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Travel to Africa
U.S. Africa Command theater entry requirements pertain to all DoD military, civilian, and contractor personnel travelling in any capacity into and within the U.S. Africa Command Area of Responsibility.

Theater entry requirements are determined by the Combatant Commander (COCOM) and listed in the DoD Foreign Clearance Manual/Foreign Clearance Guide (FCG)

US Africa Command theater entry requirements pertain to all DoD military, civilian, and contractor personnel travelling in any capacity into and within the US Africa Command Area of Responsibility.

  • Theater Clearance requests will be completed via the Aircraft and Personnel Automated Clearance System (APACS). APACS allows simultaneous processing of Country, Theater, and Special Area clearances. NIPR APACS is the default submission mode unless travel is classified or involves VIPs.

  • All DoD and DoD-sponsored travel in the U.S. Africa Command Area of Responsibility requires Theater Clearance approval from the Commander, U.S. Africa Command prior to travel. The security situation in Africa can be very fluid. Travelers must track current events and should not "fire and forget" after submitting APACS. If the situation deteriorates, clearance can be revoked.

  • Unless traveling as part of a joint unit or under the Force Protection Responsibility of the Embassy, travelers normally fall under AFRICOM CDR FP responsibility exercised by the Service Component Command Africa to which they belong, i.e.,. USARAF, NAVAF, AFAF, MARFORAF, SOCAF, CJTF-HOA.

  • AFRICOM CDR requires Chain of Command review and approval of all DOD travel to the AFRICOM AOR, whether official or leave, and regardless of who holds FP Responsibility once in country.

  • The Review and Approval Statement from the SENDING unit's Chain of Command affirms to the AFRICOM CDR that the traveler is prepared and briefed for medical, criminal, environmental and behavioral threats. CDR AFRICOM never sees the travelers or their preparations; he relies on the Chain of Command to conduct this review and grants approval partially on that basis.

    NOTE: There are serious criminality and health risks for which travelers must prepare prior to travel and which are not reflected by the FPCON (terrorism) level.

Combatant Commander's Theater Entry Training/Requirements

APPLIES TO BOTH OFFICIAL TRAVEL AND LEAVE TRAVEL
 

  • Anti-Terrorism/Force Protection (AT/FP) Level 1 training within one (1) year of travel. (Located on NIPR at: https://atlevel1.dtic.mil/at)
  • Level A SERE training in support of the Code of Conduct (CoC" or Service Equivalent (initial or continuation training) within 36 months prior to entering the US Africa Command AOR.
  • SERE 100.1 computer-based training satisfies the level A requirement. (This training can be found on Joint Knowledge Online (JKO) page http://jko.jfcom.mil, course number "J3T A-US022".)
  • Electronic Digital Isolated Personnel Report (ISOPREP) submitted via the SIPR based Personnel Recovery Mission Software (PRMS) or Army Knowledge On-Line (AKO) "PRO-File" tool. Submitted or reviewed within one (1) year of travel to ensure currency of information and familiarity with content.
  • Written Force Protection Plan (see Formats below) for travelers under CDR AFRICOM and Service Component Africa Force Protection Responsibility (enter FP Plan date in APACS)
  • Personnel Recovery Plan (see Formats below) submitted to your Component Personnel Recovery Control Center. Personnel Recovery preparation is required to prepare for a situation when a traveler needs to be located after they become isolated, whether through accident (e.g., vehicle breaks down en route to a location), political turmoil (e.g., riot) or criminal/terrorist action (e.g., kidnapping). Travelers should prepare for self sustainment for 96 hours in case of isolation. All DoD travelers need a communication capability to alert PR personnel to isolation, a procedural check-in plan and emergency supplies/first aid kit/survival gear.
  • Medical requirements for travel to the AFRICOM Theater IAW Tab A to Appendix 6 to Annex Q to CDRUSAFRICOM Theater Campaign Plan 7000-12- Medical Readiness Requirements for Deployment and Travel include:
    • Current PHA (or physical exam)
    • Medical waiver, if required
    • Current dental exam (Class I or II)
    • Current vaccinations (Yellow Fever and Polio vaccines must be documented in yellow shot card)
    • Completed labwork (HIV, G6PD, TB, DNA) IAW Service guidelines
    • Anti-malarial medications, if required
    • Permethrin-treated uniforms (at least 3) or civilian clothes (at least 2 sets)
    • Command-issued pre-treated bednet and DEET
    • Personal medications or medical equipment, if required
    • Medications for common traveler illnesses (such as diarrhea)
    • First aid kit on hand
    • Review of Food Safety briefing located at: http://phc.amedd.army.mil/phc%20resource%20library/deployment_food_risk_briefing.pdf
    • Review of General Health Counseling briefing located at: General Health Counseling
  • You may use the Travel Health Form in this website to facilitate the completion of all medical requirements, and enter the completion date on your APACS request.
  • Mandatory statements in the Theater Required Information box on the Itinerary Tab of APACS apply to both official and leave travelers.
  • Requirements for official and leave travel are essentially identical. Mosquitoes, ticks and infectious diseases do not differentiate who is on which kind of travel either or for how long.

 

AFRICOM FHP Requirements Medical Guidance

Downloadable Guides

AFRICOM Theater Entry Summary Guide - (Downloadable Adobe PDF) - (Training links, AT/FP, PR and Force Health Protection, Contact info and APACS help)
Sequential Theater Clearance Steps for those starting from zero
Personnel-Request Tab-by-Tab entry guide - Downloadable Adobe PDF
Requesting an APACS account - Downloadable Adobe PDF
AFRICOM Travel Map- Downloadable PDF
General Health Couseling - Downloadable PDF 
EMERGENCY LEAVE Clearance Guidance: Emergency Leave PDF
Force Health Protection Requirements and Medical Guidance - Downloadable PDF

African Communications Quick Reference Guide - Downloadable PDF

AFRICOM Reporting Instructions: AFRICOM Reporting Instructions

 

Personnel Clearance Forms and Formats

Traveler Health Form (Adobe PDF)
Personnel Recovery - Example PR Plan - Fillable Adobe PDF with 2d page example
Force Protection Plan Info (Adobe PDF - copy and paste into a document so you can edit with information)

NOTE: Personnel under CDR AFRICOM FP Responsibility exercised by the Commander of one of the Component Commands of Africa Command should follow FP Plan instructions from the Component. This includes all active duty LEAVE travelers (see FCG@ Section III.A.5. for Africa Component Command instructions and contact information). Plans are not forwarded to AFRICOM or attached to the APACS, they are maintained at the unit or submitted to the Service Component Command for Africa. Your statements within the Theater Required Info box on the APACS itinerary tab are what Theater Clearance approvers review.

References

DOD Foreign Clearance Guide (FCG) SIPR FCG: http://www.fcg.pentagon.smil.mil
APACS https://apacs.dtic.mil or SIPR APACS: https://apacs.dtic.smil.mil
General Order Number 1 (view on www.fcg.penatgon.mil)


US AFRICOM Theater Clearance Contact Information
Phone: DSN: (314) 421-2866 / 9926 / 3789
COM from CONUS: 011-49-711- 729-2866 / 9926 / 3789
Address:
HQ U.S. Africa Command
ATTN: J353 Special Programs Branch
Unit 29951
APO, AE 09751
Email - africom.stuttgart.acj35.mbx.theater-clearance@mail.mil

Non-duty hours/weekend/holidays/emergency requests (NOT for routine inquiries):
US Africa Command Command Watch
Phone: DSN: 314-421-4050
COM: +49 711 729-4050/4051
 

MEDICAL EVACUATION:  NOTE for FEDERAL CIVILIAN TRAVELERS:

U.S. Africa Command (USAFRICOM) will fund medical evacuation travel and transportation expenses of federal civilian employees when in direct support of USAFRICOM tasked mission requirements, normally reflected through message or order, and funded by USAFRICOM, on temporary duty (TDY) as indicated below.  Consistent with the Joint Travel Regulation, expenses are authorized when an employee discontinues/interrupts a TDY travel assignment before completion because of an incapacitating illness or injury not due to the employee’s misconduct.  Expenses are allowed for return travel to the employee’s permanent duty station.

(1) USAFRICOM will use the established Department of State (DoS) evacuation process/procedure, to include utilization of DoS contracting authority.  USAFRICOM has issued a letter of intent to the U.S. Embassies in Africa, indicating that it will fully fund federal civilian employee medical evacuation transportation services incident to TDY travel in support of USAFRICOM mission requirements.  Air medical evacuation will occur when deemed necessary by competent medical authority, validated by the Theater Patient Movements Requirements Center-Europe and approved by the appropriate USAFRICOM travel authorizing/approving official.

(2) Federal civilian travelers who are not travelling in direct support of a USAFRICOM mission (e.g. in support of their own or another agency’s mission) should contact their supporting organization for clarification of medical evacuation guidance that pertains to them.  Contractors will not normally be covered under the USAFRICOM policy and should coordinate with their company to determine the conditions of their contract.

(3) Federal civilian employees are at liberty to consider alternative modes of medical evacuation support, to include a medical evacuation insurance policy or coverage through various Federal Employee Health Benefit providers. USAFRICOM makes no endorsements or representations regarding the quality or scope of coverage or services offered by these alternative support mechanisms. Expenses incurred by Federal civilian employees for such medical evacuation support or insurance will not be reimbursed.

(4) This information does not apply to unofficial travel.

AFRICOM Theater Entry Summary Guide
Dowload the Personnel-Request Tab-by-Tab entry guide PDF
EMERGENCY LEAVE Clearance Guidance
FP Plan Basics
General Health Counseling
Personnel Recovery Plan
Requesting an APACS account
Sequential Theater Clearance Steps for those starting from zero
Travel Health Form
PARTNERSHIPS OPERATIONS READINESS