Soldiers and civilians from US Army Africa must act as ambassadors, US Africa Command’s senior civilian leader told attendees of the Great Lakes Seminar held this week in Vicenza, Italy.
Ambassador J. Anthony Holmes, AFRICOM’s deputy to the commander for civil military activities, opened the three-day professional development event geared toward East Africa amid his official visit to US Army Africa headquarters at Caserma Ederle. The seminar’s coursework offers important background for US Army Africa staff as they partner with land forces in Africa, Holmes said.
“You’re representing not only your military service and AFRICOM, but the United States,” Holmes said. “You are creating impression of who we are and what we do.”
Roughly 130 Soldiers and civilians from US Army Africa, US Africa Command and Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa took part in the seminar. Many attendees already gained an appreciation for the Great Lakes Region – the area in East Africa near Lakes Victoria, Tanganyika, Kivu, Edward and Albert – during recent military familiarization events in Burundi, Rwanda, Kenya and Tanzania. Others took part in Natural Fire 10. Held in Uganda in October 2009, the humanitarian and civil assistance exercise brought together the land forces from five East African nations, plus more than 500 US service members – the largest US Defense Department exercise held in Africa last year.
“We have a lot of experience in the Great Lakes region, but we understand the need to continue learning,” said Maj. Gen. William B. Garrett III, commander of US Army Africa. “We have to think critically about the challenges we face and apply creative solutions.”
The instructors were from US and international governments, universities and think tanks.
Lectures were offered on geography, governance, culture, economics, public health and crime.
By: Brant
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