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STUTTGART, Germany - A September 2008 photo of the headquarters of U.S. Africa Command on Kelley Barracks. Kelley Barracks, on the outskirts of Stuttgart, was originally built for the German military in the late 1930s. (Photo by Vince Crawley, U.S. Africa Command)

May 24, 2012 — United States Africa Command, (U.S. AFRICOM) is one of six of the U.S. Defense Department's geographic combatant commands and is responsible to the Secretary of Defense for military relations with African nations, the African Union, and African regional security organizations. A full-spectrum combatant command, U.S. AFRICOM is responsible for all U.S. Department of Defense operations, exercises, and security cooperation on the African continent, its island nations, and surrounding waters. AFRICOM began initial operations on Oct. 1, 2007, and officially became an independent command on Oct. 1, 2008.

Leadership
Commander: General Carter F. Ham, U.S. Army
Deputy to the Commander for Military Operations: Vice Admiral Charles J. "Joe" Leidig, Jr., U.S. Navy
Deputy to the Commander for Civil-Military Activities: Ambassador Christopher Dell, United States Department of State
Command Senior Enlisted Leader: Command Chief Master Sergeant Jack Johnson, Jr., U.S. Air Force

U.S. Africa Command Mission
Mission Statement : "U.S. Africa Command protects and defends the national security interests of the United States by strengthening the defense capabilities of African states and regional organizations and, when directed, conducts military operations, in order to deter and defeat transnational threats and to provide a security environment conducive to good governance and development."

The command's operations, exercises, and security cooperation programs support U.S. Government foreign policy and do so primarily through military-to-military activities and assistance programs. Our core mission of assisting African states and regional organizations to strengthen their defense capabilities better enables Africans to address their security threats and reduces threats to U.S. interests. We concentrate our efforts on contributing to the development of capable and professional militaries that respect human rights, adhere to the rule of law, and more effectively contribute to stability in Africa. U.S. AFRICOM most effectively advances U.S. national security interests through focused, sustained engagement with partners in support of our shared security objectives.

Personnel
U.S. Africa Command has approximately 2,000 assigned personnel, including military, U.S. federal civilian employees, and U.S. contractor employees. About 1,500 work at the command's headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany. Others are assigned to AFRICOM units at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida, and RAF Molesworth, England. The command's programs in Africa are coordinated through Offices of Security Cooperation and Defense Attache Offices in approximately 38 nations. The command also has liaison officers at key African posts, including the African Union, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), and the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping and Training Centre in Ghana.

AFRICOM is part of a diverse interagency team that reflects the talents, expertise, and capabilities within the entire U.S. government. The command has four Senior Foreign Service (SFS) officers in key positions as well as more than 30 personnel from more than 10 U.S. government departments and agencies, including the Departments of State and Homeland Security, and the U.S. Agency for International Development. The most senior is a career State Department official who serves as the deputy to the commander for civil-military activities. Our interagency partners bring invaluable expertise to help the command ensure its plans and activities complement those of other U.S. government programs and fit within the context of U.S. foreign policy.

Location
U.S. Africa Command is located at Kelley Barracks in Stuttgart-Moehringen, Germany.

Component and Subordinate Commands
AFRICOM's subordinate commands set the conditions for success of our security cooperation programs and activities on the continent. They perform detailed planning, provide essential command and control, establish and sustain relationships with our partners, and provide timely assessments. They are:

U.S. Army Africa (USARAF): Operating from Vicenza, Italy, USARAF conducts sustained security engagement with African land forces to promote security, stability, and peace.

U.S. Naval Forces Africa (NAVAF): Headquartered in Naples, Italy, NAVAF's primary mission is to improve the maritime security capability and capacity of African partners. Personnel are shared with U.S. Naval Forces Europe.

U.S. Air Forces Africa (USAFAF): As the air component of USAFRICOM, USAFAF conducts sustained security engagement and operations to promote air safety, security, and development in Africa.

U.S. Marine Corps Forces Africa (MARFORAF): Located in Stuttgart, Germany, MARFORAF conducts operations, exercises, training, and security cooperation activities throughout the African continent. Its staff is shared U.S. Marine Corps Forces Europe.

Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA): In the Horn of Africa, CJTF-HOA is the U.S. Africa Command organization that conducts operations in the region to enhance partner nation capacity, promote regional security and stability, dissuade conflict, and protect U.S. and coalition interests. CJTF-HOA is critical to U.S. AFRICOM's efforts to build partner capacity to counter violent extremists and address other regional security partnerships. CJTF-HOA, with approximately 2,000 personnel assigned, is headquartered at Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti.

U.S. Special Operations Command Africa (SOCAFRICA): SOCAFRICA, co-located with U.S. Africa Command at Kelley Barracks in Stuttgart, aims to build operational capacity, strengthen regional security and capacity initiatives, implement effective communication strategies in support of strategic objectives, and eradicate violent extremist organizations.

Funding
U.S. Africa command received $274 million in Fiscal Year 2010. The Obama administration has requested $298 million for the command for Fiscal Year 2011.

More Information

2012 U.S. Africa Command Posture Statement

Fact sheets, history and background on the command

Current as of May 24, 2012