23:06 AM Staff Sergeant R.J. Biermann wrote To Hell & Back: French, U.S. Servicemembers Weather Intense Combat Training ""Take what you think your body can handle and multiply it by five."
The words of U.S. Air Force Technical Sergeant Joel Mack became my mantra of survival during my field trip to hell and back across 50 miles of barren Djiboutian desert - a trek for which nothing could have prepared me.
Nearly ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 6/22/2011 12:40:38 PM Max Blumenfeld, Joint Special Operations Task Force Public Affairs wrote The Mysterious City of Timbuktu "The Malian newspaper headline said it all: "In the Timbuktu region, AQIM cedes terrain in face of a demonstration of force." (http://www.maliweb.net/category.php?NID=76727)
The Malian Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gabriel ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 6/22/2011 12:04:00 PM Petty Officer 1st Class Steve Owsley wrote Visit to Maputo "Petty Officer 1st Class Steve Owsley is writing from Maputo, Mozambique, where he is participating in U.S. Africa Command's Humanitarian Mine Action program
Preconceptions:
When I found out I was going to be making a trip to Maputo, Mozambique I was very excited. I've traveled ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 5/24/2011 2:43:38 PM Lieutenant Commander William G. Dwyer wrote AMLEP Legal Meeting at U.S. Coast Guard Atlantic Area "On 16 May 2011, LCDR Bill Dwyer, U.S. Coast Guard, from the U.S. Africa Command Office of Legal Counsel met with other judge advocates to discuss operational legal issues ahead of this year's African Maritime Law Enforcement Partnership (AMLEP) deployment. The meeting was held at U.S. Coast Guard ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 5/12/2011 3:28:21 PM Lieutenant Commander William Dwyer, Office of Legal Counsel wrote U.S. Africa Command - 2nd Africa Military Legal Conference, May 2-4 "Military officers and legal experts from 22 countries across Africa, the United Nations, North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the European Union, France, the United Kingdom and the United States (U.S. Africa Command, respective service components, the U.S. Coast Guard, Department of State) shared ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 5/4/2011 12:22:46 PM Danielle Skinner wrote Military Legal Conference in Mauritius "With piracy and other maritime security issues becoming a growing concern around the world, a focus on legal maritime issues was the perfect theme of this year's Military Legal Conference, conducted by U.S. Africa Command, May 1-5, ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 4/27/2011 2:26:03 PM Lieutenant Commander James Stockman wrote Kigali Genocide Memorial Inspires Visitors in Rwanda "Most people who know me well will tell you that I'm not an emotional person. There aren't many things that create a flood of emotion in me, nor do I wear my heart on my sleeve. That all being said, I was recently awe inspired by a visit to the Kigali Genocide Memorial in Rwanda.
Most of ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 3/31/2011 5:01:46 PM Phillip J. Heyl, Chief, Air and Maritime Branch, U.S. Africa Command wrote East African Maritime Security Trip "Strategy, Plans and Programs Directorate (J5) recently visited Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and Maputo, Mozambique as part of a team which included members from the U.S. Agency for International Development, the Department of Defense, and the Department of State in the first step of a collaborative process ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 3/28/2011 12:18:35 PM U.S. Coast Guard Lieutenant Commander Greg Fondran, U.S. Africa Command Outreach Directorate wrote 'Must See' Sites of Dakar "After seven months at U.S. Africa Command I finally made my first trip to Africa. I had always wanted to get to Senegal for the Paris-Dakar Rally, but the impetus for this trip was the U.S. State Department- and U.S. Africa Command-sponsored conference in Dakar titled, "A Strategic Look at Relations ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 3/24/2011 3:21:35 PM Staff Sergeant Amanda McCarty wrote Congo River: Boating in 'the Perfect Storm' "Note: Staff Sergeant Amanda McCarty is TDY with U.S. Africa Command colleagues Jack Holly, Freeman Nlandu, Nicole Dalrymple and Stars and Stripes reporter John Vandiver, to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in support of the U.S. government's humanitarian demining training being conducted ..." (Read Full Text)
On 3/17/2011 12:26:21 PM Dr. Charles Beadling, Col (ret) wrote Tanzania Pandemic Disaster Response Exercise "First of all, I have participated in both the Phase II event in Kenya and Tanzania. I see three main value-added benefits gained in the PRP Workshop/TTX. For one thing, the host nation is able to identify whether or not they have a pandemic influenza response plan (or an all-hazards disaster response ..." (Read Full Text)
On 3/14/2011 3:44:13 PM Lieutenant Commander Bill Dwyer wrote Nigerian Maritime Law Seminar "From 14-17 February 2011, CDR Pete Rodnite, U.S. Navy JAGC, of Naval Forces Africa (NAVAF) Legal Staff, LCDR Bill Dwyer, U.S. Coast Guard from the U.S. Africa Command Office of Legal Counsel and LCDR Gregg Casad from the U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters Office of Fisheries Enforcement, traveled to Lagos, ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 3/14/2011 3:43:14 PM Lieutenant Commander Bill Dwyer wrote Seychelles Maritime Law Survey "From 7-10 February 2011, LCDR Bill Dwyer, U.S. Coast Guard from the U.S. Africa Command Office of Legal Counsel and LCDR Steve Obert, U.S. Navy JAGC, of Naval Forces Africa (NAVAF) Legal Staff, traveled to the Seychelles to conduct a maritime law survey.
Prior to traveling to the Seychelles, a maritime ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 3/14/2011 3:31:53 PM Lieutenant Commander William Dwyer wrote African Maritime Law Enforcement Partnership (AMLEP). "From 23-24 February 2011, CDR John Driscoll, U.S. Coast Guard and LCDR Bill Dwyer, U.S. Coast Guard from the U.S. Africa Command Office of Air and Maritime and Office of Legal Counsel respectively, traveled to U.S. Naval Forces Africa (NAVAF) in Naples to meet and plan for the 2011 African Maritime ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 2/22/2011 5:45:19 PM Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff wrote Ask the Chairman "The following is being reposted from the DoD Live website, "Chairman's Corner," the blog of Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
I am getting ready to launch my third ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 2/14/2011 2:21:34 PM Rear Admiral Brian Losey
Commander, Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa wrote Helping UPDF Celebrate 30 Years of Service "This past week, the Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa Sergeant Major, Scott Mykoo and I had the honor of attending the 30th Tarehe Sita celebration at the invitation of the Ugandan People's Defense Force (UPDF) Chief, GEN Aronda Nyakairima. This event marked the 30th anniversary of the start ..." (Read Full Text)
On 2/9/2011 12:45:14 PM Amy Smith, U.S. AFRICOM Health and Humanitarian Activities Branch wrote Humanitarian Activities Workshop Series (HAWS) "The U.S. Africa Command Humanitarian Activities Workshop Series (HAWS) was conducted from 2-3 February 2011, at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Center in Accra Ghana.
Key staff from the Security Cooperation Programs Division (SCP) Humanitarian & Health Assistance (HHA) Branch ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 2/7/2011 12:08:39 PM Max Blumenfeld, JSOTF-TS Public Affairs
wrote FLINTLOCK 11: Africans Leading the Way "The 86th Airlift Wing C-130 Hercules streamed through the early February skies en route to Dakar, Senegal. The crew of the 37th Airlift Squadron was flying a special mission. Aboard were nearly 30 seasoned Special Operations Command Africa, or SOCAFRICA, and Joint Special Operations Task Force-Trans ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 2/3/2011 4:40:19 PM Lieutenant Colonel James Gotlewski wrote Multi-Sectoral Pandemic Preparedness Workshop in Kenya "Africom sent representatives from its Humanitarian and Health Activities (HHA) Branch and from the Center for Disaster and Humanitarian Assistance Medicine (CDHAM) to assist in facilitation of the USAID-sponsored Multi-Sectoral Pandemic Preparedness Workshop in Kenya. The purpose of the workshop was ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 2/3/2011 2:23:33 PM Deborah Robin Croft wrote Lagos Nigeria Travel Blog "Deborah Robin Croft, a member of U.S. Africa Command's Public Affairs Office, is on temporary assignment in Abuja, Nigeria working at the U.S. Embassy.
Recently, during my TDY at the US Embassy in Nigeria, I had the chance to go to Lagos for a few days. Abuja is a planned city and was ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 1/24/2011 11:41:05 AM Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff wrote Chairman's Corner: Military Professionalism and Ethics "I had the privilege to speak last week at the National Defense University's Conference on Military Professionalism --a forum I called for in order to discuss what the military is, what it has become, and what it should be.
I view this not as merely a one-day event, but the beginning of an ongoing ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 1/21/2011 1:32:12 PM Major John J. Bailer Jr., AFRICOM Models and Simulations Officer wrote AFRICOM Stand's Up First Simulation Exercise "United States Africa Command, or AFRICOM as it is more commonly known, located in Stuttgart, Germany, is the newest geographic combatant command in the United States Department of Defense. The command is preparing to use computer simulations for the very first time in its three year old Joint Force ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 1/18/2011 4:19:20 PM Paul Saxton, U.S. AFRICOM director of Outreach wrote Northwest Africa Transnational Threats Seminar "On January 12, 2011, Samuel L. Kaplan, U.S. Ambassador to Morocco; Mr.
Azzedine Farhane, Director of the Department of the United Nations and
International Organizations at the Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs and
Cooperation; and Mr. Paul Saxton, Director for Outreach, U.S. Africa Command
offered ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 1/14/2011 3:05:09 PM U.S. Army Major Cynthia McPherson, CJTF-HOA wrote First Aid Mission "U.S. Army Major Cynthia McPherson is a member of the 402nd Civil Affairs Functional Specialty Team, Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa.
As I prepare to embark on a mission, which is very different from those I have previously participated in, I find myself a bit anxious and reminiscent ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 1/14/2011 7:53:18 AM U.S. Army Major Cynthia McPherson
402nd Civil Affairs Functional Specialty Team
wrote My Spirit of Hope and Living Alliance "As I prepare to embark on a mission, which is very different from those I have previously participated in, I find myself a bit anxious and reminiscent on past experiences. Is it the anticipation from past experiences, the new experience or simply the excitement of a different encounter? As my team gets ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 1/11/2011 1:49:19 PM Deborah Robin Croft, U.S. AFRICOM Public Affairs wrote Volunteering in Abuja, Nigeria Over the Holidays "Deborah Robin Croft, a member of U.S. Africa Command's Public Affairs Office, is on temporary assignment in Abuja, Nigeria working at the U.S. Embassy.
Only about 50 meters beyond the sprawling mansions owned by a handful of Nigerian Government officials--in the southeastern section of ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 1/8/2011 3:18:30 PM By Airman 1st Class Jevon Smith
Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa strategic communication combat camera videographer
wrote PA mission to Ethiopia "No job worth doing is ever easy. That being said, imagine being a construction worker, and being told you can a build a bridge but you weren't allowed to use your tools. Well, fortunately, I wasn't literally tasked to perform that scenario, but telling a videographer he can't bring his video ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 1/8/2011 8:27:07 AM Captain David Creech
402nd Civil Affairs Battalion functional specialty team veterinarian
wrote VETCAP in Negele "I began preparing for the Negele, Ethiopia, mission shortly after I arrived in Djibouti in October 2010. It was to be a quick response to a disease outbreak identified earlier in the year. My team of two veterinarians and two technicians arrived in Africa together and had a lot to learn in a short time.
One ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 1/7/2011 4:19:25 PM Colonel Franklin Childress, U.S. Africa Command Public Affairs director wrote Visit to American Forces Network-Europe "On Friday, January 7, 2010, a U.S. Africa Command Public Affairs team visited the Mannheim Headquarters of American Forces Network-Europe (AFN-E). Colonel Bigelow met us upon arrival, and introduced us to George Smith who provided us an excellent tour of the broadcast facilities.
During the tour ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 1/5/2011 3:05:09 PM Hakeem Abdul Buuza, Guest Blogger wrote 'AFRICOM - Building Bridges to Peace' "AFRICOM PAO Note: Hakeem is the social media/security cooperation program assistant, U.S. Mission Kampala.
Dawn at Vienna Airport in Austria, it's minus 4 degrees outside the airport walls, as I scramble out of the taxi with my luggage and rush for the warm comfort of the airport departure ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 1/4/2011 4:21:16 PM Alejandro Holguin, U.S. AFRICOM 2010 CFC program manager wrote U.S. Africa Command's Final CFC Results "It is with great satisfaction for me to report the final balance of our 2010 Combined Federal Campaign. This year campaign was a complete success, we exceeded last year campaign participations and contributions by 4.08% and $16,602.95 respectively.
Out of all Major Commands we were the only command ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 1/4/2011 2:01:54 PM U.S. Army Staff Sergeant David Hulsen
2nd Combined Arms Battalion, 137th Infantry medic
wrote Relationship deeper than partnership "DJIBOUTI Years ago, even the day I enlisted in the Army, I never would have guessed I would find myself in a classroom in the middle of the city of Djibouti. Djiboutian soldiers, medical personnel like myself, were practicing their skills and we were developing a professional, if not friendly, relationship. ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 1/4/2011 9:01:33 AM Rear Admiral Brian Losey, commander, and Captain John Dixon, chief of staff, Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa wrote Visiting Our Teams over the Holidays "This commentary was written by Rear Admiral Brian Losey, commander, and Captain John Dixon, chief of staff, Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa about their travels to visit units and troops who are forward-deployed throughout the operating area.
Dinner Recognition During Holiday Dinner
Camp ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 1/2/2011 2:56:15 PM Chaplain, Lt. Col. David Terrinoni wrote Thoughts of Uganda 1-5 December 2010 by Chaplain, Lt. Col. David Terrinoni "What a mission! I went on my first visit to one of our Civil Affairs (CA) team missions in Moroto, Uganda early December. I admit, I wasnt sure what to expect, but the team, under the leadership of Staff Sgt. Ken Bryant, has fulfilled every aspect of the Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africas 3-D ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 12/27/2010 10:48:42 AM 1st Lt. Corey Lies wrote Enhancing capacity in Burundi "Our team arrived at the Bujumbura International Airport in Burundi along with two other teams. There we met up with the State Department manager for Burundi who linked us up with our drivers and armed guards and headed to our hotel.
The hotel is a four-star resort setting with a large pool and ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 12/22/2010 12:29:24 PM U.S. Coast Guard Captain Kathleen A. Duignan, U.S. Africa Command, Chief, Legal Engagements Division wrote Government of Senegal Conducts Second Workshop to Facilitate Integration of Women in the Military "The Government of Senegal reconvened a small panel of experts from 13-15 December 2010 to review recommendations from the first and larger conference held on 4-6 October 2010 in order to ensure successful integration of women into the Senegalese military and security forces. This smaller conference ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 12/22/2010 11:22:31 AM LCDR Clinton S. Carlson, U.S. Africa Command Counter Narcotics & Law Enforcement Assistance Division wrote Liberian Coast Guard Ready for 24/7 Ops "On Friday 10 December, at 11 am, I had the distinct pleasure of being a guest of the government of Liberia as the recently completed Liberian Coast Guard pier and boat ramp were dedicated for use. As the project officer I am very well aware of the whole host of government offices, military units, and ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 12/21/2010 4:55:12 PM Major Alexander Bingcang, U.S. Africa Command wrote Medical Outreach for the Armed Forces of Liberia "The Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL) was invited to participate in a Civil Military Operations (CIMIC) project spearheaded by the Jordanian Medical Level III Hospital (Jormed III) staff of United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL). Four members of OPERATION ONWARD LIBERTY (OOL) provided advice to the AFL ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 12/21/2010 2:15:20 PM Lieutenant Colonel Dave Ehlers
2nd Combined Arms Battalion, 137th Infantry
wrote Savoring memories of Rwanda "GAKO, Rwanda -- We arrived in Kigali, my third trip to Rwanda, in support of training at the Rwanda Military Academy at Gako. The hills were green, and the weather warm, with large thunderheads forming, reminiscent of Kansas in summer. This was the first trip to Rwanda for Captain Brent Buckley and ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 12/21/2010 2:08:59 PM By 1st Lieutenant Jonathon Bjorgaard
2nd Combined Arms Battalion, 137th Infantry logistics officer
wrote Logistics conference expands TPDF capacity "DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania -- The mission to Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania was an interesting and rewarding experience. As this was my second trip to sub-Sahara Africa, I had an idea of what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised on our arrival into the city as, in many ways Dar Es Salaam would fit well in ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 12/21/2010 1:45:45 PM Ria Blackwell wrote PPandemic Readiness & Response Exercise in Mombasa, Kenya "From December 6-10, 2010, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) sponsored a Pandemic Readiness & Response Exercise (P2RX) to test and refine tools and guidance for humanitarian response to a severe pandemic or similar infectious disease outbreak. The exercise focused on the second and third ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 12/15/2010 9:30:44 AM Captain Pete Hildreth wrote 3D moments in Kenya "Early this month, I had the opportunity to travel to Nairobi, Kenya, to participate in our monthly 3D Diplomacy, Development and Defense - meeting at the U.S. Mission to Kenya in Nairobi.
The 3D meeting is chaired by the deputy chief of mission and serves as the primary venue to ensure the activities ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 12/14/2010 2:05:56 PM Specialist Charles Nasternak wrote Overcoming Language Barriers "When I first learned that I would be mentoring with our partner nation for a combat life saving course I was a bit nervous due to the fact I had never taught this class and I would be working with a large group who did not speak English. I quickly learned that a language barrier is only as much of a ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 12/13/2010 2:48:02 PM Captain Scott Vasina, CJTF-HOA wrote Well Dedication in Dire Dawa "A three-man team from Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa went to Dire Dawa, Ethiopia, to dedicate a water well constructed by CJTF-HOA Navy Seabees. The U.S. Ambassador to Ethiopia, Ambassador Booth, was also present and was the primary speaker at the dedication.
The weather in Dire Dawa ..." (Read Full Text)
On 12/10/2010 3:55:27 PM Sergeant Major Matthew Grucella wrote Experiencing Ethiopian Culture "I have just returned from Ethiopia and wanted to share some of my insights from the trip. Ethiopia is a vast and beautiful nation comprised of many varied climates. Its people are proud of their past and are optimistic of the future of their nation.
On a previous trip to Ethiopia in September I ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 12/10/2010 2:50:55 PM Anthony B. Dunn, U.S. AFRICOM Office of the Inspector General wrote IG Principles and Practices Seminar in Tanzania "At the invitation of the Tanzania Peoples Defense Forces (TPDF) commander, the U.S. Africa Command's IG Office conducted a seminar with a select group of staff officers in the capital Dar es Salaam. Navy Commander Scott Bell, the CJTF-HOA Inspector General, and I, led the seminar discussions on ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 12/10/2010 12:50:43 PM 1st Lieutenant Scott Williams, 2nd Combined Arms Battalion, 137th Infantry wrote Building Partnerships in Burundi "Two of my colleagues and I recently had the privilege of assisting a Burundian National Defense Force battalion staff train-up and preparation for a peace keeping deployment. Our team was assembled from among the best of our units available personnel to assist the BNDF in their training on the Military ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 12/10/2010 12:14:02 PM Specialist Melanie McBride, 402nd Civil Affairs Battalion wrote Shinile Medcap "I just completed my first mission in the Horn of Africa with the 402nd Functional Specialty Team. This was the last phase of a three-phase mission. Phase one consisted of collecting stool samples from children in the Shinile region of Ethiopia and assessing them for parasites. Phase two was the treatment ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 12/10/2010 12:06:04 PM Robin Croft wrote Colorful, Vibrant Nigeria "As we were flying over Nigeria, I couldn't believe the diversity of the landscape below me. First, flying over the Northern part of the country, the desert below stretched endlessly for hours during the flight, with vast tan and ochre expanses sprinkled with ant-sized communities of human habitation. ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 12/10/2010 11:25:25 AM 1st Lieutenant Scott Williams, 2nd Combined Arms Battalion, 137th Infantry wrote Building Partnerships in Burundi "Two of my colleagues and I recently had the privilege of assisting a Burundian National Defense Force battalion staff train-up and preparation for a peace-keeping deployment. Our team was assembled from among the best of our unit's available personnel to assist the BNDF in their training on the ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 12/7/2010 12:44:56 PM Lieutenant Colonel Eric Lyon, U.S. Africa Command Office of Legal Counsel wrote Seminar on Human Rights and International Law "I recently returned from Abuja, Nigeria, where I had the privilege of helping present an executive-level seminar on Human Rights and International Law to senior members of the Nigerian Armed Forces. This seminar was jointly conducted by the U.S. Africa Command Office of Legal Counsel and the Defense ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 11/23/2010 4:50:08 PM Lieutenant Commander William Dwyer, Office of Legal Counsel wrote Partnering with Tanzania: Maritime Law Enforcement and Human Rights "From 16-19 November 2010, LCDR Bill Dwyer, U.S. Coast Guard from the U.S. Africa Command Office of Legal Counsel and CDR Russ Verby, U.S. Navy JAGC, from the Defense Institute of International Legal Studies (DIILS) traveled to Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania to lead an executive-level seminar in Maritime Operations ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 11/22/2010 10:57:13 AM Alejandro Holguin wrote The Gift of Hope "Note: Alejandro Holguin is the command's program manager for the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC). CFC is a federally sanctioned fundraising campaign allowing federal employees and contractors to donate money to a list of approved charities through payroll deductions and direct donations. For ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 11/16/2010 12:37:36 PM Sergeant Francisco Mendez, CJTF-HOA wrote Partnership, friendships in Uganda "Uganda, it's a place where the heart is. I showed up in Uganda not knowing what to expect; all I knew is that I was going to be partnering with Uganda People's Defense Force to go over Combat Life Saving techniques. Well, was that wrong. I did do that, but it was not the only thing.
It started ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 11/15/2010 2:22:56 PM Gunnery Sergeant Philip A. Palmer wrote Veterans Day in Tunisia "Note: Gunnery Sergeant Philip A. Palmer is the detachment commander at the U.S. Embassy in Tunis. He wrote the following blog about the Embassy's Veterans Day ceremony:
I currently have 5 Marines that serve and protect here in Tunis. We spent our birthday honoring the Veterans and paying ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 11/12/2010 2:12:01 PM Lieutenant Colonel Steve Lamb, U.S. AFRICOM Public Affairs wrote Celebrating Veterans Day in France "It was Veterans Day, cold (4 degrees C, 39 F), wet and windy at 4 a.m. when my mother and I boarded a bus to begin our USO tour to the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery in France. Five hours later the country and terrain had changed but the weather was still the same, not pleasant.
This trip was special ..." (Read Full Text)
On 11/10/2010 2:11:49 PM Lieutenant Colonel Jim Gotlewski wrote Pandemic Response Plan Engagements in Mali "Humanitarian and Health Activities, Outreach and the Center for Disaster and Humanitarian Assistance Medicine (CDHAM) conducted key leader engagements in Mali last week for the Pandemic Response Program. The team met with the Ambassador, Deputy Chief of Mission, OSC and USAID Deputy at the embassy. ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 11/9/2010 1:15:20 PM Alison Williams, TSA Rep. to US AFRICOM wrote TSA advice for Holiday Travel "Hello Everyone,
My name is Alison Williams and I am the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) representative here at AFRICOM. I wanted to bring a few things to your attention if you're flying back to the States (or within the States) over the holidays. When it comes to bringing items through ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 11/9/2010 11:58:10 AM Captain Mark Huebschman, AFRICOM Current Operations Staff wrote Maritime Capacity Building in West Africa "Last week I had my first opportunity to travel to the continent of Africa since joining the AFRICOM staff this past July. I had the pleasure of traveling with Ambassador Holmes, our Deputy Commander for Civil-Military Activities, to the countries of Liberia and Sierra Leone. For me this was a fascinating ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 11/9/2010 10:56:27 AM Major Eric Hilliard, U.S. AFRICOM Public Affairs wrote Initial Planning Conference for Africa Endeavor 2011 "Major Eric Hilliard, U.S. Africa Command Public Affairs Office, is in Port Louis, Mauritius for the initial planning conference for Africa Endeavor 2011, a U.S. AFRICOM annual communications exercise which focuses on interoperability and information-sharing between African nations
"First ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 11/8/2010 1:46:04 PM Staff Sergeant Amanda McCarty wrote Oh Brother Where Art Thou? "A recent TDY took me to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to support a command post exercise conducted by the Africa Standby Force (ASF). I had waited a year hoping to travel to the country. Although I always enjoy traveling to new countries and experiencing different cultures, I had a very personal interest in ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 11/5/2010 4:46:02 PM Senior Chief Musician Max Fryar wrote Last Day in Ghana "Senior Chief Musician Max Fryar is with the U.S. Naval Forces Europe - Africa Band which performed in Accra, Ghana as part of a two-week, three-country engagement. The performances, supporting the Africa Partnership Station, feature the NAVEUR-NAVAF Band and local musicians.
Today, November ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 11/5/2010 1:29:31 PM Sergeant First Class Andres Reta wrote CCO Partners with Ethiopian Businesses on How to Conduct Business with U.S. Government "The Contingency Contracting Office's plan was to build a better partnership with the Ethiopian community and, at the same time, create a larger vendor base for procuring services and commodities in support of Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa's mission throughout our assigned operating ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 11/5/2010 12:04:12 PM Petty Officer 2nd Class Vince Beard, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa wrote Performance at Reverend Teye Memorial School "Petty Officer 2nd Class Vince Beard is with the U.S. Naval Forces Europe - Africa Band which performed in Accra, Ghana as part of a two-week, three-country engagement. The performances, in support of the Africa Partnership Station, feature the NAVEUR-NAVAF Band and local musicians.
Flagship ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 11/5/2010 11:38:53 AM Gunnery Sergeant Dennis Dougherty wrote AFRICOM Championship Game "This past week AFRICOM HQ won the Unit Level Regular Season and Tournament Flag Football Championship for the U.S. Army Garrison in Stuttgart, Germany.
The team finished the regular season with an 8-0 record, then rolled through the double elimination tournament with a 4-0 record claiming the regular ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 11/5/2010 11:27:07 AM Major John F. Whitfield wrote Department of State CIO Visit "Ms. Susan Swart (Department of State CIO) visited senior leaders from USAFRICOM on October 29, 2010 to discuss USAFRICOM's Information Technology collaboration requirements and to promote a classified Defense Connect Online (DCO) collaboration solution for 14 US Embassies located in Africa. COL ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 11/4/2010 2:20:19 PM Michelle Bailey, senior station manager for the American Red Cross wrote Red Cross Support to AFRICOM "On November 3, 2010, I visited U.S. Africa Command headquarters to present ideas for offering Red Cross support to Africa. While I was there, I also attended a meeting in reference to the victims of this weekend's warehouse fire, which caused nearly 100 military and civilian families to lose all ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 11/4/2010 9:57:12 AM Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 7 wrote NMCB 7 finishes renovations to Borror School "Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 7, with Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa held a project completion ceremony in Burnt Forest, Kenya, October 25, 2010. Our team working out of the Borror District of Kenya, led by Chief Petty Officer Phillip Hayes, turned over a school office building that ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 11/4/2010 9:17:16 AM Petty Officer 2nd Class Kori Gillis wrote Sharing Love of Music in Ghana "Petty Officer 2nd Class Kori Gillis is with the U.S. Naval Forces Europe - Africa Band which performed in Accra, Ghana as part of a two-week, three-country engagement. The performances, supporting the Africa Partnership Station, feature the NAVEUR-NAVAF Band and local musicians.
Today we had ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 11/3/2010 2:57:37 PM Jay Osborne, U.S. Africa Command wrote Cameroon Site Survey "Note: Lieutenant Colonel Mark Sojourner, along with Dan Seller, Don Lewis and Jay Osborne, with U.S. Africa Command's Strategy, Plans and Programs office, recently conducted a four-day site survey to Yaounde and Douala, Cameroon.
Our team travelled to Cameroon to meet with the country ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 11/2/2010 4:01:42 PM Lieutenant Junior Grade John Hayes wrote EOD Team Completes 'Amazing Experience' with KMOD "Note: Lieutenant Hayes is the officer in charge of the explosive ordnance disposal team for Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa. His team recently completed partnering with the Kenyan Defense Military during the Humanitarian Mine Action Train-the Train course in Kenya.
My team and I successfully ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 11/2/2010 1:58:02 PM Anthony B. Dunn, Office of the Inspector General wrote IG Principles and Practices Seminar in Lesotho "At the invitation of Lieutenant General E.T. Motanyane, the commander of the Lesotho Defence Force (LDF), the U.S. Africa Command IG Office conducted a seminar with a select group of 18 commanders and staff officers at Ratjomose Barracks in the capital Maseru. Air Force Major John Pease and I led the ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 11/2/2010 10:57:54 AM Petty Officer 2nd Class Garrett Stephan wrote First Performance in Ghana "Petty Officer 2nd Class Garrett Stephan is with the U.S. Naval Forces Europe - Africa Band which performed in Accra, Ghana as part of a two-week, three-country engagement. The performances, supporting the Africa Partnership Station, feature the NAVEUR-NAVAF Band and local musicians.
Today ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 11/1/2010 9:48:43 AM Petty Officer 2nd Class Garrett Stephan wrote NAVEUR-NAVAF Band in Gabon "Petty Officer 2nd Class Garrett Stephan is with the U.S. Naval Forces Europe - Africa Band which performed in Libreville, Gabon in October 2010 as part of a two-week, three-country engagement. The performances, supporting the Africa Partnership Station, feature the NAVEUR-NAVAF Band ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 10/29/2010 10:36:13 AM IS3 Kevin Mullins wrote 18th annual USO Service Salute "IS3 Kevin Mullins is a Personnel Security Specialist at U.S. Africa Command. He was recognized on October 15, 2010 during the 18th Annual USO Europe Service Salute, which recognizes junior enlisted service members from U.S. and German ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 10/28/2010 2:43:30 PM Senior Chief Max Fryar, NAVEUR Band wrote NAVEUR Band in Gabon "Senior Chief Max Fryar is with the U.S. Naval Forces Europe (NAVEUR) Band which performed in Libreville, Gabon on October 27, 2010, as part of a two-week, three-country engagement. The performances, supporting the Africa Partnership Station, feature the NAVAF Band and local musicians.
My team ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 10/27/2010 3:01:03 PM Abel H. Villarreal, Resources Directorate Program Agreements Specialist wrote Saudi Bound "My name is Abel H. Villarreal and I was assigned to Resources as a Program Agreements Specialist. For nearly two years I have had the privilege of working all Government Accounting Office (GAO) inquiries, initiating the Command Manager's Internal Control Program and have worked a variety of Resource ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 10/26/2010 2:24:23 PM Mr. Anthony B. Dunn, USAFRICOM Office of the Inspector General wrote IG Principles and Practices Seminar in Swaziland "At the request of Lieutenant General Sobantu Dlamini, the commander of the Umbutfo Swaziland Defense Force (USDF), the U.S. Africa Command Inspector General Office conducted a seminar with a select group of USDF commanders and staff officers at their headquarters outside the capital, Mbabane, from 18-19 ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 10/25/2010 4:59:57 PM Major John Whitfield, U.s. Africa Command, C4 Systems wrote U.S. Army Signal Corps' Regimental Chief Warrant Officer Visits Stuttgart "Chief Warrant officer Todd Boudreau, U.S. Army Signal Corps' Regimental Chief Warrant Officer, visited senior communication leaders from U.S. European Command and U.S. Africa Command on October 22, 2010 to provide information on the future of the U.S. Army Signal Corps and to increase the awareness ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 10/22/2010 4:01:26 PM Colonel Peter Davies wrote J3 Director, Designate Visit Awassa CA Team "Note: As part of the handover-takeover of responsibilities of Director of Operations for Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa, Colonel Peter Davies and U.S. Army Colonel Damon Igou traveled to Awassa, Ethiopi, to see firsthand the work of Civil Affairs Team 413 of Charlie Company, 418th Civil ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 10/20/2010 10:32:11 AM Lieutenant Junior Grade John Hayes wrote Explosive Ordnance Disposal Team Builds Relationships in Kenya "Note: Lieutenant Hayes is assigned to Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa as an explosive ordnance disposal team leader. His team is conducting a Humanitarian Mine Assistance train-the-trainer course in Nairobi, Kenya.
NAIROBI, Kenya (October 16, 2010) -- My team has been welcomed nicely ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 10/20/2010 9:13:54 AM Brigadier General Stayce Harris, mobilization reserve assistant to the commander wrote Pandemic Response Exercise in Kenya "The following blog is by Brigadier General Stayce Harris, U.S. Africa Command's mobilization reserve assistant to the commander:
Jambo! As we enter the flu season, the importance of U.S. Africa Command's recent pandemic ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 10/18/2010 9:38:10 AM Colonel Franklin Childress, U.S. Africa Command director of Public Affairs wrote Department of State PA Conference "This past week I had the honor to attend the U.S. Department of State's Public Affairs Conference held at the State Department in Washington D.C.
It was an exceptional conference led by Under Secretary Judith McHale. I was honored to be the only uniformed military officer at the conference, and ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 10/14/2010 6:23:13 PM Dace Mahanay wrote Agriculture Initiative in Kisangani, DRC Going Strong "Dace Mahanay, a graduate student at the Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University, is currently interning with the Borlaug Institute on an AFRICOM agriculture project in Kisangani, DRC. He is sending periodic blogs detailing the project's progress.
At Camp Base, ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 10/14/2010 11:30:57 AM Anthony B. Dunn wrote AFRICOM IG Participates in Anti-corruption Seminars in Chad "AFRICOM IG Participates in Anti-corruption Seminars in Chad
Note: Anthony B. Dunn is U.S. Africa Command's Inspector General Engagements chief.
I recently participated in two anti-corruption seminars in NDjamena, Chad. The seminars were sponsored and led by faculty members from the ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 10/13/2010 1:36:25 PM CAPT Kathleen A. Duignan, U.S. Africa Command Office of Legal Counsel and Mr. Dale Carter, U.S. Africa Command Outreach Directorate wrote Government of Senegal Conducts Workshop on Integration of Women in the Military with U.S. Africa Command Support "With support from U.S. Africa Command and the Africa Center for Strategic Studies' Regional Office for West Africa, the Government of Senegal conducted a workshop in Dakar, Senegal during Oct. 4-6 to discuss the full integration of women into the military.
The workshop grew out of concerns expressed ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 10/13/2010 1:04:58 PM Captain Joseph Blubaugh wrote Comorian Solutions to Comorian Problems "Note: Captain Joe Blubaugh is the officer in charge of Combat Camera deployed to Djibouti in support of Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa.
After spending several days in the Comoros, I am still amazed at the picturesque views that are so commonplace on the tiny island in the Indian ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 10/12/2010 11:32:51 AM Command Sergeant Major Mark Ripka wrote Command Sergeant Major Blog: September 2010 "It's been almost two months since I last wrote...hard to believe.
Since my last blog I have been to Liberia, Djibouti, Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya, and Ethiopia. A very special event in September was the privilege and honor of hosting the Kenya Defence Sergeant Major and his delegation consisting ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 10/12/2010 11:29:56 AM Lieutenant Colonel Mark Sojourner wrote Kigali Site Survey "Note: Lieutenant Colonel Mark Sojourner, along with Dan Seller and Jay Osborne, with U.S. Africa Command's Strategy, Plans and Programs office, conducted a two-day site survey trip to Kigali, Rwanda recently to coordinate the opening of an Office of Security Cooperation office.
We had ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 10/7/2010 5:00:03 PM Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff wrote Chairman's Corner: Community Colleges "Following is a blog by Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, from his blog website at DOD Live.
Yesterday, Deborah and I had the privilege of attending Dr. Jill Biden's White House ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 10/6/2010 9:22:39 AM Captain Bryan Gregory wrote Meaningful Kenyan Visit "Note: Captain Gregory is a logistics officer with the U.S. Army 2nd Combined Arms Battalion, 137th Infantry.
The mission to Kenya was a deeply rewarding experience for me. Prior to my arrival, like most Americans, what I knew of Kenya was limited to beautiful wild animals and world-class athletes. ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 10/5/2010 4:45:49 PM Captain Cayah Saahene, Judge Advocate, U.S. Army Africa wrote Legal Courses in Chad and Democratic Republic of Congo "Judge advocates Lieutenant Colonel Stephen Salerno and Lieutenant Colonel Timothy Tuckey of U.S. Army Africa's (USARAF) Office of the Staff Judge Advocate (OSJA) recently returned from spending two weeks in Chad and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), respectively, where they instructed legal ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 10/5/2010 11:43:08 AM Sergeant Benjamin Cornelius wrote Mozambique Maintenance Mission "Note: Sergeant Cornelius is a forward support company mechanic with the 2nd Combined Arms Battalion, 137th Infantry.
Four Kansas National Guard mechanics from the 2nd Combined Arms Battalion, 137th Infantry, left for a maintenance mission to Maputo, Mozambique August 31, 2010. Our mission ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 10/4/2010 3:57:13 PM Brigadier General Paul W. Brier, commander of U.S. Marine Forces Africa wrote Exercise Shared Accord 2010 "Recently I had the pleasure of traveling to Mozambique for the first time. The three-day visit provided me with the opportunity to meet with U.S. and Mozambican service members participating in Exercise Shared Accord 2010. As the Commander of U.S. Marine Forces Africa, I was pleased to observe the close ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 10/1/2010 10:17:07 AM Richard Ridgway, U.S. AFRICOM deputy inspector general wrote AFRICOM IG Participation in Anti-Corruption Seminars in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Republic of Congo "I recently participated in two Anti-Corruption seminars held in Matadi, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and Brazzaville, Republic of Congo, and I came away with the strong feeling that we have committed partners in those countries who share our beliefs and goals in promoting ethics in government. ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 9/30/2010 3:53:29 PM Lieutenant Colonel Jim Gotlewski, U.S. AFRICOM Pandemic Response Program wrote Planning for Pandemic Influenza Table Top Exercise "A U.S. Africa Command team traveled to Senegal on Sunday, September 19, 2010 to plan for an upcoming Pandemic Influenza (PI) Table Top Exercise in Senegal, which is tentatively scheduled for May 2011.
The exercise was requested by the government of Senegal following a recent regional PI exercise ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 9/30/2010 3:17:54 PM Captain Patrick Morris wrote Ugandan experience to remember "Note: Captain Morris is the battalion captain for the U.S. Army 2nd Combined Arms Battalion, 137th Infantry Division Combat Operations Center.
As we made our decent into Entebbe, Uganda's International Airport, we could see Lake Victoria and the lush green surroundings, which was a drastic ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 9/29/2010 4:15:35 PM Colonel Stephen Andreasen, U.S. AFRICOM Inspector General wrote IG Swearing In "Today General Ward administered an oath to his Inspectors General. Often conducted annually or when a new inspector assumes the duties of the office, this event solidifies and portrays the link between a commander and his inspector general staff.
Inspector general responsibilities include serving ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 9/28/2010 10:51:15 AM Colonel Franklin Childress, U.S. AFRICOM director of Public Affairs wrote Transition Assistance Program "This past week I had the honor to attend the Transition Assistance Program (TAP) course at Ramstein Air Base Germany.
It was an exceptional course taught by skilled professionals who are dedicated to easing the difficult transition process from the military into civilian life.
We were briefed ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 9/24/2010 2:50:28 PM Sergeant First Class Joshua D. Hall wrote Remembrance "Editor's note: Sergeant 1st Class is a U.S. Army counterintelligence liaison with U.S. Africa Command's Intelligence and Knowledge Development directorate.
I have always been a devourer of World War II history. I still remember the eerie feeling I had as I drove in a taxi over the ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 9/22/2010 12:21:40 PM Admiral Mike Mullen wrote Chairmans Corner: Let the Warrior Games Begin! "Yesterday, I was delighted to be able to announce the dates for the Second Annual Warrior Games, to be held in Colorado Springs May 16-21, 2011.
The Warrior Games is a joint effort between the U.S. Olympic Committee and the Defense Department and serves as a focal event to empower the incorporation ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 9/21/2010 9:51:26 AM Brigadier General Robert Ferrell, U.S. AFRICOM director of C4 Systems wrote U.S. Wereth Memorial Ceremony "On Saturday September 18th, 2010 I had the honor of being the guest speaker at the annual U.S. Wereth Memorial ceremony for the 11 World War II Soldiers of the 333rd Field Artillery Battalion (FA BN), in Wereth, Belgium.
A little history of the "Wereth 11": On 17 December 1944, during the ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 9/15/2010 3:50:53 PM Robin Croft, U.S. AFRICOM Public Affairs wrote IMBUNTU "During the 2010 Chaplains Conference taking place in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany this week, 35 US Africa Command Chaplains and Chaplains assistants took a guided tour to Dachau, the former Nazi concentration camp in Bavaria.
Before we left on the trip, Col. Bishop Alfred Kotich from the Kenyan ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 9/15/2010 8:23:11 AM Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff wrote Chairman's Corner: Calling All Stop-lossed Servicemembers "Time is running out for those who qualify to receive their Stop Loss Special Pay. The deadline to claim it is Oct. 21st, but less than half of the more than 145,000 people eligible have submitted claims.
It's not a scam. And it's not a joke. It's YOUR money, so come get it.
Just in ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 9/14/2010 10:14:38 AM Vince Crawley wrote At Hanna's Orphans Home, 'Big Sister' Cares for more than 200 Kids in Ethiopia "At last count, Hanna Teshome had 233 children. Three call her "mother." The other 230 call her "Tete," which is Amharic for "big sister," and they live in more than two dozen rented homes throughout Ethiopia's capital city of Addis Ababa.
Nearly all of the children found ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 9/13/2010 4:49:44 PM Anthony B. Dunn, chief of IG Outreach wrote Kenya IG Seminar "At the invitation of the Chief of the Kenyan Ministry of State for Defence Inspectorate, Brigadier John N. Wainaina, the U.S. Africa Command IG office conducted an IG familiarization seminar with 20 of their military personnel in Nairobi from 17-19 August. The Kenyan Ministry of Defence Inspectorate ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 8/30/2010 4:58:25 PM Major Steven Lamb, Public Affairs Office wrote US Army Europe's annual Public Affairs Conference "Public affairs professionals from across Europe and from Washington D.C. gathered in the historic city of Sibiu, Romania to participate in US Army Europe's annual Public Affairs Conference 23-27 August 2010.
I work for U.S. Africa Command Public Affairs and though we don't have a European ..." (Read Full Text)
On 8/25/2010 3:18:10 PM Lieutenant Colonel Greg Mittman wrote Kansas National Guard battalion commander recounts mission to Rwanda for CJTF-HOA "Note: Lieutenant Colonel Greg Mittman is the commander of the 2nd Infantry 137 Combined Arms Battalion of the Kansas National Guard deployed to Djibouti in support of Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa
I prepared for the Rwanda mission for two months reading anything I could get my hands ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 8/25/2010 3:13:54 PM Marie Besancon wrote A rainy night in Ethiopia brings out the best in a civil affairs team "Note: Ms. Marie Besancon is the director, Socio-Cultural Research and Assessment Team supporting Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa.
After posting the weekly report and the Shinile VETCAP draft report, I realized that I did not write about how great CPT Barnards CA Team is and how well ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 8/24/2010 7:50:44 AM Command Sergeant Major Mark Ripka wrote Command Sergeant Major Blog: July/August 2010 "July and August have flown by
When I last wrote I described my time aboard the USS JOHN L. HALL FFG 32. I have since been on terra firma. So, let's catch everyone up to now.
In July, I joined CMC Bob Audiss at Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) in Djibouti for several days ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 8/17/2010 3:08:31 PM Brigadier General James Owens, Deputy Commander, Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa wrote Reflections of Travel, Partnerships, and an American Hero during Trip to Uganda "I MUST attend the Kitgum cafeteria dedication ceremony. Usually RDML Losey is the guy we want to attend these but this one means something to me as this project is being dedicated to the memory of CPT Benjamin Sklaver who was killed in action in Afghanistan. Ben Sklaver was one of my officers and I ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 8/17/2010 10:46:00 AM Brigadier General Robert Ferrell, U.S. Africa Command C4S director wrote Africa Endeavor 2010 "Getting the Africa Union (AU) to participate in Africa Endeavor (AE) 2010 is very huge. The AU is focused on the African Standby Force. Their initial hesitation of their involvement in AE was that they viewed AE as just a military to military communication exercise. The African Standby Force consists ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 8/13/2010 11:19:55 AM Staff Sergeant Christian Valencia, Marine Forces Africa Radio Chief wrote Africa Endeavor 2010 "I have been a participant of African Endeavor since its inception in 2006. I have performed the Single Channel Radio piece for the Marines from the planning conferences to the execution phases. Working alongside with the multinational African armed forces has been one of my most interesting tasks I ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 8/13/2010 11:10:57 AM Lieutenant Commander James Stockman, U.S. Africa Command Public Affairs wrote Uniting through Africa Endeavor "Whether it be a simple "hello" or "thank you", the smallest gestures sometimes have the greatest impact. One of the main objectives of the Africa Endeavor 2010 exercise in Accra, Ghana is relationship building, both personal and professional. For the most part, Nigerians were interacting ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 8/13/2010 10:54:29 AM Commander Norm Presecan, U.S. Africa Command wrote Africa Endeavor "I'm in Accra, Ghana participating in Africa Endeavor (AE) 2010 - a gathering of more than 35 African and European countries to practice communications interoperability. We also have Economic Community of Western African States (ECOWAS), Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) and the ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 8/12/2010 8:47:25 AM Lcpl Scott Marchewka, MARFORRES wrote Africa Endeavor 2010 "I am one of 2 radio operators sent from Miramar. Myself and Sergeant Brandon Sanders arrived with a group of data Marines Saturday. I did not know exactly what to expect of Ghana, but was pleased to find the local military so helpful and courteous. Our passage through customs was no effort, and the ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 8/12/2010 8:46:36 AM Jess Raasch, North Dakota Army National Guard wrote Africa Endeavor 2010 "I am part of a public affairs team working to cover the Africa Endeavor 2010 events. The event is only beginning, and I have already seen extraordinary things happen. I have witnessed countries join together to learn new technology while forming bonds that will last a lifetime. This event allows countries ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 8/11/2010 9:33:48 AM Commander John Hardaway, force surgeon at Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa wrote Medical Engagements in Africa "The following blog is by Commander John Hardaway, force surgeon at Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa:
5 Aug 2010
I just arrived today in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for military-to-military medical engagement planning meetings tomorrow. I flew in from Vicenza, Italy, where I attended ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 8/11/2010 8:24:08 AM Billie Jo Lorius, North Dakota National Guard wrote Africa Endeavor "I'm Billie Jo Lorius, from the North Dakota National Guard, and currently I'm in Accra, Ghana, as part of a public affairs team covering Africa Endeavor. North Dakota has a state partnership with Ghana, and I have heard a lot about the country from other North Dakotans who have been able to ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 8/5/2010 12:56:00 PM Doris Mariani, Senior Strategic Advisor, Strategy, Plans and Programs Directorate wrote Fourth Academic Symposium in Dakar, Senegal "I recently attended the fourth Academic Symposium in Dakar, Senegal, organized jointly by the United States Africa Command and the Africa Center for Strategic Studies (ACSS). The symposium was designed to enhance understanding of the Africa Command, to solicit ideas from African, European and U.S. academics ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 8/4/2010 1:27:35 PM Lieutenant Colonel Richard Weaver, U.S. Africa Command Commandant wrote Happy 220th Birthday to the United States Coast Guard! ""A few armed vessels, judiciously stationed at the entrances of our ports, might at a small expense be made useful sentinels of the laws." - Alexander Hamilton, the first Secretary of the Treasury, in Federalist No. 12, The Utility of the Union in Respect to Revenue, From the New York Packet, ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 7/26/2010 4:09:07 PM Brigadier General Stayce D. Harris, Mobilization Reserve Assistant to the Commander wrote U.S. Africa Command Academic Symposium in Dakar "A wealth of meaningful dialogue was exchanged in Dakar, Senegal this month at the fourth U.S. Africa Command Academic Symposium, a partnership of Africa Command and the Africa Center for Strategic Studies (ACSS). The symposium aimed to provide recommendations to Africa Command on how it can improve ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 7/26/2010 1:45:07 PM Brigadier General Stayce D. Harris wrote Pandemic Response Exercise in Benin "The following blog is by Brigadier General Stayce D. Harris, U.S. Africa Command's Mobilization Reserve Assistant to the Commander
I recently provided the opening remarks at U.S. Africa Command's first pandemic response table top exercise in West Africa held in Cotonou, Benin, June ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 7/26/2010 9:18:42 AM Sergeant Lydia Davey, Marine Forces Africa wrote Supporting Shared Accord in Mozambique "I thought I knew what to expect from the continent of Africa. Granted, my feet have only touched soil in seven countries here, but somehow I felt that I had it all figured out. However, Mozambique is full of surprises and newness.
The first surprise was the weather. I disembarked from the small ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 7/19/2010 1:18:37 PM Guest Blogger Amanda Edgell wrote Military Food Security in the Democratic Republic of the Congo "Amanda Edgell, a summer intern for the Borlaug Institute, is working at Camp Base in Kisangani on the agriculture project. She is sending periodic blogs on the project's progress
Contracted to produce a large-scale agriculture project on Camp Base outside Kisangani, Democratic Republic ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 7/15/2010 4:30:32 PM Colonel Jon L. Lightner, JA, U.S. Army, Legal Counsel wrote UN Peacekeeping and the Law Symposium "I had the opportunity last week (6-9 July 2010) to attend and participate in the United Nations Peacekeeping and the Law Symposium in New York City. The conference was jointly sponsored by the Air Force Judge Advocate General's Corps, the Center of Excellence for Disaster Management and Humanitarian ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 7/14/2010 3:57:38 PM Colonel Franklin Childress wrote Conference in Bahrain " Colonel Childress is U.S. Africa Command's Public Affairs Director
Hello AFRICOM,
I just returned from a very productive and important meeting with our friends and colleagues from U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), the Department of State (DOS), and the Pentagon.
The Conference was ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 7/6/2010 4:26:30 PM Command Sergeant Major Mark Ripka, U.S. AFRICOM Senior Enlisted Leader wrote June 2010: Engaging with Partner African Militaries "June 2010 has been a very busy and rewarding month.
I just returned from my final June 2010 trip to Africa. The month started in Morocco with a visit to Exercise African Lion, followed by my first return visit to Liberia since Operation Onward Liberty began in January 2010. In the latter part of ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 7/1/2010 5:23:54 PM General William E. Ward, commander of U.S. Africa Command wrote My trip to Lisbon, Portugal "Hello Teammates,
I recently addressed the Senior Leader's Seminar (SLS) sponsored by the Africa Center of Strategic Studies (ACSS). With 39 African countries represented, this year's SLS was the largest and most diverse ever held by the ACSS.
The evening before my address, I attended a ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 6/22/2010 2:32:08 PM Danielle Skinner wrote "This Time for Africa": Soccer, Food, and Voodoo "Note: Danielle Skinner, U.S. Africa Command Public Affairs Office, is blogging from Cotonou, Benin while supporting a pandemic response exercise which brings together representatives from 15 African nations to collaborate on the development of local, national, and regional disaster response plans.
World ..." (Read Full Text)
On 6/17/2010 3:31:49 PM Lieutenant Colonel Chris Wyatt, Chief, U.S. Office of Security Cooperation Botswana wrote Tebelopele, Making a Difference on a National Scale "Can one take an idea, nurture it, influence human behavior and improve the lives of an entire nation almost overnight? This is a fair question and one which Tebelopele, a Botswana-based non-governmental organization (NGO), can make a legitimate claim to have done over the course of nearly a decade of ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 6/17/2010 1:24:05 PM Anthony B. Dunn, IG Office wrote IG Inspections Seminar in Addis Ababa "At the invitation of the Ethiopian National Defense Force's (ENDF) Inspector General (IG), Brigadier General Tsegay Tessema Niguse, the U.S. Africa Command IG Office conducted an IG Inspections seminar for the ENDF IG staff at the Defense Industry Training Institute in Addis Ababa from 7-11 June. ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 6/10/2010 3:12:09 PM General William E. Ward, commander of U.S. Africa Command wrote Memorial Day in Tunisia "Hello Teammates,
I just returned from Tunisia, where I had the privilege of taking part in one of the most memorable Memorial Day ceremonies of my career. The visit was an opportunity to reinforce the strong friendship between the United States and this North African ally, for CSM Ripka and me to ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 6/4/2010 3:36:41 PM U.S. Army 1st Lieutenant Christiana Porter, FLINTLOCK 10 Public Affairs wrote Providing Medical and Veterinary Care in Senegal "Toubab is what the locals call us. It's a term used for those other than Senegalese until they know you, then by your name. When the Senegalese said it, especially the children, it was almost like a term of endearment, they were happy to see us. They want to shake your hand and say thank you. No ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 6/2/2010 11:55:45 AM Staff Sergeant Amanda McCarty wrote My Gift Back to Zambia "While in Zambia writing about the selfless act of a fellow Airman and visiting local HIV/AIDS clinics, I was inspired to find something I could do to make a difference. The people are so friendly and their country is peaceful and beautiful. I wanted to honor them and give some small token of my gratitude.
After ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 6/2/2010 11:17:46 AM Nancy Hudson wrote The Belleau Wood Experience "(Note: Nancy Hudson works in U.S. Africa Command's Public Affairs Office. She visited Belleau Wood, France to attend the Memorial Day Ceremony with her husband, Major Dan Hudson, U.S. Marine Corps. Service members from U.S. Marine Forces Africa and U.S. Marine Forces Europe were among those who ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 5/27/2010 9:04:22 AM Kimberly Tiscione, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment/Flintlock Public Affairs wrote Snapshot: Bamako, Mali "I recently had the opportunity to spend a month in Bamako, Mali, while supporting Exercise Flintlock 10. Flintlock is the special operations forces exercise, conducted by Special Operations Command Africa with participation of key European nations, focused on military interoperability and capacity-building ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 5/26/2010 3:23:34 PM Eric Elliott, U.S. Africa Command Public Affairs wrote Ouagadougou by Bus "(Note: Eric Elliott, U.S. Africa Command Public Affairs, was in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, while supporting Exercise Flintlock, a multi-national military exercise conducted in various Trans-Saharan countries to develop military capacity of ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 5/26/2010 11:47:47 AM Guest Blogger Lieutenant Commander Samuel Ayelazono, Ghanaian Navy wrote The Haiti Disaster -- My Reflections "(Note: Lieutenant Commander Samuel Ayelazono served as the Ghana hub officer for Africa Partnership Station 2010 (West) onboard the USS Gunston Hall. Ayelazono was responsible for coordinating all APS events taking place in his home country. The USS Gunston Hall was originally scheduled to make three ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 5/24/2010 12:17:36 PM Command Sergeant Major Mark Ripka, senior enlisted leader wrote Malawi Senior Leader Engagement "I just returned from my most recent trip to Africa where I visited with partner nation military leaders in Malawi. This was my first trip to Malawi. As always, I was encouraged by the willingness of partner nations to improve their security related capabilities and to remain relevant in the contemporary ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 5/19/2010 11:54:32 AM Master Sergeant Donald Sparks, Flintlock 10 Public Affairs wrote Miracle in Segou "I watched a baby defeat the fingertips of death. Severely dehydrated and charbroiled mercilessly from the sun's kiss, she lied in her young mother's bosom. Her frail body was losing against the hands of time.
"Doc, is she going to make it?" I asked. As a father of three children ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 5/19/2010 11:32:30 AM Master Sergeant Donald Sparks, Flintlock 10 Public Affairs wrote African Village Reception "Today as my party entered the Malian community of Jiwoyo to conduct a medical civil action program, we were greeted with the rhythmic sound of drums and celebratory wailing and singing of women in colorful African garb.
As I stood and watched, goose bumps covered my skin and I can honestly say now ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 5/19/2010 10:49:37 AM Major Steven Lamb, U.S. AFRICOM Public Affairs wrote Pack like it's Arizona "I am a private person; I don't do Facebook, MySpace, Twitter or any of those other social networking things that have become so prevalent in our society today. The funny thing is I am the acting Social Media Chief for U.S. Africa Command. I like to have my experiences and share them with my kids ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 5/17/2010 3:34:49 PM Patrick Barnes wrote Virginia State University Graduation "(Following is a blog from Patrick Barnes, Public Affairs representative, U.S. Africa Command Washington Liaison Office)
On Sunday May 17th, along with several thousand family and friends of the Virginia State University (VSU) graduating class of 2010, I witnessed General William E. Ward receive an ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 5/17/2010 3:26:00 PM Staff Sergeant Amanda McCarty wrote A Day with a King and Crocodiles "(Note: Sergeant McCarty, U.S. Africa Command Public Affairs, is blogging from Camp Baangre in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, while supporting Exercise Flintlock, a multi-national military exercise conducted in various Trans-Saharan countries to develop military capacity of African, American and European ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 5/14/2010 10:27:04 AM General William E. Ward wrote Botswana and Namibia "I recently returned from a productive trip to Botswana and Namibia, where I had the chance to meet numerous senior political and military leaders to reinforce the strong relationships between our nations, ensure their satisfaction with our efforts to build their security capacity and to listen and learn ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 5/12/2010 5:12:11 PM Staff Sergeant Amanda McCarty wrote Finding Common Ground in Africa "(Note: Sergeant McCarty, U.S. Africa Command Public Affairs, is blogging from Camp Bangare in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, while supporting Exercise Flintlock, a multi-national military exercise conducted in various Trans-Saharan countries to develop military capacity of African, American and European ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 4/23/2010 10:56:49 AM Danielle Skinner and Hadley White wrote Stranded in Africa Part 3: Rwanda Trials and Looking Back "(Note: Danielle and Hadley are blogging from northern Tanzania while caught in worldwide flight delays. Yesterday they visited the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda.)
After a busy couple of days, and then waking up to a downpour of rain, we decided to stay in Arusha on Thursday and see what ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 4/22/2010 11:14:07 AM Danielle Skinner and Hadley White wrote Stranded in Africa Part 2 - The Road to Kilimanjaro "(Note: Worldwide flight delays with the Europe volcano meant that two U.S. Africa Command employees found their visit to Tanzania unexpectedly prolonged following a military health conference. They're spending the time journeying around northern Tanzania to explore and meet people.)
Excited about ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 4/21/2010 11:26:42 AM Danielle Skinner and Hadley White wrote Stranded in Africa - Opportunity to Explore and Meet People "As we sit here in our hotel in Arusha, Tanzania, we are watching the news for updates on the openings of European airports. Yes, we are one of the thousands of people stranded following the eruption of the volcano in Iceland. We were in Arusha last week for the 2010 International Military HIV/AIDS Conference ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 4/15/2010 8:46:21 AM Danielle Skinner wrote HIV/AIDS Counseling and Testing in Militaries "The past week, April 12-15, while representing the U.S. Africa Command Public Affairs Office at the 2010 International Military HIV/AIDS Conference, I learned a lot about the challenges facing militaries with regards to HIV/AIDS. Since I don't have a medical background, a lot of the information ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 4/13/2010 3:53:41 PM Phillip J. Heyl, Chief of Air and Maritime Security in Strategy, Plans and Programs, U.S. Africa Command wrote African Union Experts' Workshop on Maritime Security "I recently returned from the African Union (AU) sponsored Experts' Workshop on Maritime Security in Addis Ababa from 6-7 April 2010.
The goal of the workshop was to generate discussion leading to specific inputs for the construct of a continental strategy for the African maritime domain. Illegal ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 4/9/2010 4:12:57 PM Lieutenant Colonel Chris Wyatt, Office of Security Cooperation Botswana wrote Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Meets Botswana Officials and the Botswana Defence Force "In early April Deputy Assistance Secretary of Defense for Africa Ambassador Vicki Huddleston, visited senior members of government and the Botswana Defence Force (BDF) as part of her first visit to Botswana. Ambassador Huddleston, the senior most Department of Defense official to visit Botswana in the ..." (Read Full Text)
Between 23 and 25 March 2010, U.S. Africa Command held its first Inspector General (IG) Conference at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre in Accra, Ghana. The conference was hosted by the Command's Inspector General, Colonel Ronald Baldinger, and the Commands Chief of IG ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 3/29/2010 3:18:37 PM Phillip J. Heyl wrote Maritime Security and Economic Development "The following blog is by Phillip J. Heyl, chief of the Air and Maritime Security Branch in the Strategy, Plans and Programs Directorate, U.S. Africa Command:
I just returned from a Consultative Workshop to develop a Maritime Security Strategy for Africa. The workshop focused on the role of ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 3/19/2010 4:01:45 PM General William E. Ward, Commander of U.S. Africa Command wrote 2010 Posture Hearings "Hello Teammates,
On March 9 and 10, I completed my annual responsibility to provide testimony to the United States Congress on the posture of the United States Africa Command. The public hearings that I participated in and the written statements that I submitted for the record provided me the opportunity ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 3/17/2010 5:31:53 PM Colonel Franklin Childress, U.S. Africa Command Public Affairs Director wrote Proud to be an American Soldier "Dear Friends,
This is not your typical Africa Command Blog. In fact it has nothing to do with Africa, but it is very important for me to share with you our readers a little insight into the United States military. Although it is written by an Army Major General, it could easily be from an Air Force, ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 3/8/2010 4:22:57 PM Command Sergeant Major Mark Ripka wrote Improving NCO Leadership Capability and Capacity "I just returned from a trip to Africa where I visited with partner nation military leaders in Uganda, Kenya, and Senegal. At each location and during each engagement I was encouraged by the willingness of partner nations to improve their security related capabilities and capacities; and by the enthusiasm ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 3/8/2010 9:24:32 AM Colonel James Welton, U.S. Africa Command wrote Pandemic Influenza Workshop "U.S. Pacific Command, U.S. Africa Command, and the Center of Excellence in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance (COE-DMHA) partnered with U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the World Food ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 2/10/2010 10:25:46 AM Major Paula Kurtz, 17th Air Force wrote Investment of Engagements, Hard Work Pays Off at Moroccan Air Show "It's always a great feeling when weeks, sometimes months, of work finally culminates and a mission launches successfully. Today I'm sitting on a C-130J -- the newest model in our USAF inventory -- headed to Morocco for the Aeroexpo Marrakech 2010, an international trade show that will be held ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 2/9/2010 10:37:28 AM Captain Lauren Byrd wrote Rwandan Traveling Contact Team leaves SG captain in awe "My new year started with a wonderful opportunity to participate in a Traveling Contact Team to Rwanda. The purpose of the TCT was to provide the Rwandan Defense Force with familiarization and orientation to U.S. Air Force concepts in Aerospace Medicine including physical examinations, aeromedical waivers, ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 1/27/2010 12:50:44 PM General William "Kip" Ward, commander of U.S. Africa Command wrote Around the Horn "Hello Teammates,
I just returned from a quick trip to Djibouti to visit our teammates at Camp Lemonnier and the Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa where it was a mere 86 degrees when I arrived.
As I said, it was a quick trip but one I wanted to make to thank Rear Admiral Tony Kurta and his ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 1/20/2010 10:54:54 AM General William E. Ward, commander of U.S. Africa Command wrote Commander's Intent "Teammates;
As we move into the year 2010, I would like us all to take a moment and reflect on our accomplishments thus far and what lies ahead.
Africa Command has already made strides in helping our African partners develop security capacity. Exercises like AFRICA ENDEAVOR and NATURAL FIRE have ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 1/7/2010 11:01:05 AM Melony C. Angelilli wrote General Ward Encouraged and Energized the Team at Intelligence Knowledge "Yesterday (January 6, 2010), I had the pleasure of being a part of a visit by United States Army General William "Kip" Ward to the Intelligence Knowledge Development Molesworth (IKD-M) team at Royal Air Force Molesworth, United Kingdom. General Ward's enthusiasm and energy spread as he went ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 1/6/2010 5:36:06 PM Lieutenant Colonel Victoria Swank, 2009 AFRICOM CFC-Overseas Program Manager wrote 2009 Combined Federal Campaign "The 2009 Combined Federal Campaign is now officially complete. Donors were even more generous in 2009 than last year. Additionally, over 70 volunteer helpers were key to our success. Our total contributions, average contribution, and per-capita contribution all increased.
Here is how we did in 2008 ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 11/25/2009 11:35:10 AM Colonel Victor Folarin, Chief, International Health Programs wrote U.S. Africa Command Represented at New Laboratory Openings in Cameroon "Col Victor Folarin, Chief, International Health Programs, Medical Division, Operations and Logistics Directorate, U.S. Africa Command Headquarters, Stuttgart, Germany travelled to Cameroon November 8-14, 2009.
The purpose of the travel was to represent U.S. Africa Command, the Command Surgeon, and ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 11/10/2009 5:51:47 PM General William "Kip" Ward wrote WARD SENDS: Veterans Day 2009 "Americans celebrated Armistice Day on November 11, 1919, commemorating the first anniversary of the end of World War 1 by honoring the nations fallen warriors and calling for a lasting peace. Soon veterans became part of the annual event, and in 1938 Congress declared Armistice Day a legal holiday. ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 11/3/2009 8:16:15 AM Staff Sergeant Christina Zamora, 17th Air Force Communications wrote African Endeavor "I recently had the opportunity to take part in a communications exercise in Gabon, Africa. The main goals were to enhance interoperability between the 25 African nations in attendance, while fostering friendships with the hopes of creating lasting working relationships.
Upon arrival at the site, ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 10/28/2009 4:04:38 PM General William E. Ward, commander of U.S. Africa Command wrote Exercise Natural Fire 10 in Uganda "Over the last several years, I have had many opportunities to talk about partnering for peace, stability and security in Africa, but during the last several days, I have had the unique opportunity to see it in action during Exercise Natural Fire 10 in northern Uganda.
As I arrived at Entebbe Airport ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 10/15/2009 12:42:55 PM Captain Amanda C. Krbec, U.S. Afica Command, OPLOG - Medical Division wrote Africa Endeavor Medical Support "While providing medical support for the "Africa Endeavor" Exercise in Libreville, Gabon, from 25 September to 9 October 2009, I was honored to work closely with three fantastic Gabonese medical colleagues. Initially concerned our cultural and language differences might be a barrier to us working ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 10/13/2009 3:45:13 PM Commander Benjamin Benson, U.S. Coast Guard wrote Developing legal structures for maritime security "At a recent maritime security related meeting in Dakar, Senegal, we had the opportunity to discuss the issue of aligning maritime laws in Africa. Differences in laws is one of the issues that needs to be resolved for African and other partner nations to better cooperate in maritime security activities.
In ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 10/13/2009 3:32:23 PM Lieutenant Colonel Sam Mubangu, Office of Legal Counsel wrote Executive-Level Seminar on Legal Aspects of Combating Corruption "From September 21-25, 2009 a team of active duty and reserve component military lawyers traveled to Kinshasa, DRC to lead an executive-level seminar on legal aspects of combating corruption. This training was a one-year follow-on to a program delivered in September 2008, except that this time the focus ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 10/8/2009 2:58:30 PM Senior Master Sergeant Jim Downey, 17th Air Force wrote Meeting with Pioneering Botswana Leaders Produces Goose Bumps "This past week I had the honor of sitting on a Senior NCO-NCO panel, consisting of 17th Air Force professionals and five very inspirational and courageous Botswana leaders: Major Jenamiso Mountain, 2nd Lieutenant Lesedi Kelesitse, Military Command Sergeant Major Mogakolodi Sebego, Warrant Officer I ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 10/7/2009 10:53:23 AM Lieutenant Colonel Sam Mubangu wrote Executive-Level Seminar on Border Security Issues "From September 14-18, 2009 a team of USG civilian and military lawyers traveled to Goma, provincial capital city of Nord-Kivu in East DRC, to lead an executive-level seminar on border security issues for the Great Lakes Region countries. The team consisted of Commander Luke Reid of the Defense Institute ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 10/6/2009 3:19:06 PM General William E. Ward, commander of U.S. Africa Command wrote From Gen William "Kip" Ward "My staff and I spend much of our time traveling and meeting with people across Africa, throughout the United States, and around the world. A lot of those people ask us: What is U.S. Africa Command really about? Why has the United States created this organization? What did the American government expect ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 10/1/2009 10:21:19 AM Commander Douglas Velvel wrote Expanded IMET - Combating Radicalization and Extremism "
On 19-25 Sept 2009, a team from the U.S. Africa Command Office of Legal Counsel and the Defense Institute of International Legal Studies (DIILS) traveled to Kinshasa, DRC, to lead a 5 day executive-level -IMET on Combating Radicalization and Extremism. The seminar was attended by approximately 30 ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 9/23/2009 3:03:30 PM Vince Crawley, U.S. Africa Command Public Affairs wrote What I Learned about Cameroon "We often claim we're a listening and learning organization, so here are a few things we learned while recently hosting six people from Cameroon for a U.S. Embassy-funded visit.
Meeting with German officials in Stuttgart, they explained that Cameroon was a former German colony, up until World ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 9/21/2009 2:37:05 PM Colonel Victor Folarin, MS, MD, MPH, Deputy Command Surgeon wrote U.S. Africa Command Health Engagement Visit to Sao Tome and Principe and Gabon "Two International Health specialists from the International Health Programs branch, Medical Division, Operations and Logistics Directorate, US Africa Command Headquarters, travelled to Sao Tome and Principe and Gabon from 30 Aug to 11 Sep 2009.
The purpose of the visit was to perform a health engagement ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 9/18/2009 4:38:51 PM Valerie M. Lubin, Chief, Quality of Life Program Manager wrote Quality of Life Visit to Djibouti "As U.S. Africa Command's Quality of Life chief, I conducted a staff assistance visit to Camp Lemonier on 29 August - 2 September 2009.
The purpose of the visit was to assist in the establishment of a Military Family Life Consultant (MFLC) at Camp Lemonier and visit the military personnel at ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 9/14/2009 11:56:01 AM Benjamin Benson, commander, U.S. Coast Guard wrote Port Industries: Key Partners for Maritime Security in Africa "The Mauritius Port Authority (MPA), in coordination with the U.S. Coast Guard's International Port Security (IPS) Program, held a conference of the South Asia and Africa Regional Cooperative (SAARPSCO), bringing together regional port industry representatives, key government officials, and maritime ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 9/14/2009 10:45:32 AM Erika, Frieder and Michael Alber wrote U.S. Africa Command's Open House " AFRICOM PAO Note: Following is a guest blog at the invitation of U.S. Africa Command. Erika, Frieder and Michael Alber were German guests at the command's open house on September 9, 2009.
This Thursday we have been invited by General William E. Ward, Commander of the United States Africa ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 9/8/2009 11:05:14 AM Command Sergeant Major Mark Ripka wrote The Value of Tactical Aide Memoires/Graphic Training Aides in Africa "During my time as the Command Senior Enlisted Leader for United States Africa Command, I have time and again stressed the importance of tactical aide memoires/graphic training aides (TAMs/GTAs). The use of TAMs/GTAs has been a major point of discussion during most of my senior leader engagements, including ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 9/3/2009 6:15:22 PM Colonel Franklin Childress, Director of Public Affairs wrote Hope for Africa on 20th Anniversary of Germany's Reunification "I just returned from Berlin where I attended a Public Affairs Officers Conference. It was great to be back in the city after all these years. The last time I visited Berlin the year was 1988, the wall was up and West Berlin was in essence a western island surrounded by a sea of communism. My wife and ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 9/2/2009 2:24:58 PM General William E. Ward, commander of U.S. Africa Command wrote Trip to Mauritius, Seychelles, Ethiopia and Kenya "On my trip last week to Mauritius, Seychelles, Ethiopia and Kenya, I again observed "partnership" in action and it emphasized to me how important this concept is to the work that we do at the command.
My first visit to the island nations of Mauritius and Seychelles was a true pleasure, and ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 9/1/2009 4:51:55 PM Lieutenant Colonel Paul Starita, Office of Legal Counsel wrote Human Rights Seminar in Mozambique "On 16-20 August 2009, a team combined of a representative from the U.S. Africa Command Office of Legal Counsel and a representative of the Defense Institute of International Legal Studies (DIILS) traveled to Maputo, Mozambique, to lead a 2-day executive-level seminar on Human Rights and International ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 9/1/2009 12:59:59 PM Major Paula Kurtz, 17th Air Force wrote Partnering with the Uganda People's Defence Force "As I travel around Africa, I'm never sure quite what to expect. Last week I visited Uganda for the first time. There were 18 of us aboard a U.S. Air Force C-130 from the 37th Airlift Squadron at Ramstein, Germany. Our mission was to engage with the Uganda Peoples' Defence Force and show them ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 8/31/2009 10:07:41 AM Christine Byrne, Office of Inspector General wrote Inspector General Outreach in Cameroon "Between 17 and 19 August 2009, the U.S. Africa Command Office of Inspector General (IG), represented by the Deputy Inspector General, Richard Ridgway and the IG Chief of Outreach, Christine Byrne, presented an Executive Seminar on the United States' IG System to 20 Cameroonian government officials ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 8/26/2009 12:38:59 PM Master Sergeant Jim Fisher, 17th Air Force wrote Senior Leader Engagement in Kenya "I'm finally in Kenya. After being a part of 17th Air Force, U.S. Air Forces Africa and U.S. Africa Command for a little over a year, I've made it to one of the continent's most interesting nations. I was peering and craning my neck in three different directions to see what I could make out ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 8/21/2009 2:59:02 PM Master Sergeant William Bertelson wrote Establishing a NCO Academy in Sudan "The following blog is by Master Sergeant William Bertelson, Commander's Action Group, U.S. Africa Command.
I just returned from nine weeks in southern Sudan to assist the SPLA (Sudan People's Liberation Army) in establishing a Noncommissioned Officers (NCO) Academy. I also observed ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 8/14/2009 3:49:52 PM Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Hitesman, Office of the Legal Counsel wrote Seminar on Transnational Organized Crime and Narcotics Trafficking "On 27-31 July 2009, a team from the U.S. Africa Command Office of Legal Counsel and the Defense Institute of International Legal Studies (DIILS) traveled to Freetown, Sierra Leone to lead a 5 day executive-level seminar on Transnational Organized Crime and Narcotics Trafficking. The seminar was attended ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 8/12/2009 4:53:30 PM Deborah Ripka wrote Visit to Rwanda "Rwanda Trip Summary
Deborah Ripka
Editor's note: Deborah Ripka, wife of Command Sergeant Major Mark Ripka, senior enlisted leader for U.S. Africa Command, is a gifted resource teacher in the Norfolk School District in Norfolk, Virginia. The following blog, which was submitted by Mrs. Ripka, ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 7/31/2009 12:41:08 PM Master Sergeant Jim Fisher wrote Airmen Get to Know Ghana during Presidential Support Mission "July 10, 2009 -- Airmen, sailors and Marines taking part in the presidential support mission in Ghana have been trying to get a sense of what life is like here. We are not shielded from the realities of Ghanaian life. Driving between our accommodations and our base in the capital of Accra reveals a ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 7/24/2009 9:34:07 AM Command Sergeant Major Mark Ripka wrote Visit to Rwanda "During my recent trip to Africa I had the opportunity to visit and observe the U.S. Independence and Rwanda Independence celebration; attend the 15th Anniversary of Rwanda Liberation Day; visit the Rwanda Military Academy-Gako to observe African Contingency Operations Training and Assistance (ACOTA) ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 7/16/2009 3:53:41 PM General William E. Ward, commander of U.S. Africa Command wrote Social Media at U.S. Africa Command "The following blog by General Ward was written in response to an online query asking for his opinion on the use of social media at U.S. Africa Command and as a communication tool for U.S. troops. The original query can be found in the AFRICOM Dialogue section at http://www.africom.mil/africomDialogue.asp?entry=20.
Appreciate ..." (Read Full Text)
On 7/14/2009 1:37:08 PM Commander Kathleen A. Duignan, Office of Legal Counsel wrote UN Peace Operations and the Law Symposium "I recently had the chance to speak at the UN Peace Operations and the Law Symposium held from June 29 through July 1, 2009 in New York City, New York. This symposium was attended by senior military officers and defense officials from the United States, Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, and other ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 6/26/2009 4:23:50 PM Valerie Lubin, chief, Quality of Life wrote Quality of Life Site Visit to Djibouti "As the Chief, Quality of Life, conducted a staff assistance visit to Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) and Camp Lemonier on 8-11 Jun 09. The purpose of the visit was to assess the quality of live at Camp Lemonier, identify any issues/challenges and gaps in service/programs that are ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 6/26/2009 1:02:16 PM Commander Kathleen Duignan, Office of Legal Counsel wrote Human Rights and Humanitarian Law "From 5-19 June 2009, I had the opportunity and privilege to be part of a U.S. Africa Command and Defense Institute of International Legal Studies (DIILS) legal team that traveled to Libreville, Gabon, Port Gentil, Gabon, and Sao Tome Island, Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, to meet with ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 6/25/2009 12:51:36 PM Command Sergeant Major Mark S. Ripka wrote Senior Leader Engagements in Kenya "Chief Master Sergeant Marty Klukas, Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa, Command Senior Enlisted Leader and I travelled to Kenya, 14-19 June, 2009 to meet the new Kenya National Defense Force (KNDF) Defense Sergeant Major (DSM) and the Kenya Army, Navy, and Air Force Sergeants Majors. We were asked ..." (Read Full Text)
On 6/9/2009 10:10:01 AM CSM Mark Ripka wrote Engaging in Morocco, Ethiopia, and Tanzania "During the course of my recent trip to the continent of Africa I had the opportunity to visit and observe AFRICAN LION Exercise 2009 in Morocco; coach, teach, and mentor a train-the-trainer course at the Tolay Noncommissioned Officer Academy in Ethiopia; and participate in discussions and briefings ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 5/27/2009 12:41:25 PM Christine Byrne, Chief of IG Outreach wrote Inspector General Outreach in Freetown, Sierra Leone "Between 5 and 8 May 2009, the U.S. Africa Command Office of Inspector General (IG), represented by the Inspector General, Colonel Ronald Baldinger; the IG Chief of Outreach, Christine Byrne; and the IG Chief of Assessments, Albert Rowe, presented an executive seminar entitled "Inspector General ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 5/26/2009 2:23:29 PM Kent Waller, Coalition Services Branch Chief, C4 Systems wrote Communication Network Projects in Nigeria "U.S. Africa Command's Directorate for Command, Control, Communications and Computer Systems (C4 Systems) met in Nigeria in early May 2009 with Nigerian Ministry of Defence (MOD) headquarters staff and the Economic Community of West African States headquarters staff to review ongoing communication ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 5/20/2009 12:54:49 PM Commander Benjamin Benson, U.S. Coast Guard wrote Partnering in Maritime Security "I had the opportunity to join U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Commandant Admiral Thad Allen when he visited Djibouti together with the new USCG Chief of International Affairs and Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard. The visit included meetings with the U.S. Ambassador, Combined Joint Task Force - ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 5/18/2009 1:59:34 PM General William Ward wrote Trip to Tanzania, Swaziland and Mozambique "I just returned from a productive visit to southeast Africa and I want to share with you some of the things that I experienced during the trip.
Our first stop was to the inviting country of Tanzania. After meeting with our Embassy teammates I had the opportunity to meet with the Minister of Defense ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 5/15/2009 10:23:13 AM Colonel Jon Lightner and Commander Kathleen A. Duignan wrote U.S. Africa Command Represented at Military Law Conference in Tunisia "Between 4 and 8 May 2009, the U.S. Africa Command Office of Legal Counsel, represented by the Legal Counsel, Colonel Jon Lightner, and attorney Commander Kathleen A. Duignan, attended the XVIII Congress of the International Society of Military Law and the Law of War, held for the first time in the society's ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 5/15/2009 9:01:17 AM Lieutenant Colonel Sam Mubangu, Office of Legal Counsel wrote Human Rights Executive Seminar in The Gambia "U.S. Africa Command and the Defense Institute of International Legal Studies (DIILS) dispatched two military lawyers to Banjul, The Gambia on April 8-9, 2009, to lead an executive-level seminar on the law of armed conflict and human rights law. There were approximately 50 participants drawn solely from ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 4/24/2009 10:33:19 AM Commander Kathleen Duignan, U.S. Africa Command Office of Legal Counsel wrote Partnering with Cape Verde: Maritime Law Enforcement and Human Rights "On 13-17 April 2009, a team from the U.S. Africa Command Office of Legal Counsel and from the Defense Institute of International Legal Studies (DIILS) traveled to Praia, Cape Verde to lead two executive-level seminars, one in Maritime Law and Drug Enforcement and a second one in Human Rights and Humanitarian ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 4/22/2009 9:16:08 AM Colonel Ron Baldinger, U.S. Africa Command Inspector General wrote International Defense Acquisition Resource Management Conference "On 14-17 April 2009, I attended the International Defense Acquisition Resource Management (IDARM) Conference in Rabat, Morocco. The conference was conducted by the School of International Graduate Studies, United States Naval Postgraduate School, and it focused on 21st Century Defense and Armaments ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 4/16/2009 3:58:20 PM Paul Saxton wrote Partnering with Cameroon Military "The following blog is by Paul Saxton, U.S. Africa Command's director of Outreach:
I spent two very profitable days with the African Partnership Station (APS) team in Limbe, Cameroon, April 8-9, 2009. My visit coincided with visits by U.S. Ambassador to Cameroon Janet Garvey and U.S. Marine Corps ..." (Read Full Text)
On 3/19/2009 12:36:15 PM Ray Kirkland wrote Military HIV/AIDS Prevention Conference "The following blog by Ray Kirkland, director of programs for U.S. Africa Command's Strategies, Plans, and Programs directorate, refers to the Military HIV/AIDS Prevention Conference, March 2-5, 2009 in Gaborone, Botswana. For more information about the conference, see Military ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 3/6/2009 9:32:23 AM Command Sergeant Major Mark S. Ripka wrote CSM Mark S. Ripka visits Africa Partnership Station, USS Nashville in Senegal "As the Command Sergeant Major of United States Africa Command, I spend the majority of my time on the continent of Africa conducting engagements with military leaders from African defense forces. During one of my most recent trips, I visited the Africa Partnership Station (APS) and observed military-to-military ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 2/9/2009 8:41:08 AM Natalie Lampert wrote Final Reflections "Editors Note: Natalie Lampert is a sophomore at Elon University, where she is majoring in International Studies with a regional concentration in Africa. She graduated from the International School of Stuttgart, Germany in 2007.
Her previous blogs are available at U.S. ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 2/3/2009 10:05:14 AM Dr. (Col) Schuyler Geller wrote Our Mission is to Add Value "During a recent trip to Madagascar and the Union of the Comoros with Gen Ward, I was able to meet with a number of individuals engaged in the important work of decreasing the disease burden that afflicts so many in Africa. This included the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) health representative ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 1/27/2009 5:17:36 PM General William E. Ward, commander of U.S. Africa Command wrote Notes on my Visit to Madagascar and Comoros "I just returned from Madagascar and the Union of the Comoros. These island nations are in the Indian Ocean, about as far away from the continental United States as you can get, but they are both nevertheless strategic in their location and as partners to our country.
On January 21, we spent the ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 1/16/2009 10:08:42 AM Major General Paul Capasso wrote AFRICA ENDEAVOR 2009 "United States Africa Command kicked off the initial planning conference (IPC) of AFRICA ENDEAVOR 2009 (AE09) this week in Dakar, Senegal. AFRICA ENDEAVOR is a cooperative C4 interoperability exercise between United States Africa Command and our African partners. One hundred and five (105) participants ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 1/16/2009 10:04:50 AM Natalie Lampert, Elon University wrote U.S. Africa Command: Responding to Criticism "Editors Note: Natalie Lampert is a sophomore at Elon University, where she is majoring in International Studies with a regional concentration in Africa. She graduated from the International School of Stuttgart, Germany in 2007. The Voice of America television program she references, Straight ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 1/15/2009 9:17:10 AM Deborah Ripka wrote A Teacher's Experience in Namibia "Editor's note: Deborah Ripka, wife of Command Sergeant Major Mark Ripka, senior enlisted leader for U.S. Africa Command, is a gifted resource teacher in the Norfolk School District in Norfolk, Virginia. The following blog, which was submitted by Mrs. Ripka, documents her trip to Namibia in July, ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 1/14/2009 11:08:44 AM Natalie Lampert, Elon University wrote U.S. AFRICOM: A Student's Perspective "Editors Note: Natalie Lampert is a sophomore at Elon University, where she is majoring in International Studies with a regional concentration in Africa. She graduated from the International School of Stuttgart, Germany in 2007.
I first recall hearing about U.S. Africa Command about a year and ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 1/7/2009 1:09:36 PM Dr. (Col) Schuyler Geller wrote Health: A Bridge to Peace and Stability "As the Command Surgeon and Medical Division Chief for the Operations and Logistics Directorate (OPL), U.S. Africa Command, I am very excited to announce that on January 8 and 9, 2009 at the National Academy of Science - Institute of Medicine, the International Health division of the office of the Assistant ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 11/10/2008 7:19:48 PM Ambassador Mary C. Yates wrote Stability and Development Linked in Africa "How can we, a military command, contribute to economic growth and stability in Africa? I had a unique opportunity to discuss this question October 8, 2008, while representing U.S. Africa Command at a luncheon in Washington, D.C. called "Envisioning Africa in 2020," hosted by the Corporate Council on ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 11/8/2008 12:49:20 PM Vince Crawley wrote Public Feedback Temporarily Interrupted by Technical Error "Our deep apologies. A technical error prevented blogging and public feedback to our Website for the past couple of weeks. We've only recently learned about it and fixed it. Up until the outage, we received nearly 300 responses from the public, averaging about one a day since this feature was launched ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 10/15/2008 9:33:31 AM Public Affairs wrote Conventional Wisdom Challenged - Part 1 "Since its creation was announced in February 2007 there has been plenty of conventional wisdom about U.S. Africa Command what it is, what it will do, why it was established. This conventional wisdom is seldom sourced and often speculative, but it's so widely repeated that journalists regurgitate ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 9/5/2008 10:30:51 AM U.S. Africa Command Public Affairs wrote African Media Covers Armed Forces of Liberia Activation Ceremony "The graduation of Liberian service members and the activation of a new infantry battalion on August 29, 2008 marked an historic day for the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL) and was widely covered in the Liberian news media.
The ceremony included remarks by President of Liberia Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf; ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 8/26/2008 9:41:59 AM U.S. Africa Command Public Affairs Office wrote U.S. Africa Command is a "Model We Should Embrace," says Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Coulter "A senior Defense Department policy official has sought to put to rest concerns that U.S. Africa Command is an example of militarization of U.S. foreign policy. Instead, the new headquarters is "a model we should embrace," said Michael W. Coulter, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for International ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 8/6/2008 11:20:36 AM Public Affairs Office wrote Partnership Between Departments of State and Defense is Vital to Africa Command ""What is the role of the military within foreign policy?"
As U.S. Africa Command makes steady progress toward becoming the sixth U.S. regionally focused headquarters by October, 2008, this question has been widely discussed in the media, in online blogs, and in recent congressional testimonies.
At ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 7/30/2008 5:03:38 PM Major General Paul F. Capasso wrote AFRICAN ENDEAVOR 08 A Complete Success "I had the opportunity and pleasure to visit Africa last week. Looking across this expansive territory, one is struck by the vast differences in topology, climate, languages, resources, culture and people. At first glance, when most people are asked to describe the second largest of the Earths continents, ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 6/26/2008 1:36:05 PM Maj Gen Paul F. Capasso wrote Information Technology: Enabler for Security and Stability "United States Africa Command (U.S. AFRICOM) represents an important and enduring symbol of the United States commitment to our African partners and friends. Our mission is clear and captures the realities of today's global environment:
United States Africa Command, in concert with other U.S. ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 6/12/2008 3:51:28 PM Joseph Severino, U.S. Navy Senior Chief Petty Officer wrote HUMANITARIAN MINE ACTION (HMA) PROGRAM "I'm U.S. Navy Senior Chief Petty Officer Joseph Severino, Humanitarian Mine Action (HMA) program manager for the United States Africa Command. The intent of the HMA program is to assist countries in relieving the suffering of the adverse effects of uncleared landmines and other explosive remnants ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 5/12/2008 4:14:24 PM Major Brittany Stewart wrote AFRICOM at Africa Clearinghouse in Tokyo "The United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) continued its international dialogue about security cooperation programs in Africa at the G8++ Africa Clearinghouse in Tokyo, Japan, April 23-24, 2008. The Clearinghouse is an international forum to develop a common understanding of capacity building in Africa ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 4/21/2008 11:19:19 AM Captain Phil Heyl wrote Why is the U.S. Coast Guard in Africa? "As a U.S. Coast Guard officer assigned to U.S. Africa Command's Operations Logistics Directorate, I have had the pleasure of recently traveling back to many of the West African countries I first trained in over 17 years ago. Cape Verde is a good example of the long tradition that the Coast Guard ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 4/7/2008 9:36:50 AM Brig Gen Paul F. Capasso wrote AFRICAN ENDEAVOR 08 - Providing Common IT Solutions "Several of you who responded to my last article were concerned about how the lack of infrastructure threatened the proliferation of information technology on the African continent. It is true that the lack of infrastructure has slowed down the advancement of information technology and its use on the ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 4/5/2008 11:28:42 AM Chaplain Onyema Okorie, U.S. Air Force wrote "Response to Emily: Of course, no doctor cures him or herself. I am sure our beloved Chaplain Colwell has the fervent support of his fellow chaplains in his ministry of service and also for his very own spiritual well being. And do I need to add: God does take care of his own Let us all continue to keep ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 4/3/2008 11:53:22 AM Commander Greg Griffitt wrote More Information on our Recent Theater Security Cooperation Working Group Conference "The United States Africa Command hosted its inaugural Theater Security Cooperation Working Group (TSCWG) conference in Oberammergau, Germany, March 17-21, 2008.
The Working Group is a key element and critical enabler of the command's Theater Security Cooperation process. The conference included ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 3/14/2008 4:35:04 PM Chaplain David Colwell, U.S. Africa Command chaplain wrote Religious Dialog "I am Chaplain David Colwell, the U.S. AFRICOM chaplain. I would like to take this opportunity to briefly talk about the military chaplaincy.
A chaplain is a representative of a religious organization. The man or woman who becomes a chaplain is a minister, Imam, Rabbi, priest or representative of ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 3/6/2008 8:34:41 AM Major Rick Wrona wrote Transparency in Mali "(Transparency in Mali) Last week, several representatives of the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) had an outstanding opportunity to participate in the Economic Community of West African States/Africa Center for Strategic Studies (ECOWAS/ACSS) Strategic Level Seminar in Bamako, Mali. West African senior ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 2/7/2008 1:00:08 PM Col Don Zimmer wrote Mil-to-Mil and Humanitarian Assistance Programs "(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 ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 2/4/2008 10:59:07 AM Chaplain David Colwell wrote Faith, Hope Share Common Ground "A few months ago, while in Mali, several U.S. military chaplains and I had the opportunity to visit numerous religious leaders in various forums for dialog. Often after initial opening comments by the participants there was a period set aside for questions and answers.
Some of the questions directed ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 1/25/2008 1:02:01 PM Vince Crawley, U.S. AFRICOM Public Affairs wrote ACSS Provides Support to African Military Leaders "Visiting Washington, D.C. this week, I stopped by the Africa Center for Strategic Studies to hear a speech by Lamine Cissé, the retired Senegalese general and former chief of staff who is in charge of the United Nations Office for West Africa.
Cissé spoke to 56 African officers attending ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 1/17/2008 10:35:04 PM Col Vic Folarin wrote A Partnership for Stability and Prosperity "(Note: An African serving in the U.S. Air Force, Colonel Folarin is AFRICOM's senior medical officer)
An African proverb says: When the right hand washes the left, and the left hand washes the right, both hands will become cleaner! So let it be with the partnership of Africa with the United States ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 1/16/2008 10:36:40 AM Brig Gen Paul F. Capasso wrote InfoTech Revolution Empowering Africans, Breaking Down Barriers "The miracle of information technology (IT)! It does not take one long to notice that the information revolution is making the world a better place. It is also not a secret that the power of information technology offers a unique opportunity to enable economic growth, increase government capacity, and ..." (Read Full Text)
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On 1/11/2008 4:06:09 PM Col Jim Welton wrote To Be Effective, We Need to Hear Public Views "I'm Colonel Jim Welton, U.S. Air Force, deputy director of Strategy, Plans and Programs. Our directorate is responsible for developing theater strategy, command policy, plans, and implementing theater security cooperation programs and military-to-military activities in support of U.S. foreign policy ..." (Read Full Text)
From LTC David Knellinger on 9/10/2012 2:02:03 PM "The Central Africa Region Environmental Security Symposium, hosted by the United States Africa Command Environmental Security Program and the United Nations Environmental Programme..." (Read Full Entry)
From Brigadier General Stayce Harris on 7/19/2012 8:54:32 AM "The following blog is by Brigadier General Stayce Harris, U.S. Africa Command's mobilization reserve assistant to the commander.
Over the past 2 years, I have had the..." (Read Full Entry)
Hamza in Gabes, Tunisia wrote on 10/2/2012 11:09:13 AM "I LOVE US ARMY I DREAM TO BE SOME ONE FROM MARINS ITS JUST DREAM..." (Read Full Entry)
Pamela in Virginia wrote on 10/2/2012 10:28:15 AM "This command much needed not only to ustain African governments ,but to also be an aide to our United States stability and protection. Many hostile in that area ,especially on East..." (Read Full Entry)
Herman in Pretoria wrote on 9/23/2012 5:46:33 PM "Awesome aircraft, thank you for the display! It is most appreciated...." (Read Full Entry)
Paul in UK wrote on 8/22/2012 9:16:10 AM "I was also involved in the communications training at Kisangani and share Michel Beya's comments I'm sure we met. What I saw was a very well trained battalion and hope that..." (Read Full Entry)
Mark in Fort Leavenworth wrote on 8/21/2012 10:25:29 PM "False allegations against Commander USAFRICOM appear to be in fashion. It is shameful that someone felt the need to assassinate the character of the previous commander — one ..." (Read Full Entry)
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AFRICOM History, Background
