A Mauritanian contractor completes a livestock pen protecting cattle along an important transportation route linking Mauritania and Mali. The project of building seven livestock pens is a cooperative effort between USAFRICOM’s Humanitarian Assistance program, the U.S. Embassy in Nouachott, Mauritania, and the Mauritania Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. (Courtesy photo)

Right behind agriculture, ranching is the biggest source of nutrition in West Africa, so for ranchers, a safe and secure place to bring their livestock for vaccinations and de-worming medication is critical. That is why United States Africa

Traverse north by car a few hours through the bustling and sprawling city of Kampala to the rolling and lush, green hills of Luwero with its dense jungles packed with banana trees, pineapple fields and livestock, and it's easy to see why thousands

Situated in the highlands overlooking Ethiopia's Rift Valley, the town of Hirna was the site of a Veterinary Civic Action Program Oct. 22-28, where district animal health workers received continuing veterinary education and local farmers'

MKINGA DISTRICT, Tanzania - U.S. Army Major Brad Keough, veterinarian officer in charge of the 448th Civil Affairs Battalion's functional specialty team, reviews the equipment and tools' functions during the classroom instruction portion of the Veterinary Civic Action Program held in Mkinga district, Tanzania, September 3-14, 2012. Keough and soldiers from the Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa partnered with local leadership to help strengthen the capabilities of the local veterinarian workers, ensure livestock health, enhance agriculture and economic stability and develop trust and confidence with Tanzanians. (CJTF-HOA by Staff Sergeant Shejal Pulivarti)

MKINGA DISTRICT, Tanzania - A livestock field officer administers de-worming treatment to a cow during the Veterinary Civic Action Program held in Mkinga district, Tanzania, September 3-14, 2012. Soldiers from Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa partnered with local leadership to help strengthen the capabilities of the local veterinarian workers, ensure livestock health, enhance agriculture and economic stability and develop trust and confidence with Tanzanians. (CJTF-HOA by Staff Sergeant Shejal Pulivarti)

MKINGA DISTRICT, Tanzania (Sept. 22, 2012) - A team of livestock field officers and U.S. Army Maj. Brad Keough (right), veterinarian officer in charge of the 448th Civil Affairs Battalion's functional specialty team, treat a calf with a broken leg during the Veterinary Civic Action Program held in Mkinga District, Tanzania, Sept. 3-14. Keough and other Soldiers from Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa partnered with local leadership to help strengthen the capabilities of the local veterinarian workers, ensure livestock health, enhance agriculture and economic stability and develop trust and confidence with this CJTF-HOA partner nation. (U.S. Army photo by Sergeant Shejal Pulivarti)

MKINGA DISTRICT, Tanzania (Sept. 22, 2012) - A team of livestock field officers and U.S. Army Maj. Brad Keough (right), veterinarian officer in charge of the 448th Civil Affairs Battalion's functional specialty team, treat a calf with a broken leg during the Veterinary Civic Action Program held in Mkinga District, Tanzania, Sept. 3-14. Keough and other Soldiers from Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa partnered with local leadership to help strengthen the capabilities of the local veterinarian workers, ensure livestock health, enhance agriculture and economic stability and develop trust and confidence with this CJTF-HOA partner nation. (U.S. Army photo by Sergeant Shejal Pulivarti)

MKINGA DISTRICT, Tanzania (Sept. 22, 2012) - A team of livestock field officers treat a calf with a broken leg during the Veterinary Civic Action Program held in Mkinga District, Tanzania, Sept. 3-14. Soldiers from Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa partnered with local leadership to help strengthen the capabilities of the local veterinarian workers, ensure livestock health, enhance agriculture and economic stability and develop trust and confidence with this CJTF-HOA partner nation. (U.S. Army photo by Sergeant Shejal Pulivarti)

MKINGA DISTRICT, Tanzania (Sept. 22, 2012) - A team of livestock field officers treat a calf with a broken leg during the Veterinary Civic Action Program held in Mkinga District, Tanzania, Sept. 3-14. Soldiers from Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa partnered with local leadership to help strengthen the capabilities of the local veterinarian workers, ensure livestock health, enhance agriculture and economic stability and develop trust and confidence with this CJTF-HOA partner nation. (U.S. Army photo by Sergeant Shejal Pulivarti)

MKINGA DISTRICT, Tanzania (Sept. 22, 2012) - A team of livestock field officers treat a calf with a broken leg during the Veterinary Civic Action Program held in Mkinga District, Tanzania, Sept. 3-14. Soldiers from Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa partnered with local leadership to help strengthen the capabilities of the local veterinarian workers, ensure livestock health, enhance agriculture and economic stability and develop trust and confidence with this CJTF-HOA partner nation. (U.S. Army photo by Sergeant Shejal Pulivarti)

Fifteen Tanzanian animal healthcare professionals, soldiers from the U.S. Army 448th Civil Affairs Battalion, and the Joint Civil Affairs Team in Tanzania assigned to Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa came together to participate in a

Over the past several months, members of the Moroto District Veterinary Office (DVO), U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Makerere University, Uganda's Peoples Defence Force - Civil Military Coordination Center (UPDF-CMCC), the

Working together toward the same end--strengthening the health care capacity and crisis response capabilities of African nations to ultimately empower Africans to improve their health and security--was the theme of a conference in Washington, D.C.,

Boxes filled the small supply room-turned pharmacy as service members sorted through more than 30,000 pills destined for thousands of Malians July 15, 2008.

More than 90 doctors, nurses and medical technicians deployed to Mali for

U.S. and Ghanaian soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines joined together June 10-26, 2008 through a program called Shared Accord to provide medical, dental, optical, and veterinary care in villages of Ghana.

"The Shared Accord exercise