On 11/9/2010 11:58:10 AM Captain Mark Huebschman, AFRICOM Current Operations Staff wrote

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 trip; as a member of the U. S. Coast Guard, I had a chance to witness first-hand some of the great work that our Service is doing in the maritime realm to support AFRICOM's overall objectives of helping to build capacity on the African continent with our partner nations.

During our first stop in Liberia, we visited with the newly-reformed Liberian Coast Guard. Following 14 years of devastating civil war and nearly 20 years of civil unrest, Liberians have been faced with the daunting task of rebuilding much of their country from scratch. With the assistance of Commander Jennifer Ketchum, U. S. Coast Guard Maritime Advisor to Liberia, 50 hearty men (and one woman!) have taken on the task of rebuilding the Liberian Coast Guard (LCG). So far, their efforts have consisted of restoring their headquarters building into a usable space, as well as similar efforts for other buildings that include a small clinic, an outboard engine repair facility, and housing for their families. They have also been training and operating on several open inflatable boats that are more suitable for work in a protected harbor than on the open ocean.

The LCG recently took delivery of two new, 27-foot long Defender class boats that will be put into service over the next several months. These boats will greatly increase the capability of the LCG to conduct missions outside of Monrovia harbor and begin to address many maritime issues like illegal fishing and drug smuggling. Prior to the boats being put into the water, Navy Seabees are putting the finishing touches on a boat ramp and also installing a new pier where the boats can be moored. Currently, there is also a U. S. Coast Guard Mobile Training Team (MTT) in Liberia for two months to provide training to the LCG to prepare them to begin training on the new Defenders. This team will help raise the overall knowledge level and confidence of the LCG members; the week I was visiting, they were really starting with basics, teaching many of the LCG members how to swim, and giving them confidence in the water with newly delivered Personal Protective Equipment, including life vests.

Our next stop was in Sierra Leone, another country ravaged by years of civil war. We had an opportunity to visit the Maritime Wing of the Royal Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF); while they are a bit farther along than their Liberian counterparts, they still have much work to do themselves. Their current complement of boats consist of three 32-foot Defender-class boats, only one of which was in service during our visit due to maintenance issues, as well as a larger, older Chinese patrol boat. While these boats provide good capability for the Maritime Wing close to shore, they don't provide the long-range capability that Sierra Leone needs to provide a consistent presence in their Exclusive Economic Zone to combat illegal fishing. The Maritime Wing has a long-range plan to add additional capacity to their patrol fleet to improve their off-shore presence, but that plan is likely years away from realization.

The U. S. Coast Guard is also providing assistance in Sierra Leone through the use of MTT's, coordinated with the ongoing efforts of the British-led International Military Advisory Training Team that is mentoring the entire RSLAF. With regards to the Maritime Wing, this assistance includes everything from small boat maintenance to law enforcement training. Additionally, this past summer seven members of the Maritime Wing deployed onboard the U. S. Coast Guard Cutter MOHAWK during her African Maritime Law Enforcement Patrol (AMLEP) deployment to continue our ongoing relationship and capacity building efforts.

I was deeply saddened by much I saw and learned about both countries as a part of this visit. Years of civil war and strife have taken a devastating toll. Both countries are dealing with huge portions of their population living in abject poverty, with unemployment nearing 80, life expectancy in the low 40's, and high rates of illiteracy -- largely the result of the extended conflicts which led to much of a generation of the population being unable to attend school. But after my visit, I also walked away with a sense of hope that both countries have better days ahead; everywhere we went we saw school children in uniforms heading to or from class. We saw new construction or rebuilding efforts occurring everywhere, and large amounts of traffic in both Monrovia and Freetown, which I took as a good sign of progress.

On a more personal note, I also had an opportunity on this trip to connect with an old family friend from our former church in California. This friend is originally from Sierra Leone, and she immigrated to the United States in 1983 with her husband who had served with the Peace Corps in Sierra Leone for three years. Following the civil war, she wanted to do something to help her country, so she and her family built a school in her village using their own money and funds that had been donated by their church and others, replacing a school that had been destroyed by rebels during the war. Today, that school serves 400 students from 5 villages, and is certainly an important part of the rebuilding effort for this rural area 150 miles outside of Freetown. In addition, this friend is also in the process of accepting a job with the Sierra Leone government and will in the very near future move back to Freetown to assist even further with the overwhelming effort of getting the country back on its feet. Talking with her over dinner on the beach outside Freetown, I was moved by her dedication and burning desire to see her country succeed in overcoming so many obstacles to once again be successful and prosperous. With dedicated, passionate people like her helping with the effort, I have no doubt they'll succeed!