Command photos on Flickr

Airmen compete for the Load Crew of the Quarter in Korea by U.S. Indo-Pacific Command

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OSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea (April 16, 2021) - Airmen from the 36th Aircraft Maintenance Unit compete in the Load Crew of the Quarter Competition at Osan A ir Base, Republic of Korea, April 16, 2021. This competition is held by the 51st Maintenance Group to showcase their squadrons abilities and foster morale. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Kevyn Allen) 210416-F-IK735-1007

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Dodge WC-57 Command Car... by Colonel Killgore

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An old photo revisited. Taken in Belguim at an old British Army fuel depot from WW2.

Command Center by Bob_pixel

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1 Day Until the BIG DAY !

Cortex Command protoman by Niklas Jansson

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This is a quick prank illustration. I was real sloppy with the hands on this one. Well, I'm always sloppy with the hands. I need to read some Hogarth or something.

USS Antietam underway off the coast of Japan by U.S. Indo-Pacific Command

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WATERS EAST OF JAPAN (Nov. 22, 2014) - Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Antietam (CG 54) is underway off the coast of Japan near Mt. Fuji. Antietam is on patrol in the 7th Fleet area of operations in support of security and stability in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman David Flewellyn/Released) 141122-N-ZZ786-434

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USS Chicago arrives at new homeport, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam by U.S. Indo-Pacific Command

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PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii (Sept. 28, 2017) - Los Angeles-class attack submarine USS Chicago (SSN 721) arrives at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam after completing a change of homeport from Guam. The submarine's ability to support a multitude of missions, including anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface ship warfare, strike warfare, surveillance and reconnaissance, has made Chicago one of the most capable submarines in the world. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Daniel Hinton) 170928-N-KC128-0115

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Cobra Command by Flork1138

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AI images by ChatGPT and yours truly. Soundtrack by NIN.

FD Mobile Command Post by Oran Cruzen

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Here is a Fire Department Mobile Command Post with a slide out command post.

LCAC departs USS Bonhomme Richard well deck during training in the East China Sea by U.S. Indo-Pacific Command

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EAST CHINA SEA (Feb. 9, 2015) - Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC) 9, assigned to Naval Beach Unit (NBU) 7, departs the well deck of the forward-deployed amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6). Bonhomme Richard is currently deployed in the U.S. 7th Fleet Area of Operations. (U.S. Navy photo by MC2 Adam D. Wainwright) 150209-N-LM312-036

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36th Fighter Squadron sharpens warfighting skills at Beverly Herd exercise by U.S. Indo-Pacific Command

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OSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea (Mar. 1, 2017) -F-16 Fighting Falcons assigned to the 36th Fighter Squadron taxi out for a training mission during Exercise Beverly Herd 17-1 at Osan Air Base. Exercises like Beverly Herd allow the 51st Fighter Wing to work the muscle movements required to execute and sustain combat operations in the ROK. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Victor J. Caputo) 170301-F-AM292-017

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1960 Command Records BONGOS FLUTES GUITARS vintage LP record album vinyl 1960s by Christian Montone

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From my collection:

www.artskooldamage.blogspot.com/

Command 52 by Ark Valley Fire Buff

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2008 Dodge Durango

EMS Director

MV-22B Ospreys from 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit maintain flight readiness while deployed with USS Makin Island by U.S. Indo-Pacific Command

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SOUTH CHINA SEA (April 12, 2017) - Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Handling) 2nd Class Leo Gonzales, from San Diego, signals for an MV-22B Osprey, assigned to the Ridge Runners of Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 163, to land on the flight deck of the amphibious assault ship USS Makin Island (LHD 8). Makin Island, the flagship for the Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group, with the embarked 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, is operating in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region to enhance amphibious capability with regional partners and to serve as a ready-response force for any type of contingency. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Devin M. Langer) 170412-N-LI768-135

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Commande en cours by Françoise

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Vous vous souvenez de mon tableau à l'acrylique d'Assat, la rue qui tourne et la vieille maison. Eh bien, la propriétaire de la dite maison, une ancienne élève très âgée et malade, souhaitait un double, sachant que le tableau du concours avait été acheté par son frère. Je suis donc en train de lui faire un double du tableau, avant d'entamer une autre commande de sa voisine, mais dans une autre technique et sur la maison de cette dernière. Après imprimature, j'ai démarré sur celui-ci les vraies couleurs. Et comme c'est pas trop mal, je vous montre le tableau en cours de réalisation, non terminé évidemment.Mais bien entamé.

Marines prep for night training patrols in Australia by U.S. Indo-Pacific Command

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AUSTRALIAN ARMY BASE ROBERTSON BARRACKS, Darwin (May 4, 2017) - A U.S. Marine with 3rd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Marine Rotational Force Darwin, straps on his night vision goggles before heading out on a night patrol. Training in Australia gives the infantry Marines a great opportunity to learn more about traversing landscapes due to how much harder it is to identify key points in the terrain. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Emmanuel Necoechea) 170504-M-EN121-004

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Military Sealift Command’s MV Ocean Jazz Treks through the Pacific Supporting Multiple Exercises by U.S. Indo-Pacific Command

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CHUK SAMET, Thailand (Aug. 28, 2017) - An M1126 Infantry Carrier Vehicle “Stryker” is lowered into heavy-lift vessel MV Ocean Jazz during a backload of military equipment that was used in exercise Hanuman Guardian 2017. The Ocean Jazz is under a Military Sealift Command contract to support U.S. Army Pacific’s transportation requirements. (U.S. Navy courtesy photo/Released) 170829-N-IX266-002

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SFFD Mobile Command by Brian Imagawa

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A San Francisco fire truck at Fleet Week 2011.

US Sailors Conduct a Live-Fire Exercise Aboard the USS Chung-Hoon in the Pacific Ocean by U.S. Indo-Pacific Command

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PACIFIC OCEAN (Feb. 8, 2016) - Gunner's Mate 3rd Class Matthew W. Bray fires a .50-caliber machine gun during a live-fire exercise aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS Chung-Hoon (DDG 93). Providing a combat-ready force to protect collective maritime interests, Chung-Hoon, assigned to the Stennis strike group, is operating in U.S. 7th Fleet as part of the Great Green Fleet on a regularly scheduled Western Pacific deployment. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Marcus L. Stanley) 160208-N-MJ645-180

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Ferry Command Pilots, WWII by Tom

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Command tower by Andreina Schoeberlein

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Camera: Zeiss Ikon Nettar 518/16 "Signal Nettar", Novar-Anastigmat 1:4,5, f=75mm, Pronto Shutter, with Leicameter MR. Film: Efke R50 exp. 02/2013, home-developed in Rodinal 1+50.

COMMAND UNIT ON BLUE LIGHT RUN by GEOFFS vehicle photography

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Mele Kalikimaka from Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam and the U.S. Pacific Fleet by U.S. Indo-Pacific Command

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PEARL HARBOR (Dec. 23, 2014) - The guided-missile destroyer USS Chafee (DDG 90) displays its holiday lights at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. Ships and submarines home-ported in Hawaii participated in the annual Pearl Harbor Holiday Festival of Lights. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Johans Chavarro)

141223-N-IU636-005

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Command 49-04 by Gerard Donnelly

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Location : New York City (NY - USA) / March 27, 1999

Coast Guard Helicopter Interdiction Tactical Squadron holds change of command ceremony by Coast Guard News

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U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Dan Broadhurst relieved Capt. Gregory A. Matyas as the 10th commanding officer of Coast Guard Helicopter Interdiction Tactical Squadron (HITRON) during a change of command ceremony, July 14, at Cecil Airport in Jacksonville. Broadhurst previously served as chief of Incident Management at the Thirteenth Coast Guard District and has also served two previous tours at HITRON, most recently as the executive officer, from 2019-2021 (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Lt. Jessica Wright)

Vermilion Parish Sheriff_5806 by pluto665

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Vermilion Parish Sheriff's Office

Abbeville, Louisiana

2009-2011 LDV/Freightliner MT55

Incident Command Unit

Bomber Command Briefing by SchnauzerDebs

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July 8/9th 2017 - Duxford IWM, UK. Air show / event - Flying Legends featuring historic airraft and vintage village and more.

Le Commandant Charcot by Roderick Eime

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©Studio PONANT

www.expeditioncruising.com/2021/09/ponants-le-commandant-...

8th Maintenance Squadron participates in Combat Ammunition Production Exercise by U.S. Indo-Pacific Command

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KUNSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea (June 5, 2107) - 8th Maintenance Squadron conventional maintenance crew members assemble Guided Bomb Unit 31 version 3 during the Combat Ammunition Production Exercise (capex) at Kunsan Air Base. CAPEX involved approximately 350 Airmen who were evaluated on total force integration, how well they maintained Air Tasking Order requirements, receipt of munitions and the weapons breakdown process. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Colville McFee/Released) 170605-F-IF848-023

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Assumption of Command by West Point - The U.S. Military Academy

Lt. Gen. Darryl A. Williams assumed command as the 60th Superintendent of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

Interior View 4-15-16 by TPD Trailers

31st MEU Marines participate in Talisman Saber 2017 by U.S. Indo-Pacific Command

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SHOALWATER BAY, QLD, Australia (July 8, 2017) - Marines with India Company, Battalion Landing Team, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, maneuver the shoreline at Crowley Beach during rehearsals for Exercise Talisman Saber 17, Australian Defence Force's Cowley Beach Training Area, Queensland, Australia, July 8, 2017. India Company is the mechanized raid company for the 31st MEU, currently supporting Talisman Saber 17 while deployed on its regularly-scheduled patrol of the Indo-Asia-Pacific region. Talisman Saber is a biennial exercise designed to improve the interoperability between Australian and U.S. forces. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Amaia Unanue/ Released) 170708-M-GE751-133

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by Nik24

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Korea Marine Exercise Program increases interoperability of U.S., Republic of Korea Marines by U.S. Indo-Pacific Command

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POHANG, South Korea (Mar. 11, 2017) - Marines with 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion discuss their preparations at an artillery school in Pohang, Republic of Korea, before heading to Camp Mujuk as a part of Korea Marine Exercise Program (KMEP) 17-6. The purpose of KMEP 17-6 is to enhance and improve the interoperability of both Marine Corps at the tactical level to build war fighting capabilities as partners. This includes ground combat element staff planning, mechanized maneuvers, mountain warfare training, bilateral tank operations and live fire ranges. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Bernadette Wildes) 170311-M-GT736-002

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Carrier Air Wing 17 aircraft fly over USS Theodore Roosevelt in the Pacific by U.S. Indo-Pacific Command

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PACIFIC OCEAN (May 2, 2018) - Aircraft, assigned to Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 17, fly in formation above the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71). Theodore Roosevelt is currently deployed in the Pacific Ocean. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Anthony J. Rivera) 180502-N-XC372-1392

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143d ESC 2017 BEST WARRIOR COMPETITION, PART 4: PRIDE by 143d Sustainment Command (Expeditionary)

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CAMP BLANDING, Fla. – After a punishing, 72-hour challenge that started with an Army Physical Fitness Test and weapons qualification, continued with warrior skill stations and an air assault obstacle course, and concluded with a 10-mile ruck march and sergeants major appearance board, 12 Army Reserve Soldiers can proudly say they completed the 2017 143d Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) Best Warrior Competition.

Brig. Gen. Deborah L. Army Brig. Gen. Deborah L. Kotulich, commanding general, 143d ESC, personally congratulated the participants during an awards ceremony conducted March 11, 2017, at Camp Blanding, Fla.

“I am thrilled by what you did to get here and impressed by what you accomplished here,” said Kotulich, a career officer who completed Air Assault school while attending West Point and, decades later, earned the German Armed Forces Badge for Military Proficiency. “I encourage everyone to share your experiences with your fellow Soldiers. The skills you demonstrated during this competition may one day save your life or the lives your battle buddies in combat.”

Although all 12 Soldiers received and deserved high praise from the 143d ESC’s senior leadership, only two earned the right to earn the title, “Best Warrior.”

Spc. Alisha Howell, an Orlando, Fla., native serving as a Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear specialist at Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 143d ESC, won first place in the Soldier category, while Sgt. James A. Smith, a Bay Springs, Miss., native assigned to the 647th Transportation Company as a motor transport operator, took home the trophy in the noncommissioned officer category. Howell and Smith will leave for New Orleans in April to compete at the 377th Theater Sustainment Command level.

“I am confident that these two Soldiers will proudly represent the 143d ESC at the next level,” said Kotulich. “I am also especially honored to be associated with every Soldier here who took precious time from his or her job, school and family to participate and support this annual event. Your courage and commitment exemplify the finest qualities of an Army Reserve Soldier.”

Story by Sgt. John L. Carkeet IV, 143d ESC

Photos by Sgt. John L. Carkeet IV, 143d ESC, and Spc. Aaron Barnes, 321st MI BN

McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C Hornet 165195 by Jack

Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 314 (VMFA-314) is a United States Marine Corps F/A-18 Hornet squadron. The squadron, known as the "Black Knights", is based at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California and falls under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 11 (MAG-11) and the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (3d MAW)

McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C Block 49 Hornet (Lot 18) 165195

Former:

VMFA-232 WT#07 January 16, 2011

USS Stethem Participates in Valliant Shield 2014 by U.S. Indo-Pacific Command

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PACIFIC OCEAN (Sep. 15, 2014) - The Arleigh-Burke class guided-missile destroyer USS Stethem (DDG 63) fires a HARPOON missile during a sinking exercise during Valiant Shield 2014. Air and sea units from the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force participated in the sinking exercise of the ex-USS Fresno. Valiant Shield is a U.S.-only exercise integrating U.S. Navy, Air Force, Army, and Marine Corps assets, offering real-world joint operational experience to develop capabilities that provide a full range of options to defend U.S. interests and those if its allies and partners. (U.S. Navy photo by MCSA Alonzo M. Archer) 140915-N-UN259-006

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Commander of USINDOPACOM meets with Sailors from France, Japan, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom during an overseas trip to Singapore by U.S. Indo-Pacific Command

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SINGAPORE (March 16, 2023) - Adm. John C. Aquilino, Commander U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM), left, meets with Sailors from France, Japan, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom while visiting a pier at Commander, Logistics Group Western Pacific/ Task Force 73 (COMLOG WESTPAC/ CTF 73) during an overseas trip to Singapore. COMLOG WESTPAC supports deployed surface units and aircraft carriers, along with regional Allies and partners, to facilitate patrols in the South China Sea, participation in naval exercises and responses to natural disasters. USINDOPACOM is committed to enhancing stability in the Asia-Pacific region by promoting security cooperation, encouraging peaceful development, responding to contingencies, deterring aggression and, when necessary, fighting to win. (U.S. Navy photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Shannon M. Smith) 230316-N-BD629-1112

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Vie du corps : prise de commandement - CIS Istres by Pompiers13

Cérémonie de prise de commandement du centre d'incendie et de secours d'Istres par le capitaine Anthony Blanchard, le 20 octobre 2022.

On my command! by Shawn Sijnstra

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DSCX5772

command_center_2 by BardJaskier

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WIP

U.S. Marines train with Australia, Japanese militaries at exercise Cope North by U.S. Indo-Pacific Command

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ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, TUMON BAY, GUAM (Feb. 3, 2017) - U.S. Marines with Marine All Weather Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 225 wait to direct F/A-18D Hornets during exercise Cope North at Andersen Air Force Base. Marines trained with the Royal Australian Air Force and Japan Air Self-Defense Force supporting theater security, focusing on dissimilar air combat training and large force employment. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Nathan Wicks) 170203-M-XD442-1144

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Army Reserve Nurse Delivers Baby in Rural Uganda - United States Army Africa - Natural Fire 10 - AFRICOM by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa

www.usaraf.army.mil

Caption: KITGUM, Uganda, Oct 20 -- Pfc. Kendra Hinds, a medic deployed to Uganda with the Army Reserve's 7225th Medical Support Unit (MSU) searches for a vein in order to give a patient an IV. The expectant mother arrived at the Pajimo Clinic in the north of Uganda and delivered a healthy baby boy about 90 minutes later. (Photo credit Maj. Corey Schultz, Army Reserve Communications.)

Full Story:

Army Reserve Nurse Delivers Baby in Rural Uganda

By Maj.Corey Schultz, U.S. Army Reserve Command

KITGUM, Uganda -- When 1st Lt. Victoria Lynn Watson deployed to Uganda for Natural Fire 10, she never imagined using her labor and delivery nursing skills during the exercise.

But when a Ugandan woman, Linda, arrived in labor at Pajimo medical clinic, where the Army Reserve's 7225th Medical Support Unit was partnering with East African medics to offer healthcare to the Kitgum community, Watson sprang into action.

She checked her watch. It was nearly 2:30 pm when medics hurried the 19-year-old expectant mother from the clinic gates where hundreds had gathered to receive care.

During the 10-day exercise, the medics run a daily clinic to treat upwards of 700 Ugandans a day for ailments such as arthritis, minor wounds, skin infections --and dental and optometry care. Soldiers from Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, Kenya and Burundi are working alongside U.S. troops on medical, dental and engineering projects in the Kitgum region. Meanwhile, each nation is also taking part in security training and a simulated disaster relief exercise.

While pregnancy was not a planned treatment, the Pajimo clinic staffs a midwife and Watson was eager to assist. If the U.S. Army Reserve officer were back home in Abilene, Texas, she would do the same.

"This is what I do. I'm a labor and delivery nurse in my civilian job," Watson said, hurrying past Ugandan families clutching medicines and awaiting dental checks, "This is what I live for."

Watson serves with the 7231st Medical Support Unit in Lubbock, Texas, but volunteered to augment the 7225th for Uganda.

Once in the clinics maternity ward, Watson and Pfc. Kendra Hinds, a U.S. Army Reserve medic from Lubbock, Texas, joined Stella, the Ugandan midwife. Stella asked the lieutenant to work with her to deliver the child.

Stella and her Ugandan assistant prepared the delivery room. Watson's examined the woman - nine centimeters and having contractions. Her watch read 3 p.m.

Hinds never helped a woman give birth. So, Watson talked her through the exam as they felt the mother's stomach to see where the baby was.

"You can feel the contractions," Watson said to Hines. "Her sides and belly get hard. Feel here...that's the head. It's in the right place, that's good. The baby is aligned right."

The midwife, Stella Betty Lamono – who goes by Stella, produced a Pinnard Horn - a wooden listening device not often seen in America that is used to hear the baby's heartbeat. Watson and Hinds took turns listening.

Then Stella posed a question.

"You are delivering," Stella said. "You should name the baby."

"OK, I'll name the baby," Watson said, in a light-hearted way. "How about, let's see...Gracie for a girl? Yes, I like Gracie."

"And a boy?" asked Stella.

"Okay, for a boy...Cage. I like Cage."

Stella translated. The mother smiled, amused despite her obvious discomfort. It was nearly 3:30 p.m., the baby was coming but the delivery team still had things to do. They tried to start an intravenous drip.

There was a problem, they couldn't find a vein. They spoke with the mother and found she had not eaten anything for two days.

"She's dehydrated, she needs something with sugar," Watson said.

Soldiers offered sweet powdered drink pack from their daily rations - MRE's, such as lemon-flavored ice tea and a lemon-lime electrolyte drinks.

Watson stirred each drink in a green plastic cup and gave it to the mother, who drank thirstily.

The team then found a vein for an IV, the mother tried to relax. From time to time, she would lift a pink curtain and gaze through the window into the dusty yard. Things quieted.

Meanwhile, her sister arranged swaddling clothes on the receiving table at the other side of the room.

"How many weeks is she?" Hinds asked.

"Thirty-eight," Stella said, confidently.

Ugandan midwives determine the duration of the pregnancy by feeling the stomach for the size of the baby's head versus the height of the fundus -- how high the uterus has pressed upwards into the diaphragm.

"This is amazing," Watson said. "In the States, doctors run a sonogram over the belly, ask for the date of the last menstrual period, and go from there. We learn the 'old school' way, but we never actually do it like Stella has."

Certified Ugandan midwifes attend a three-year school, Stella said, herself a midwife with seven years experience who delivers up to 28 babies each month -- often in rural clinics.

The contractions continued. The mother remained stoic despite the lack of any pain medicine. Sweat beaded on her face, veins throbbed along her neck. She would lay calm more moments, the moan softly and slap the nearby wall. Hinds grabbed a cloth and patted her face and held her hands through contractions.

"Most girls in the States would be yelling and hollering by now," Watson said.

Unlike in the States, the clinic had no monitors, electrical gadgetry or air conditioning. It did have clean water, sterilized equipment and a trained midwife, plus her U.S. counterparts.

It was around 4 p.m., when the mother groaned and slapped the wall again.

"She's in second stage," Watson said. "All she has to do now is push."

A few minutes passed, the mother began to push – Hinds held her hand and continued to comfort her. Then came a loud cry from a healthy baby boy. It was 4:30 p.m.

Watson wiped him down. He waved his tiny hands and stared around the room with large, alert eyes. Stella tied up the stump of the umbilical cord

"You delivered the baby, what name did you pick for a baby boy,” Stella said, reminding Watson.

“Cage," Watson replied. "But I can't name her baby. It's her baby!"

Hinds placed the infant into his mother's arms. The new mom smiled.

"What is she going to name him?" Watson asked. Stella translated. The mother answered --and Stella began to laugh.

"What did she say?" Watson asked.

"She decided she liked the name you picked," Stella said. "She named her little boy 'Cage'."

Outside, U.S. and East African medics were closing up for the day, handing out the final doses of vitamins and routine medications, when they learned the good news. An officer took out the records reflecting the number of people treated, changing 714 to 715, to add Cage - Kitgum's newest resident.

"It's pretty amazing there's a little one out here that I named and that I helped bring into this world," Watson said. "Pretty amazing."

To learn more about United States Army Africa or Natural Fire 10, visit us online at www.usaraf.army.mil

Marines practice marksmanship aboard USS Bonhomme Richard by U.S. Indo-Pacific Command

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EAST CHINA SEA (Feb. 10, 2015) - Marines, assigned to the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, fire M4 service rifles during a gun shoot on the flight deck of the forward-deployed amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6). Bonhomme Richard is currently underway conducting operations in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of responsibility. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Matthew Dickinson) 150210-N-GG858-035

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USSOCOM Para-Commandos by Norman Graf

A member of the U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) Para-Commandos parachute demonstration team flies in the US Air Force flag at the 2016 Oregon International Air Show held August 5-7, 2016, in Hillsboro, Oregon.

Quintana relinquishes command of 93rd Brigade to Miera by New Mexico National Guard

Col. Mark Miera assumed command of the 93rd Troop Command Brigade from Col. Donnie Quintana Oct. 19 at the Onate Complex, Santa Fe, N.M. As part of the change of command ceremony, the 93rd conducted a Military Pass in Review of Troops for the Adjutant General, Brig. Gen. Andrew Salas; the deputy adjutant general, Brig. Gen. Juan Griego and other senior leaders of the New Mexico National Guard. (Released, U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Eric Martinez, 200th PAD)

U.S. Africa Command C4ISR Senior Leaders Conference, Vicenza, Italy, February 2011 by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa

U.S. Army Africa photo by David Ruderman

U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) hosted its second annual C4ISR Senior Leaders Conference Feb. 2-4 at Caserma Ederle, headquarters of U.S. Army Africa, in Vicenza, Italy.

The communications and intelligence community event, hosted by Brig. Gen. Robert Ferrell, AFRICOM C4 director, drew approximately 80 senior leaders from diverse U.S. military and government branches and agencies, as well as representatives of African nations and the African Union.

The conference is a combination of our U.S. AFRICOM C4 systems and intel directorate,” said Ferrell. “We come together annually to bring the team together to work on common goals to work on throughout the year. The team consists of our coalition partners as well as our inter-agency partners, as well as our components and U.S. AFRICOM staff.”

The conference focused on updates from participants, and on assessing the present state and goals of coalition partners in Africa, he said.

“The theme for our conference is ‘Delivering Capabilities to a Joint Information Environment,’ and we see it as a joint and combined team ... working together, side by side, to promote peace and stability there on the African continent,” Ferrell said.

Three goals of this year’s conference were to strengthen the team, assess priorities across the board, and get a better fix on the impact that the establishment of the U.S. Cyber Command will have on all members’ efforts in the future, he said.

“With the stand-up of U.S. Cyber Command, it brings a lot of unique challenges that we as a team need to talk through to ensure that our information is protected at all times,” Ferrell said.

African Union (AU) representatives from four broad geographic regions of Africa attended, which generated a holistic perspective on needs and requirements from across the continent, he said.

“We have members from the African Union headquarters that is located in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; we have members that are from Uganda; from Zambia; from Ghana; and also from the Congo. What are the gaps, what are the things that we kind of need to assist with as we move forward on our engagements on the African continent?” Ferrell said.

U.S. Army Africa Commander, Maj. Gen. David R. Hogg, welcomed participants as the conference got under way.

“We’re absolutely delighted to be the host for this conference, and we hope that this week you get a whole lot out of it,” said Hogg.

He took the opportunity to address the participants not only as their host, but from the perspective of a customer whose missions depend on the results of their efforts to support commanders in the field.

“When we’re talking about this group of folks that are here — from the joint side, from our African partners, from State, all those folks — it’s about partnership and interoperability. And every commander who’s ever had to fight in a combined environment understands that interoperability is the thing that absolutely slaps you upside the head,” Hogg said.

“We’re in the early stages of the process here of working with the African Union and the other partners, and you have an opportunity to design this from the end state, versus just building a bunch of ‘gunkulators.’ And so, the message is: think about what the end state is supposed to look like and construct the strategy to support the end state.

“Look at where we want to be at and design it that way,” Hogg said.

He also admonished participants to consider the second- and third-order effects of their choices in designing networks.

“With that said, over the next four days, I hope this conference works very well for you. If there’s anything we can do to make your stay better, please let us know,” Hogg said.

Over the following three days, participants engaged in a steady stream of briefings and presentations focused on systems, missions and updates from the field.

Col. Joseph W. Angyal, director of U.S. Army Africa G-6, gave an overview of operations and issues that focused on fundamentals, the emergence of regional accords as a way forward, and the evolution of a joint network enterprise that would serve all interested parties.

“What we’re trying to do is to work regionally. That’s frankly a challenge, but as we stand up the capability, really for the U.S. government, and work through that, we hope to become more regionally focused,” he said.

He referred to Africa Endeavor, an annual, multi-nation communications exercise, as a test bed for the current state of affairs on the continent, and an aid in itself to future development.

“In order to conduct those exercises, to conduct those security and cooperation events, and to meet contingency missions, we really, from the C4ISR perspective, have five big challenges,” Angyal said.

“You heard General Hogg this morning talk about ‘think about the customer’ — you’ve got to allow me to be able to get access to our data; I’ve got to be able to get to the data where and when I need it; you’ve got to be able to protect it; I have to be able to share it; and then finally, the systems have to be able to work together in order to build that coalition.

“One of the reasons General Ferrell is setting up this joint information enterprise, this joint network enterprise . . . it’s almost like trying to bring together disparate companies or corporations: everyone has their own system, they’ve paid for their own infrastructure, and they have their own policy, even though they support the same major company.

“Now multiply that when you bring in different services, multiply that when you bring in different U.S. government agencies, and then put a layer on top of that with the international partners, and there are lots of policies that are standing in our way.”

The main issue is not a question of technology, he said.

“The boxes are the same — a Cisco router is a Cisco router; Microsoft Exchange server is the same all over the world — but it’s the way that we employ them, and it’s the policies that we apply to it, that really stops us from interoperating, and that’s the challenge we hope to work through with the joint network enterprise.

“And I think that through things like Africa Endeavor and through the joint enterprise network, we’re looking at knocking down some of those policy walls, but at the end of the day they are ours to knock down. Bill Gates did not design a system to work only for the Army or for the Navy — it works for everyone,” Angyal said.

Brig. Gen. Joseph Searyoh, director general of Defense Information Communication Systems, General Headquarters, Ghana Armed Forces, agreed that coordinating policy is fundamental to improving communications with all its implications for a host of operations and missions.

“One would expect that in these modern times there is some kind of mutual engagement, and to build that engagement to be strong, there must be some kind of element of trust. … We have to build some kind of trust to be able to move forward,” said Searyoh.

“Some people may be living in silos of the past, but in the current engagement we need to tell people that we are there with no hidden agenda, no negative hidden agenda, but for the common good of all of us.

“We say that we are in the information age, and I’ve been saying something: that our response should not be optional, but it must be a must, because if you don’t join now, you are going to be left behind.

“So what do we do? We have to get our house in order.

“Why do I say so? We used to operate like this before the information age; now in the information age, how do we operate?

“So, we have to get our house in order and see whether we are aligning ourselves with way things should work now. So, our challenge is to come up with a strategy, see how best we can reorganize our structures, to be able to deliver communications-information systems support for the Ghana Armed Forces,” he said.

Searyoh related that his organization has already accomplished one part of erecting the necessary foundation by establishing an appropriate policy structure.

“What is required now is the implementing level. Currently we have communications on one side, and computers on one side. The lines are blurred — you cannot operate like that, you’ve got to bring them together,” he said.

Building that merged entity to support deployed forces is what he sees as the primary challenge at present.

“Once you get that done you can talk about equipment, you can talk about resources,” Searyoh said. “I look at the current collaboration between the U.S. and the coalition partners taking a new level.”

“The immediate challenges that we have is the interoperability, which I think is one of the things we are also discussing here, interoperability and integration,” said Lt. Col. Kelvin Silomba, African Union-Zambia, Information Technology expert for the Africa Stand-by Force.

“You know that we’ve got five regions in Africa. All these regions, we need to integrate them and bring them together, so the challenge of interoperability in terms of equipment, you know, different tactical equipment that we use, and also in terms of the language barrier — you know, all these regions in Africa you find that they speak different languages — so to bring them together we need to come up with one standard that will make everybody on board and make everybody able to talk to each other,” he said.

“So we have all these challenges. Other than that also, stemming from the background of these African countries, based on the colonization: some of them were French colonized, some of them were British colonized and so on, so you find that when they come up now we’ve adopted some of the procedures based on our former colonial masters, so that is another challenge that is coming on board.”

The partnership with brother African states, with the U.S. government and its military branches, and with other interested collaborators has had a positive influence, said Silomba.

“Oh, it’s great. From the time that I got engaged with U.S. AFRICOM — I started with Africa Endeavor, before I even came to the AU — it is my experience that it is something very, very good.

“I would encourage — I know that there are some member states — I would encourage that all those member states they come on board, all of these regional organizations, that they come on board and support the AFRICOM lead. It is something that is very, very good.

“As for example, the African Union has a lot of support that’s been coming in, technical as well as in terms of knowledge and equipment. So it’s great; it’s good and it’s great,” said Salimba.

Other participant responses to the conference were positive as well.

“The feedback I’ve gotten from every member is that they now know what the red carpet treatment looks like, because USARAF has gone over and above board to make sure the environment, the atmosphere and the actual engagements … are executed to perfection,” said Ferrell. “It’s been very good from a team-building aspect.

“We’ve had very good discussions from members of the African Union, who gave us a very good understanding of the operations that are taking place in the area of Somalia, the challenges with communications, and laid out the gaps and desires of where they see that the U.S. and other coalition partners can kind of improve the capacity there in that area of responsibility.

“We also talked about the AU, as they are expanding their reach to all of the five regions, of how can they have that interoperability and connectivity to each of the regions,” Ferrell said.

“(It’s been) a wealth of knowledge and experts that are here to share in terms of how we can move forward with building capacities and capabilities. Not only for U.S. interests, but more importantly from my perspective, in building capacities and capabilities for our African partners beginning with the Commission at the African Union itself,” said Kevin Warthon, U.S. State Department, peace and security adviser to the African Union.

“I think that General Ferrell has done an absolutely wonderful thing by inviting key African partners to participate in this event so they can share their personal experience from a national, regional and continental perspective,” he said.

Warthon related from his personal experience a vignette of African trust in Providence that he believed carries a pertinent metaphor and message to everyone attending the conference.

“We are not sure what we are going to do tomorrow, but the one thing that I am sure of is that we are able to do something. Don’t know when, don’t know how, but as long as our focus is on our ability to assist and to help to progress a people, that’s really what counts more than anything else,” he said.

“Don’t worry about the timetable; just focus on your ability to make a difference and that’s what that really is all about.

“I see venues such as this as opportunities to make what seems to be the impossible become possible. … This is what this kind of venue does for our African partners.

“We’re doing a wonderful job at building relationships, because that’s where it begins — we have to build relationships to establish trust. That’s why this is so important: building trust through relationships so that we can move forward in the future,” Warthon said.

Conference members took a cultural tour of Venice and visited a traditional winery in the hills above Vicenza before adjourning.

To learn more about U.S. Army Africa visit our official website at www.usaraf.army.mil

Official Twitter Feed: www.twitter.com/usarmyafrica

Official YouTube video channel: www.youtube.com/usarmyafrica

Terracotta command post by Scott Rudkin

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Xian, China

Military Police participate in UN peacekeeping Exercise Shanti Doot 4 in Bangladesh by U.S. Indo-Pacific Command

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Bangladesh (Feb. 28, 2018) - U.S. Army 2nd Lt. Madalynn Long, a military police officer from the 728th Military Police Battalion, issues orders to her platoon while conducting a foot patrol as part of a field exercise during Exercise Shanti Doot 4 in Bangladesh. Shanti Doot 4 is a multinational United Nations peacekeeping exercise with more than 1,000 participants from more than 30 countries designed to provide pre-deployment training to U.N. partner countries in preparation for real-world peacekeeping operations. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Adam Montera) 180228-M-FA245-1074

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U.S. Africa Command C4ISR Senior Leaders Conference, Vicenza, Italy, February 2011 by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa

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Guests chat at an informal get-together Feb. 1 in advance of the opening of the second annual U.S. Africa Command C4ISR Senior Leaders Conference in Vicenza, Italy.

U.S. Army Africa photos by David Ruderman

U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) hosted its second annual C4ISR Senior Leaders Conference Feb. 2-4 at Caserma Ederle, headquarters of U.S. Army Africa, in Vicenza, Italy.

The communications and intelligence community event, hosted by Brig. Gen. Robert Ferrell, AFRICOM C4 director, drew approximately 80 senior leaders from diverse U.S. military and government branches and agencies, as well as representatives of African nations and the African Union.

“The conference is a combination of our U.S. AFRICOM C4 systems and intel directorate,” said Ferrell. “We come together annually to bring the team together to work on common goals to work on throughout the year. The team consists of our coalition partners as well as our inter-agency partners, as well as our components and U.S. AFRICOM staff.”