View allAll Photos Tagged Contingency
U.S. Army Africa supports Burundi's peacekeeping efforts in Somalia
By Rick Scavetta, U.S. Army Africa
BUJUMBURA, Burundi – When U.S. Army Col. Steve Smith recently joined discussions with Burundian generals about how Burundi conducts peacekeeping efforts in Somalia, he was leading the way for U.S. Army Africa partnerships on the continent.
In mid-January, Smith led a team to work with Burundian officers on ways to enhance Burundi’s leadership capacity as their military prepares to deploy its next rotation of peacekeepers to Mogadishu. Smith, of the U.S. Army’s Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute and Lt. Col. Ronald Miller, an Africa expert from U.S. Army Africa headquarters, held discussions with senior Burundian military officers at the Ministry of Defense in Bujumbura.
“We discussed the U.S. military’s way of planning for operations at the brigade level, using what we call MDMP, the military decision making process,” Smith said. “We also talked about how U.S. Army officers run a brigade-level command post.”
Burundi and Uganda share peacekeeping duties under the African Union Mission in Somalia, an operation designed to stabilize Somalia’s security situation following decades of war and chaos. African peacekeepers in Somalia face daily challenges as they mentor Somalis in security operations and work to counter extremist groups like al-Shabaab.
The U.S. Army effort is part of a larger effort by the U.S. government to support Burundi in its peacekeeping efforts, said Brig. Gen. Cyprien Ndikuryio, chief of Burundi’s land forces. The U.S. has helped with training and equipment, followed by these senior leader discussions, he said.
“My colleagues and I are senior officers. One of them, or I, could be appointed to higher responsibilities in Somalia’s peacekeeping mission and use what we have learned,” Ndikuryio said.
Until now, Burundi’s military planned missions similar to the way Belgian and French militaries work. The Ugandan People’s Defense Force, Burundi’s partner in AMISOM, already employs a planning system that is similar to the U.S. military, Smith said.
“It’s incredibly important for Burundi, as they are working alongside other armies using the U.S.-based model, to promote interoperability and overall efficiency,” Smith said.
In 2006, Burundi ended its 12-year civil war. Since then, Burundi has made strides toward partnering with its East African neighbors and the United States.
In October 2009, Burundian troops took part in Natural Fire 10, a U.S. Army Africa-led humanitarian and civil assistance exercise held in Uganda. During that time, Maj. Gen. William B. Garrett III, commander of U.S. Army Africa, visited Bujumbura to watch Burundian troops undergoing training with the U.S. State Department-led African Contingency Operations Training and Assistance program.
Burundian senior leaders then asked U.S. Army Africa to help with a familiarization event on brigade-level peacekeeping operations. Leaders from PKSOI at Carlisle Barracks in Pennsylvania offered their expertise for the event.
“This effort in Burundi has been a great opportunity for the U.S. Army to engage with a partner nation’s land forces on the continent,” Smith said. “There’s a tremendous potential here, a great thirst for knowledge.”
Smith’s Burundi assignment also benefits PKSOI in their efforts, he said.
“I’m taking back with me a better understanding of U.S. Army Africa operations and what’s happening on the ground in Africa,” Smith said. “That knowledge will help PKSOI plan to support future missions.”
The talks came at a key time for the Burundian military, as they prepare to deploy a new rotation of peacekeepers to Somali.
“This support was very important and effective,” Ndikuryio said. “We appreciate this cooperation with U.S. Army Africa. We hope to interact with the command in the future.”
Cleared for public release.
Photos by Rick Scavetta, U.S. Army Africa
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
U.S. Army Africa supports Burundi's peacekeeping efforts in Somalia
By Rick Scavetta, U.S. Army Africa
BUJUMBURA, Burundi – When U.S. Army Col. Steve Smith recently joined discussions with Burundian generals about how Burundi conducts peacekeeping efforts in Somalia, he was leading the way for U.S. Army Africa partnerships on the continent.
In mid-January, Smith led a team to work with Burundian officers on ways to enhance Burundi’s leadership capacity as their military prepares to deploy its next rotation of peacekeepers to Mogadishu. Smith, of the U.S. Army’s Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute and Lt. Col. Ronald Miller, an Africa expert from U.S. Army Africa headquarters, held discussions with senior Burundian military officers at the Ministry of Defense in Bujumbura.
“We discussed the U.S. military’s way of planning for operations at the brigade level, using what we call MDMP, the military decision making process,” Smith said. “We also talked about how U.S. Army officers run a brigade-level command post.”
Burundi and Uganda share peacekeeping duties under the African Union Mission in Somalia, an operation designed to stabilize Somalia’s security situation following decades of war and chaos. African peacekeepers in Somalia face daily challenges as they mentor Somalis in security operations and work to counter extremist groups like al-Shabaab.
The U.S. Army effort is part of a larger effort by the U.S. government to support Burundi in its peacekeeping efforts, said Brig. Gen. Cyprien Ndikuryio, chief of Burundi’s land forces. The U.S. has helped with training and equipment, followed by these senior leader discussions, he said.
“My colleagues and I are senior officers. One of them, or I, could be appointed to higher responsibilities in Somalia’s peacekeeping mission and use what we have learned,” Ndikuryio said.
Until now, Burundi’s military planned missions similar to the way Belgian and French militaries work. The Ugandan People’s Defense Force, Burundi’s partner in AMISOM, already employs a planning system that is similar to the U.S. military, Smith said.
“It’s incredibly important for Burundi, as they are working alongside other armies using the U.S.-based model, to promote interoperability and overall efficiency,” Smith said.
In 2006, Burundi ended its 12-year civil war. Since then, Burundi has made strides toward partnering with its East African neighbors and the United States.
In October 2009, Burundian troops took part in Natural Fire 10, a U.S. Army Africa-led humanitarian and civil assistance exercise held in Uganda. During that time, Maj. Gen. William B. Garrett III, commander of U.S. Army Africa, visited Bujumbura to watch Burundian troops undergoing training with the U.S. State Department-led African Contingency Operations Training and Assistance program.
Burundian senior leaders then asked U.S. Army Africa to help with a familiarization event on brigade-level peacekeeping operations. Leaders from PKSOI at Carlisle Barracks in Pennsylvania offered their expertise for the event.
“This effort in Burundi has been a great opportunity for the U.S. Army to engage with a partner nation’s land forces on the continent,” Smith said. “There’s a tremendous potential here, a great thirst for knowledge.”
Smith’s Burundi assignment also benefits PKSOI in their efforts, he said.
“I’m taking back with me a better understanding of U.S. Army Africa operations and what’s happening on the ground in Africa,” Smith said. “That knowledge will help PKSOI plan to support future missions.”
The talks came at a key time for the Burundian military, as they prepare to deploy a new rotation of peacekeepers to Somali.
“This support was very important and effective,” Ndikuryio said. “We appreciate this cooperation with U.S. Army Africa. We hope to interact with the command in the future.”
Cleared for public release.
Photos by Rick Scavetta, U.S. Army Africa
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
U.S. Army Africa supports Burundi's peacekeeping efforts in Somalia
By Rick Scavetta, U.S. Army Africa
BUJUMBURA, Burundi – When U.S. Army Col. Steve Smith recently joined discussions with Burundian generals about how Burundi conducts peacekeeping efforts in Somalia, he was leading the way for U.S. Army Africa partnerships on the continent.
In mid-January, Smith led a team to work with Burundian officers on ways to enhance Burundi’s leadership capacity as their military prepares to deploy its next rotation of peacekeepers to Mogadishu. Smith, of the U.S. Army’s Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute and Lt. Col. Ronald Miller, an Africa expert from U.S. Army Africa headquarters, held discussions with senior Burundian military officers at the Ministry of Defense in Bujumbura.
“We discussed the U.S. military’s way of planning for operations at the brigade level, using what we call MDMP, the military decision making process,” Smith said. “We also talked about how U.S. Army officers run a brigade-level command post.”
Burundi and Uganda share peacekeeping duties under the African Union Mission in Somalia, an operation designed to stabilize Somalia’s security situation following decades of war and chaos. African peacekeepers in Somalia face daily challenges as they mentor Somalis in security operations and work to counter extremist groups like al-Shabaab.
The U.S. Army effort is part of a larger effort by the U.S. government to support Burundi in its peacekeeping efforts, said Brig. Gen. Cyprien Ndikuryio, chief of Burundi’s land forces. The U.S. has helped with training and equipment, followed by these senior leader discussions, he said.
“My colleagues and I are senior officers. One of them, or I, could be appointed to higher responsibilities in Somalia’s peacekeeping mission and use what we have learned,” Ndikuryio said.
Until now, Burundi’s military planned missions similar to the way Belgian and French militaries work. The Ugandan People’s Defense Force, Burundi’s partner in AMISOM, already employs a planning system that is similar to the U.S. military, Smith said.
“It’s incredibly important for Burundi, as they are working alongside other armies using the U.S.-based model, to promote interoperability and overall efficiency,” Smith said.
In 2006, Burundi ended its 12-year civil war. Since then, Burundi has made strides toward partnering with its East African neighbors and the United States.
In October 2009, Burundian troops took part in Natural Fire 10, a U.S. Army Africa-led humanitarian and civil assistance exercise held in Uganda. During that time, Maj. Gen. William B. Garrett III, commander of U.S. Army Africa, visited Bujumbura to watch Burundian troops undergoing training with the U.S. State Department-led African Contingency Operations Training and Assistance program.
Burundian senior leaders then asked U.S. Army Africa to help with a familiarization event on brigade-level peacekeeping operations. Leaders from PKSOI at Carlisle Barracks in Pennsylvania offered their expertise for the event.
“This effort in Burundi has been a great opportunity for the U.S. Army to engage with a partner nation’s land forces on the continent,” Smith said. “There’s a tremendous potential here, a great thirst for knowledge.”
Smith’s Burundi assignment also benefits PKSOI in their efforts, he said.
“I’m taking back with me a better understanding of U.S. Army Africa operations and what’s happening on the ground in Africa,” Smith said. “That knowledge will help PKSOI plan to support future missions.”
The talks came at a key time for the Burundian military, as they prepare to deploy a new rotation of peacekeepers to Somali.
“This support was very important and effective,” Ndikuryio said. “We appreciate this cooperation with U.S. Army Africa. We hope to interact with the command in the future.”
Cleared for public release.
Photos by Rick Scavetta, U.S. Army Africa
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
Pictured: A Royal Marine crewman observes Okehampton Camp from the air.
Ten Tors is one of the biggest multi-agency, tri service civil contingency exercises in Britain. It is run by more than nine hundred military personnel - almost all of them Reservists - from all three branches of the Armed Forces, led by the Army’s 43 (Wessex) Brigade with its HQ in Tidworth, Wiltshire.
The 54th running of the event this year comes just months after military personnel, including Reservists from the South West , assisted local authorities, the Environment Agency and blue-light services during the floods, carrying out a range of tasks from sandbagging to engineering.
As a military exercise Ten Tors provides the Armed Forces with an invaluable opportunity to practice these life-saving civil contingency responsibilities, to enable the military - assisted by the emergency services, including The British Red Cross and the Dartmoor Search and Rescue Group - to be ready to help when they are called upon during a national emergency.
Brigadier Piers Hankinson MBE, Director of Ten Tors, is the Commander of 43 (Wessex) Brigade and was the Joint Military Commander for the South West during the flooding.
“The severe flooding across parts of the South West earlier this year clearly demonstrates the importance of such training and the ability to react to fast changing conditions and working in a multi-agency tri-service team. It also highlights the way that Reservists, who have wide ranging civilian experience and employment (from plumbers to accountants), train to operate with their regular counterparts under a One-Army ethos.”
Ten Tors:
As well as a vital high-level military exercise, The Ten Tors Challenge is also one of the biggest outdoors adventure events for young people in Britain today. In all, 2400 youngsters aged between 14 and 19 will take part in Ten Tors, with a further 300 youngsters with physical or educational needs taking part in the Jubilee Challenge.
The majority of the teams who enter Ten Tors are from schools and youth groups from Bristol, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Somerset and Wiltshire. As usual, scores of scout groups, sports and ramblers teams and Armed Forces cadet units have accepted the challenge and are taking part.
Those teenagers taking on the Ten Tors Challenge will trek unaided over 35, 45 or 55 miles of some of the toughest terrain and highest peaks in Southern England relying on their navigational skills and carrying all their food, water, bedding, tents and other essentials as they go.
It is a feat they must complete as a team and without any help from adults and they’ll remain entirely self-sufficient during their arduous expeditions, including camping out overnight on the moor.
They do it for the challenge; to test themselves against one of the last remaining wildernesses in Britain. What they get in return for their months of hard training and commitment, as well as determination and bravery during the event itself, is an experience they’ll remember forever and the chance to learn a set of skills and values which will stay with them for the rest of their lives.
It’s a rite of passage which has played a positive and formative role in shaping the lives of more than a quarter of a million people.
NOTE TO DESKS:
MoD release authorised handout images.
All images remain Crown Copyright 2013.
Photo credit to read - Cpl Si Longworth RLC (Phot)
Email: simonlongworth@mediaops.army.mod.uk
richardwatt@mediaops.army.mod.uk
shanewilkinson@mediaops.army.mod.uk
Si Longworth - 07414 191994
Richard Watt - 07836 515306
Shane Wilkinson - 07901 590723
Australian Army Cpl. Chad Neiha, an infantry section commander with the 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, from Sydney, Australia, pulls security and radios to his platoon leader as they prepare to engage as the opposition force during Talisman Saber 2013 at the Shoalwater Bay Training Area July 20, 2013 in Queensland, Australia. Talisman Saber is a biennial training event that trains U.S. and Australian forces to work together in order to crisis plan for contingency operations and humanitarian missions. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Jeffrey Smith/Released)
U.S. Army Africa supports Burundi's peacekeeping efforts in Somalia
By Rick Scavetta, U.S. Army Africa
BUJUMBURA, Burundi – When U.S. Army Col. Steve Smith recently joined discussions with Burundian generals about how Burundi conducts peacekeeping efforts in Somalia, he was leading the way for U.S. Army Africa partnerships on the continent.
In mid-January, Smith led a team to work with Burundian officers on ways to enhance Burundi’s leadership capacity as their military prepares to deploy its next rotation of peacekeepers to Mogadishu. Smith, of the U.S. Army’s Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute and Lt. Col. Ronald Miller, an Africa expert from U.S. Army Africa headquarters, held discussions with senior Burundian military officers at the Ministry of Defense in Bujumbura.
“We discussed the U.S. military’s way of planning for operations at the brigade level, using what we call MDMP, the military decision making process,” Smith said. “We also talked about how U.S. Army officers run a brigade-level command post.”
Burundi and Uganda share peacekeeping duties under the African Union Mission in Somalia, an operation designed to stabilize Somalia’s security situation following decades of war and chaos. African peacekeepers in Somalia face daily challenges as they mentor Somalis in security operations and work to counter extremist groups like al-Shabaab.
The U.S. Army effort is part of a larger effort by the U.S. government to support Burundi in its peacekeeping efforts, said Brig. Gen. Cyprien Ndikuryio, chief of Burundi’s land forces. The U.S. has helped with training and equipment, followed by these senior leader discussions, he said.
“My colleagues and I are senior officers. One of them, or I, could be appointed to higher responsibilities in Somalia’s peacekeeping mission and use what we have learned,” Ndikuryio said.
Until now, Burundi’s military planned missions similar to the way Belgian and French militaries work. The Ugandan People’s Defense Force, Burundi’s partner in AMISOM, already employs a planning system that is similar to the U.S. military, Smith said.
“It’s incredibly important for Burundi, as they are working alongside other armies using the U.S.-based model, to promote interoperability and overall efficiency,” Smith said.
In 2006, Burundi ended its 12-year civil war. Since then, Burundi has made strides toward partnering with its East African neighbors and the United States.
In October 2009, Burundian troops took part in Natural Fire 10, a U.S. Army Africa-led humanitarian and civil assistance exercise held in Uganda. During that time, Maj. Gen. William B. Garrett III, commander of U.S. Army Africa, visited Bujumbura to watch Burundian troops undergoing training with the U.S. State Department-led African Contingency Operations Training and Assistance program.
Burundian senior leaders then asked U.S. Army Africa to help with a familiarization event on brigade-level peacekeeping operations. Leaders from PKSOI at Carlisle Barracks in Pennsylvania offered their expertise for the event.
“This effort in Burundi has been a great opportunity for the U.S. Army to engage with a partner nation’s land forces on the continent,” Smith said. “There’s a tremendous potential here, a great thirst for knowledge.”
Smith’s Burundi assignment also benefits PKSOI in their efforts, he said.
“I’m taking back with me a better understanding of U.S. Army Africa operations and what’s happening on the ground in Africa,” Smith said. “That knowledge will help PKSOI plan to support future missions.”
The talks came at a key time for the Burundian military, as they prepare to deploy a new rotation of peacekeepers to Somali.
“This support was very important and effective,” Ndikuryio said. “We appreciate this cooperation with U.S. Army Africa. We hope to interact with the command in the future.”
Cleared for public release.
Photos by Rick Scavetta, U.S. Army Africa
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
U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Daniel Scales, assigned to 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, ground guides a tracked vehicle onto rail cars at the 7th Army Joint Multinational Training Command's Grafenwoehr Training Area, Germany railhead station as part of Combined Resolve III, Oct. 16, 2014. The equipment is part of the European Activity Set (EAS), a battalion-sized set of equipment prepositioned on the Grafenwoehr Training Area to outfit and support U.S. Army forces rotating to Europe for training and contingency missions in support of the U.S. European Command. Combined Resolve III is a U.S. Army Europe-led, multinational exercise at the Joint Multinational Training Command's Hohenfels and Grafenwoehr training areas in Germany. The exercise focuses on maintaining and enhancing interoperability during unified land operations in a decisive action training environment. More at www.eur.army.mil/JMTC/CombinedResolveIII.html. (U.S. Army photo by Visual Information Specialist Gertrud Zach/released)
A US Navy EA-18G "Growler" (BuNo 166895) fighter receives fuel over the Mediterranean Sea near Trapani, Italy, from a CC150 "Polaris" aircraft from 429 Transport Squadron based at CFB Trenton, on 29 March 2011.
The Canadian Forces will contribute six CF-188 "Hornet" aircraft in support of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973 (2011), in addition to the support furnished by HMCS Charlottetown, currently conducting presence and surveillance patrols as part of the Standing NATO Reaction Force Maritime Group 1 (SNMG1) deployed in the Mediterranean.
425 Tactical Fighter Squadron is an integral part of NORAD and of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). In peacetime, the squadron's fighters provide continuous surveillance of the East Coast of Canada. In addition, it must be ready for rapid deployment anywhere in the world in support of NATO or contingency operations.
An Armenian soldier of Armenian Company, Peacekeeping Brigade conducts fire phobia training during a Kosovo Force (KFOR) mission rehearsal exercise (MRE) at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center (JMRC) in Hohenfels, Germany, Oct. 1, 2014. The KFOR MRE is based on the current operational environment and is designed to prepare the unit for peace support, stability, and contingency operations in Kosovo in support of civil authorities to maintain a safe and secure environment. (U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Lloyd Villanueva/Released)
A C-130 Hercules drops Army paratroopers assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division onto Luzon drop zone during a training mission prior to Joint Operations Access Exercise 12-02 at Mackall Army Airfield, N.C., June 4, 2012. A JOAX is a two-week forcible entry and ground combat exercise to prepare Air Force and Army service members to respond to worldwide crises and contingencies. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Parker Gyokeres)
U.S. Air Force Airman Mikal Moore, an aerial port specialist with the Kentucky Air National Guard Contingency Response Group, chains down an M983 truck inside a C-5 Galaxy aircraft with the 167th Airlift Wing, West Virginia Air National Guard Jan. 4, 2013, at Altus Air Force Base, Okla. Soldiers with the 31st Air Defense Artillery Brigade at Fort Sill, Okla., were headed to Turkey to deploy two of their unit’s Patriot air defense missile batteries along the Turkish-Syrian border. Four Europe-based Patriot batteries were also mobilized after the Turkish government requested assistance from NATO to augment Turkey’s air defense capabilities against possible aggression by Syria. (DoD photo by Airman 1st Class Levin Boland, U.S. Air Force/Released)
U.S. Army Africa supports Burundi's peacekeeping efforts in Somalia
By Rick Scavetta, U.S. Army Africa
BUJUMBURA, Burundi – When U.S. Army Col. Steve Smith recently joined discussions with Burundian generals about how Burundi conducts peacekeeping efforts in Somalia, he was leading the way for U.S. Army Africa partnerships on the continent.
In mid-January, Smith led a team to work with Burundian officers on ways to enhance Burundi’s leadership capacity as their military prepares to deploy its next rotation of peacekeepers to Mogadishu. Smith, of the U.S. Army’s Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute and Lt. Col. Ronald Miller, an Africa expert from U.S. Army Africa headquarters, held discussions with senior Burundian military officers at the Ministry of Defense in Bujumbura.
“We discussed the U.S. military’s way of planning for operations at the brigade level, using what we call MDMP, the military decision making process,” Smith said. “We also talked about how U.S. Army officers run a brigade-level command post.”
Burundi and Uganda share peacekeeping duties under the African Union Mission in Somalia, an operation designed to stabilize Somalia’s security situation following decades of war and chaos. African peacekeepers in Somalia face daily challenges as they mentor Somalis in security operations and work to counter extremist groups like al-Shabaab.
The U.S. Army effort is part of a larger effort by the U.S. government to support Burundi in its peacekeeping efforts, said Brig. Gen. Cyprien Ndikuryio, chief of Burundi’s land forces. The U.S. has helped with training and equipment, followed by these senior leader discussions, he said.
“My colleagues and I are senior officers. One of them, or I, could be appointed to higher responsibilities in Somalia’s peacekeeping mission and use what we have learned,” Ndikuryio said.
Until now, Burundi’s military planned missions similar to the way Belgian and French militaries work. The Ugandan People’s Defense Force, Burundi’s partner in AMISOM, already employs a planning system that is similar to the U.S. military, Smith said.
“It’s incredibly important for Burundi, as they are working alongside other armies using the U.S.-based model, to promote interoperability and overall efficiency,” Smith said.
In 2006, Burundi ended its 12-year civil war. Since then, Burundi has made strides toward partnering with its East African neighbors and the United States.
In October 2009, Burundian troops took part in Natural Fire 10, a U.S. Army Africa-led humanitarian and civil assistance exercise held in Uganda. During that time, Maj. Gen. William B. Garrett III, commander of U.S. Army Africa, visited Bujumbura to watch Burundian troops undergoing training with the U.S. State Department-led African Contingency Operations Training and Assistance program.
Burundian senior leaders then asked U.S. Army Africa to help with a familiarization event on brigade-level peacekeeping operations. Leaders from PKSOI at Carlisle Barracks in Pennsylvania offered their expertise for the event.
“This effort in Burundi has been a great opportunity for the U.S. Army to engage with a partner nation’s land forces on the continent,” Smith said. “There’s a tremendous potential here, a great thirst for knowledge.”
Smith’s Burundi assignment also benefits PKSOI in their efforts, he said.
“I’m taking back with me a better understanding of U.S. Army Africa operations and what’s happening on the ground in Africa,” Smith said. “That knowledge will help PKSOI plan to support future missions.”
The talks came at a key time for the Burundian military, as they prepare to deploy a new rotation of peacekeepers to Somali.
“This support was very important and effective,” Ndikuryio said. “We appreciate this cooperation with U.S. Army Africa. We hope to interact with the command in the future.”
Cleared for public release.
Photos by Rick Scavetta, U.S. Army Africa
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
CONTINGENCY OPERATING SITE WARRIOR, Iraq – Specialist Luz Natalia Gonzalez, a military police Soldier from Providence, R.I., assigned to “Punishers” Provincial Police Transition Team, 1st Advise and Assist Task Force, 1st Infantry Division, loads her M249 Squad Automatic Weapon on Contingency Operating Site Warrior before conducting security operations in Kirkuk province, Iraq, July 31, 2011.
(U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Robert DeDeaux, 1st AATF PAO, 1st Inf. Div., USD – N)
Photographer - Cpl Wes Calder RLC
Pictured - Soldiers from B Company 2 Riles conduct house clearing through a village.
Exercise BAVARIAN CHARGER is the first of three large contingency operation exercises being undertaken by 20th Armoured Brigade between May ñ October 2013. Contingency Operations training is known as Hybrid Foundation Training or HFT.
The aim of this exercise is to train the 5 Rifles, The Queens Dragoon Guards (QDG) Battle Groups and 1 Logistic Support Regiment in combined arms manoeuvre.
The exercise is split into 3 main phases. The first phase consists of a two week live firing exercise in Grafenwoer, Southern Germany, that enables the units and soldiers to refine their skills with their equipment and weapons. Training is constructed to develop skills from the individual level through to the Battlegroup level and culminates in a final attack that sees the use of helicopters, tanks, artillery and infantry combined.
The second phase will see all the exercising units transition from Grafenwoer to Hohnfels, some 100 km further south and simulates the kind of movements that are undertaken when moving an Armed force into hostile territory.
The third, and final phase is designed to test the planning and execution of combined arms manoeuvre operations in a hostile environment. The units will execute orders based on the delivery of Brigade Orders to defeat the enemy within the scenario.
2100 personnel with upto 768 vehicles ranging from Landrover, to Tanks to Apache helicopters are being exercised from 20th Armoured Brigade whose Headquarters are based in Sennelager, Germany. Approximately 500 personnel are required to support those training to ensure that supplies are maintained, vehicles are fixed and soldiers fed.
NOTE TO DESKS:
MoD release authorised handout images.
All images remain crown copyright.
Photo credit to read - Cpl Wes Calder RLC
Email: wescalder@mediaops.army.mod.uk
richardwatt@mediaops.army.mod.uk
shanewilkinson@mediaops.army.mod.uk
Richard Watt - 07836 515306
Shane Wilkinson - 07901 590723
A U.S. Air Force Airman part of the Joint Task Force-Port Opening team of the 621st Contingency Response Wing assigned to Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., helps to augment airport security along with local security personnel during Operation United Assistance, Oct. 16. The JTF-PO is supporting a comprehensive U.S. government effort led by the U.S Agency for International Development, to support the World Health Organization and other international partners to help the Governments of Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone respond to and contain the outbreak of the Ebola virus in West Africa. (U.S. Army Africa photo by Air Force Staff Sgt. Gustavo Gonzalez/ Released)
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 Vimeo video channel: www.vimeo.com/usarmyafrica
Join the U.S. Army Africa conversation on Facebook: www.facebook.com/ArmyAfrica
U.S. Army Africa supports Burundi's peacekeeping efforts in Somalia
By Rick Scavetta, U.S. Army Africa
BUJUMBURA, Burundi – When U.S. Army Col. Steve Smith recently joined discussions with Burundian generals about how Burundi conducts peacekeeping efforts in Somalia, he was leading the way for U.S. Army Africa partnerships on the continent.
In mid-January, Smith led a team to work with Burundian officers on ways to enhance Burundi’s leadership capacity as their military prepares to deploy its next rotation of peacekeepers to Mogadishu. Smith, of the U.S. Army’s Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute and Lt. Col. Ronald Miller, an Africa expert from U.S. Army Africa headquarters, held discussions with senior Burundian military officers at the Ministry of Defense in Bujumbura.
“We discussed the U.S. military’s way of planning for operations at the brigade level, using what we call MDMP, the military decision making process,” Smith said. “We also talked about how U.S. Army officers run a brigade-level command post.”
Burundi and Uganda share peacekeeping duties under the African Union Mission in Somalia, an operation designed to stabilize Somalia’s security situation following decades of war and chaos. African peacekeepers in Somalia face daily challenges as they mentor Somalis in security operations and work to counter extremist groups like al-Shabaab.
The U.S. Army effort is part of a larger effort by the U.S. government to support Burundi in its peacekeeping efforts, said Brig. Gen. Cyprien Ndikuryio, chief of Burundi’s land forces. The U.S. has helped with training and equipment, followed by these senior leader discussions, he said.
“My colleagues and I are senior officers. One of them, or I, could be appointed to higher responsibilities in Somalia’s peacekeeping mission and use what we have learned,” Ndikuryio said.
Until now, Burundi’s military planned missions similar to the way Belgian and French militaries work. The Ugandan People’s Defense Force, Burundi’s partner in AMISOM, already employs a planning system that is similar to the U.S. military, Smith said.
“It’s incredibly important for Burundi, as they are working alongside other armies using the U.S.-based model, to promote interoperability and overall efficiency,” Smith said.
In 2006, Burundi ended its 12-year civil war. Since then, Burundi has made strides toward partnering with its East African neighbors and the United States.
In October 2009, Burundian troops took part in Natural Fire 10, a U.S. Army Africa-led humanitarian and civil assistance exercise held in Uganda. During that time, Maj. Gen. William B. Garrett III, commander of U.S. Army Africa, visited Bujumbura to watch Burundian troops undergoing training with the U.S. State Department-led African Contingency Operations Training and Assistance program.
Burundian senior leaders then asked U.S. Army Africa to help with a familiarization event on brigade-level peacekeeping operations. Leaders from PKSOI at Carlisle Barracks in Pennsylvania offered their expertise for the event.
“This effort in Burundi has been a great opportunity for the U.S. Army to engage with a partner nation’s land forces on the continent,” Smith said. “There’s a tremendous potential here, a great thirst for knowledge.”
Smith’s Burundi assignment also benefits PKSOI in their efforts, he said.
“I’m taking back with me a better understanding of U.S. Army Africa operations and what’s happening on the ground in Africa,” Smith said. “That knowledge will help PKSOI plan to support future missions.”
The talks came at a key time for the Burundian military, as they prepare to deploy a new rotation of peacekeepers to Somali.
“This support was very important and effective,” Ndikuryio said. “We appreciate this cooperation with U.S. Army Africa. We hope to interact with the command in the future.”
Cleared for public release.
Photos by Rick Scavetta, U.S. Army Africa
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
U.S. Army Africa supports Burundi's peacekeeping efforts in Somalia
By Rick Scavetta, U.S. Army Africa
BUJUMBURA, Burundi – When U.S. Army Col. Steve Smith recently joined discussions with Burundian generals about how Burundi conducts peacekeeping efforts in Somalia, he was leading the way for U.S. Army Africa partnerships on the continent.
In mid-January, Smith led a team to work with Burundian officers on ways to enhance Burundi’s leadership capacity as their military prepares to deploy its next rotation of peacekeepers to Mogadishu. Smith, of the U.S. Army’s Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute and Lt. Col. Ronald Miller, an Africa expert from U.S. Army Africa headquarters, held discussions with senior Burundian military officers at the Ministry of Defense in Bujumbura.
“We discussed the U.S. military’s way of planning for operations at the brigade level, using what we call MDMP, the military decision making process,” Smith said. “We also talked about how U.S. Army officers run a brigade-level command post.”
Burundi and Uganda share peacekeeping duties under the African Union Mission in Somalia, an operation designed to stabilize Somalia’s security situation following decades of war and chaos. African peacekeepers in Somalia face daily challenges as they mentor Somalis in security operations and work to counter extremist groups like al-Shabaab.
The U.S. Army effort is part of a larger effort by the U.S. government to support Burundi in its peacekeeping efforts, said Brig. Gen. Cyprien Ndikuryio, chief of Burundi’s land forces. The U.S. has helped with training and equipment, followed by these senior leader discussions, he said.
“My colleagues and I are senior officers. One of them, or I, could be appointed to higher responsibilities in Somalia’s peacekeeping mission and use what we have learned,” Ndikuryio said.
Until now, Burundi’s military planned missions similar to the way Belgian and French militaries work. The Ugandan People’s Defense Force, Burundi’s partner in AMISOM, already employs a planning system that is similar to the U.S. military, Smith said.
“It’s incredibly important for Burundi, as they are working alongside other armies using the U.S.-based model, to promote interoperability and overall efficiency,” Smith said.
In 2006, Burundi ended its 12-year civil war. Since then, Burundi has made strides toward partnering with its East African neighbors and the United States.
In October 2009, Burundian troops took part in Natural Fire 10, a U.S. Army Africa-led humanitarian and civil assistance exercise held in Uganda. During that time, Maj. Gen. William B. Garrett III, commander of U.S. Army Africa, visited Bujumbura to watch Burundian troops undergoing training with the U.S. State Department-led African Contingency Operations Training and Assistance program.
Burundian senior leaders then asked U.S. Army Africa to help with a familiarization event on brigade-level peacekeeping operations. Leaders from PKSOI at Carlisle Barracks in Pennsylvania offered their expertise for the event.
“This effort in Burundi has been a great opportunity for the U.S. Army to engage with a partner nation’s land forces on the continent,” Smith said. “There’s a tremendous potential here, a great thirst for knowledge.”
Smith’s Burundi assignment also benefits PKSOI in their efforts, he said.
“I’m taking back with me a better understanding of U.S. Army Africa operations and what’s happening on the ground in Africa,” Smith said. “That knowledge will help PKSOI plan to support future missions.”
The talks came at a key time for the Burundian military, as they prepare to deploy a new rotation of peacekeepers to Somali.
“This support was very important and effective,” Ndikuryio said. “We appreciate this cooperation with U.S. Army Africa. We hope to interact with the command in the future.”
Cleared for public release.
Photos by Rick Scavetta, U.S. Army Africa
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
Gen. Mark A. Milley, the 39th Chief of Staff United States Army, U.S. Army Africa Commanding General Maj. Gen. Joseph Harrington, USARAF Command Sgt. Maj. Christopher Gilpin, and 173rd Airborne Brigade Commander Col. Gregory Anderson, pose for a group photo with paratroopers during a visit to the 173rd Airborne Brigade Headquarters visit at Caserma Del Din in Vicenza, Italy Oct. 27, 2016. The 173rd Airborne Brigade is the U.S. Army Contingency Response Force in Europe, capable of projecting ready forces anywhere in the U.S. European, Africa or Central Commands areas of responsibility within 18 hours. (U.S. Army photo by Visual Information Specialist Paolo Bovo/released)
U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Jarrod Blanford, an aerial porter from the Kentucky Air National Guard’s 123rd Contingency Response Group (left), reviews a cargo manifest with U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Evan Kuehl, a loadmaster from the 86th Airlift Wing, prior to the departure of a C-130 Hercules from Léopold Sédar Senghor International Airport in Dakar, Senegal, Oct. 22. The flight is bound for Liberia, carrying whole blood and U.S. Army Soldiers supporting Operation United Assistance, the U.S. Agency for International Development-led, whole-of-government effort to respond to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Maj. Dale Greer)
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 Vimeo video channel: www.vimeo.com/usarmyafrica
Join the U.S. Army Africa conversation on Facebook: www.facebook.com/ArmyAfrica
U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Daniel Scales, assigned to 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, ground guides a tracked vehicle onto rail cars at the 7th Army Joint Multinational Training Command's Grafenwoehr Training Area, Germany railhead station as part of Combined Resolve III, Oct. 16, 2014. The equipment is part of the European Activity Set (EAS), a battalion-sized set of equipment prepositioned on the Grafenwoehr Training Area to outfit and support U.S. Army forces rotating to Europe for training and contingency missions in support of the U.S. European Command. Combined Resolve III is a U.S. Army Europe-led, multinational exercise at the Joint Multinational Training Command's Hohenfels and Grafenwoehr training areas in Germany. The exercise focuses on maintaining and enhancing interoperability during unified land operations in a decisive action training environment. (U.S. Army photo by Visual Information Specialist Gertrud Zach/released)
U.S. Air Force Airmen part of the Joint Task Force-Port Opening team of the 621st Contingency Response Wing assigned to Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., finish unloading medical supplies during Operation United Assistance, Oct. 16. The JTF-PO is supporting a comprehensive U.S. government effort led by the U.S Agency for International Development, to support the World Health Organization and other international partners to help the Governments of Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone respond to and contain the outbreak of the Ebola virus in West Africa. (U.S. Army Africa photo by Air Force Staff Sgt. Gustavo Gonzalez/ Released)
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 Vimeo video channel: www.vimeo.com/usarmyafrica
Join the U.S. Army Africa conversation on Facebook: www.facebook.com/ArmyAfrica
U.S. Army Africa supports Burundi's peacekeeping efforts in Somalia
By Rick Scavetta, U.S. Army Africa
BUJUMBURA, Burundi – When U.S. Army Col. Steve Smith recently joined discussions with Burundian generals about how Burundi conducts peacekeeping efforts in Somalia, he was leading the way for U.S. Army Africa partnerships on the continent.
In mid-January, Smith led a team to work with Burundian officers on ways to enhance Burundi’s leadership capacity as their military prepares to deploy its next rotation of peacekeepers to Mogadishu. Smith, of the U.S. Army’s Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute and Lt. Col. Ronald Miller, an Africa expert from U.S. Army Africa headquarters, held discussions with senior Burundian military officers at the Ministry of Defense in Bujumbura.
“We discussed the U.S. military’s way of planning for operations at the brigade level, using what we call MDMP, the military decision making process,” Smith said. “We also talked about how U.S. Army officers run a brigade-level command post.”
Burundi and Uganda share peacekeeping duties under the African Union Mission in Somalia, an operation designed to stabilize Somalia’s security situation following decades of war and chaos. African peacekeepers in Somalia face daily challenges as they mentor Somalis in security operations and work to counter extremist groups like al-Shabaab.
The U.S. Army effort is part of a larger effort by the U.S. government to support Burundi in its peacekeeping efforts, said Brig. Gen. Cyprien Ndikuryio, chief of Burundi’s land forces. The U.S. has helped with training and equipment, followed by these senior leader discussions, he said.
“My colleagues and I are senior officers. One of them, or I, could be appointed to higher responsibilities in Somalia’s peacekeeping mission and use what we have learned,” Ndikuryio said.
Until now, Burundi’s military planned missions similar to the way Belgian and French militaries work. The Ugandan People’s Defense Force, Burundi’s partner in AMISOM, already employs a planning system that is similar to the U.S. military, Smith said.
“It’s incredibly important for Burundi, as they are working alongside other armies using the U.S.-based model, to promote interoperability and overall efficiency,” Smith said.
In 2006, Burundi ended its 12-year civil war. Since then, Burundi has made strides toward partnering with its East African neighbors and the United States.
In October 2009, Burundian troops took part in Natural Fire 10, a U.S. Army Africa-led humanitarian and civil assistance exercise held in Uganda. During that time, Maj. Gen. William B. Garrett III, commander of U.S. Army Africa, visited Bujumbura to watch Burundian troops undergoing training with the U.S. State Department-led African Contingency Operations Training and Assistance program.
Burundian senior leaders then asked U.S. Army Africa to help with a familiarization event on brigade-level peacekeeping operations. Leaders from PKSOI at Carlisle Barracks in Pennsylvania offered their expertise for the event.
“This effort in Burundi has been a great opportunity for the U.S. Army to engage with a partner nation’s land forces on the continent,” Smith said. “There’s a tremendous potential here, a great thirst for knowledge.”
Smith’s Burundi assignment also benefits PKSOI in their efforts, he said.
“I’m taking back with me a better understanding of U.S. Army Africa operations and what’s happening on the ground in Africa,” Smith said. “That knowledge will help PKSOI plan to support future missions.”
The talks came at a key time for the Burundian military, as they prepare to deploy a new rotation of peacekeepers to Somali.
“This support was very important and effective,” Ndikuryio said. “We appreciate this cooperation with U.S. Army Africa. We hope to interact with the command in the future.”
Cleared for public release.
Photos by Rick Scavetta, U.S. Army Africa
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
U.S. Army Africa supports Burundi's peacekeeping efforts in Somalia
By Rick Scavetta, U.S. Army Africa
BUJUMBURA, Burundi – When U.S. Army Col. Steve Smith recently joined discussions with Burundian generals about how Burundi conducts peacekeeping efforts in Somalia, he was leading the way for U.S. Army Africa partnerships on the continent.
In mid-January, Smith led a team to work with Burundian officers on ways to enhance Burundi’s leadership capacity as their military prepares to deploy its next rotation of peacekeepers to Mogadishu. Smith, of the U.S. Army’s Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute and Lt. Col. Ronald Miller, an Africa expert from U.S. Army Africa headquarters, held discussions with senior Burundian military officers at the Ministry of Defense in Bujumbura.
“We discussed the U.S. military’s way of planning for operations at the brigade level, using what we call MDMP, the military decision making process,” Smith said. “We also talked about how U.S. Army officers run a brigade-level command post.”
Burundi and Uganda share peacekeeping duties under the African Union Mission in Somalia, an operation designed to stabilize Somalia’s security situation following decades of war and chaos. African peacekeepers in Somalia face daily challenges as they mentor Somalis in security operations and work to counter extremist groups like al-Shabaab.
The U.S. Army effort is part of a larger effort by the U.S. government to support Burundi in its peacekeeping efforts, said Brig. Gen. Cyprien Ndikuryio, chief of Burundi’s land forces. The U.S. has helped with training and equipment, followed by these senior leader discussions, he said.
“My colleagues and I are senior officers. One of them, or I, could be appointed to higher responsibilities in Somalia’s peacekeeping mission and use what we have learned,” Ndikuryio said.
Until now, Burundi’s military planned missions similar to the way Belgian and French militaries work. The Ugandan People’s Defense Force, Burundi’s partner in AMISOM, already employs a planning system that is similar to the U.S. military, Smith said.
“It’s incredibly important for Burundi, as they are working alongside other armies using the U.S.-based model, to promote interoperability and overall efficiency,” Smith said.
In 2006, Burundi ended its 12-year civil war. Since then, Burundi has made strides toward partnering with its East African neighbors and the United States.
In October 2009, Burundian troops took part in Natural Fire 10, a U.S. Army Africa-led humanitarian and civil assistance exercise held in Uganda. During that time, Maj. Gen. William B. Garrett III, commander of U.S. Army Africa, visited Bujumbura to watch Burundian troops undergoing training with the U.S. State Department-led African Contingency Operations Training and Assistance program.
Burundian senior leaders then asked U.S. Army Africa to help with a familiarization event on brigade-level peacekeeping operations. Leaders from PKSOI at Carlisle Barracks in Pennsylvania offered their expertise for the event.
“This effort in Burundi has been a great opportunity for the U.S. Army to engage with a partner nation’s land forces on the continent,” Smith said. “There’s a tremendous potential here, a great thirst for knowledge.”
Smith’s Burundi assignment also benefits PKSOI in their efforts, he said.
“I’m taking back with me a better understanding of U.S. Army Africa operations and what’s happening on the ground in Africa,” Smith said. “That knowledge will help PKSOI plan to support future missions.”
The talks came at a key time for the Burundian military, as they prepare to deploy a new rotation of peacekeepers to Somali.
“This support was very important and effective,” Ndikuryio said. “We appreciate this cooperation with U.S. Army Africa. We hope to interact with the command in the future.”
Cleared for public release.
Photos by Rick Scavetta, U.S. Army Africa
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
Muskoka Airport, Ontario, 26 June 2010
Tactical Reserve contingency force
A member of the Canadian Forces (CF) Tactical Reserve contingency force, from the Royal 22e Régiment based out of Valcartier, Quebec, provides surveillance around the perimeter of the Muskoka Airport prior to the arrival of dignitaries following the 2010 Muskoka G8 Summit.
During Operation CADENCE, the Canadian Forces (CF) provide unique resources and capabilities to support to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP)-led Integrated Security Unit (ISU) by monitoring maritime, air and land approaches. The ISU is responsible for ensuring the security of the Summit participants and nearby residents during the 2010 Muskoka G8 and Toronto G20 Summits and is comprised of members from the CF, RCMP, Ontario Provincial Police, Toronto Police Service and Peel Regional Police.
The G8/G20 Summits provide the leaders of the world’s most industrialized nations and the leading emerging nations with an opportunity to discuss issues such as fiscal and monetary policy co-ordination and international development to advance international economic co-operation.
Canadian Forces Image number IS2010-4025-10
By MCpl Pierre Thériault with Canadian Forces Combat Camera
___________________________________Traduction
Aéroport de Muskoka, Ontario le 26 juin 2010
Réserve tactique de contingence
Un membre de la force de contingence du Royal 22e Régiment de Valcartier (Québec), Réserve tactique des Forces canadiennes (FC), surveille les abords du terrain de l’aéroport de Muskoka avant l’arrivée des dignitaires au terme du sommet 2010 du G8 à Muskoka.
Au cours de l’opération Cadence, les Forces canadiennes (FC) fournissent des ressources et des moyens particuliers pour appuyer le Groupe intégré de la sécurité (GIS), dirigé par la Gendarmerie royale du Canada (GRC), en surveillant les voies d’approche maritimes, aériennes et terrestres. Le GIS est chargé d’assurer la sécurité des participants des sommets et des personnes qui habitent à proximité des sites du sommet du G8 à Muskoka et du G20 à Toronto. Il se compose de membres des FC, de la GRC, de la Police provinciale de l’Ontario, du service de police de Toronto et de la police régionale de Peel.
Les sommets du G8 et du G20 fournissent aux dirigeants des pays les plus industrialisés et des nations émergentes de tête du monde entier l’occasion de parler d’enjeux comme la coordination des politiques financières et monétaires et le développement international dans le but d’accroître la coopération économique internationale.
Image des Forces canadiennes numéro IS2010-4025-10
Par le Cplc Pierre Thériault avec Caméra de combat des Forces canadiennes
NOVO SELO TRAINING AREA, Bulgaria – Soldier with U.S. Army Europe's Contingency Command Post conduct fueling operations during Saber Guardian 2014. The exercise, hosted by U.S. Army Europe and the Bulgarian Land Forces, is a multinational military exercise involving approximately 700 military personnel from twelve participating nations including Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bulgaria, Georgia, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Ukraine, Turkey and the U.S., as well as representatives from NATO. The exercise, which runs until April 4, 2014, is designed to strengthen international agency and military partnering while fostering trust and improving interoperability between NATO and partner nations involved in foreign consequence management and peace support operations with U.S. forces. Saber Guardian 2014 is part of the U.S. Army Europe annual training and exercise program and has been planned for since 2013. Last year’s iteration of the training exercise was conducted at the Romanian Land Forces Combat Training Center in Cincu, Romania. The training at Saber Guardian 2014 will reinforce USAREUR commitment to increasing regional flexibility, preserving and enhancing NATO interoperability, and facilitating multinational training. (Photo by Sgt. Brooks Fletcher, U.S. Army Europe Public Affairs)
A Moldovan soldier provides security along side U.S. Army Soldiers during a Kosovo Force (KFOR) mission rehearsal exercise (MRE) at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center (JMRC) in Hohenfels, Germany, Oct. 1, 2014. The KFOR MRE is based on the current operational environment and is designed to prepare the unit for peace support, stability, and contingency operations in Kosovo in support of civil authorities to maintain a safe and secure environment. (U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Shardesia Washington/Released)
Pictured: Royal Navy pilots navigate the Ten Tors in style.
Ten Tors is one of the biggest multi-agency, tri service civil contingency exercises in Britain. It is run by more than nine hundred military personnel - almost all of them Reservists - from all three branches of the Armed Forces, led by the Army’s 43 (Wessex) Brigade with its HQ in Tidworth, Wiltshire.
The 54th running of the event this year comes just months after military personnel, including Reservists from the South West , assisted local authorities, the Environment Agency and blue-light services during the floods, carrying out a range of tasks from sandbagging to engineering.
As a military exercise Ten Tors provides the Armed Forces with an invaluable opportunity to practice these life-saving civil contingency responsibilities, to enable the military - assisted by the emergency services, including The British Red Cross and the Dartmoor Search and Rescue Group - to be ready to help when they are called upon during a national emergency.
Brigadier Piers Hankinson MBE, Director of Ten Tors, is the Commander of 43 (Wessex) Brigade and was the Joint Military Commander for the South West during the flooding.
“The severe flooding across parts of the South West earlier this year clearly demonstrates the importance of such training and the ability to react to fast changing conditions and working in a multi-agency tri-service team. It also highlights the way that Reservists, who have wide ranging civilian experience and employment (from plumbers to accountants), train to operate with their regular counterparts under a One-Army ethos.”
Ten Tors:
As well as a vital high-level military exercise, The Ten Tors Challenge is also one of the biggest outdoors adventure events for young people in Britain today. In all, 2400 youngsters aged between 14 and 19 will take part in Ten Tors, with a further 300 youngsters with physical or educational needs taking part in the Jubilee Challenge.
The majority of the teams who enter Ten Tors are from schools and youth groups from Bristol, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Somerset and Wiltshire. As usual, scores of scout groups, sports and ramblers teams and Armed Forces cadet units have accepted the challenge and are taking part.
Those teenagers taking on the Ten Tors Challenge will trek unaided over 35, 45 or 55 miles of some of the toughest terrain and highest peaks in Southern England relying on their navigational skills and carrying all their food, water, bedding, tents and other essentials as they go.
It is a feat they must complete as a team and without any help from adults and they’ll remain entirely self-sufficient during their arduous expeditions, including camping out overnight on the moor.
They do it for the challenge; to test themselves against one of the last remaining wildernesses in Britain. What they get in return for their months of hard training and commitment, as well as determination and bravery during the event itself, is an experience they’ll remember forever and the chance to learn a set of skills and values which will stay with them for the rest of their lives.
It’s a rite of passage which has played a positive and formative role in shaping the lives of more than a quarter of a million people.
NOTE TO DESKS:
MoD release authorised handout images.
All images remain Crown Copyright 2013.
Photo credit to read - Cpl Si Longworth RLC (Phot)
Email: simonlongworth@mediaops.army.mod.uk
richardwatt@mediaops.army.mod.uk
shanewilkinson@mediaops.army.mod.uk
Si Longworth - 07414 191994
Richard Watt - 07836 515306
Shane Wilkinson - 07901 590723
U.S. Army Africa supports Burundi's peacekeeping efforts in Somalia
By Rick Scavetta, U.S. Army Africa
BUJUMBURA, Burundi – When U.S. Army Col. Steve Smith recently joined discussions with Burundian generals about how Burundi conducts peacekeeping efforts in Somalia, he was leading the way for U.S. Army Africa partnerships on the continent.
In mid-January, Smith led a team to work with Burundian officers on ways to enhance Burundi’s leadership capacity as their military prepares to deploy its next rotation of peacekeepers to Mogadishu. Smith, of the U.S. Army’s Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute and Lt. Col. Ronald Miller, an Africa expert from U.S. Army Africa headquarters, held discussions with senior Burundian military officers at the Ministry of Defense in Bujumbura.
“We discussed the U.S. military’s way of planning for operations at the brigade level, using what we call MDMP, the military decision making process,” Smith said. “We also talked about how U.S. Army officers run a brigade-level command post.”
Burundi and Uganda share peacekeeping duties under the African Union Mission in Somalia, an operation designed to stabilize Somalia’s security situation following decades of war and chaos. African peacekeepers in Somalia face daily challenges as they mentor Somalis in security operations and work to counter extremist groups like al-Shabaab.
The U.S. Army effort is part of a larger effort by the U.S. government to support Burundi in its peacekeeping efforts, said Brig. Gen. Cyprien Ndikuryio, chief of Burundi’s land forces. The U.S. has helped with training and equipment, followed by these senior leader discussions, he said.
“My colleagues and I are senior officers. One of them, or I, could be appointed to higher responsibilities in Somalia’s peacekeeping mission and use what we have learned,” Ndikuryio said.
Until now, Burundi’s military planned missions similar to the way Belgian and French militaries work. The Ugandan People’s Defense Force, Burundi’s partner in AMISOM, already employs a planning system that is similar to the U.S. military, Smith said.
“It’s incredibly important for Burundi, as they are working alongside other armies using the U.S.-based model, to promote interoperability and overall efficiency,” Smith said.
In 2006, Burundi ended its 12-year civil war. Since then, Burundi has made strides toward partnering with its East African neighbors and the United States.
In October 2009, Burundian troops took part in Natural Fire 10, a U.S. Army Africa-led humanitarian and civil assistance exercise held in Uganda. During that time, Maj. Gen. William B. Garrett III, commander of U.S. Army Africa, visited Bujumbura to watch Burundian troops undergoing training with the U.S. State Department-led African Contingency Operations Training and Assistance program.
Burundian senior leaders then asked U.S. Army Africa to help with a familiarization event on brigade-level peacekeeping operations. Leaders from PKSOI at Carlisle Barracks in Pennsylvania offered their expertise for the event.
“This effort in Burundi has been a great opportunity for the U.S. Army to engage with a partner nation’s land forces on the continent,” Smith said. “There’s a tremendous potential here, a great thirst for knowledge.”
Smith’s Burundi assignment also benefits PKSOI in their efforts, he said.
“I’m taking back with me a better understanding of U.S. Army Africa operations and what’s happening on the ground in Africa,” Smith said. “That knowledge will help PKSOI plan to support future missions.”
The talks came at a key time for the Burundian military, as they prepare to deploy a new rotation of peacekeepers to Somali.
“This support was very important and effective,” Ndikuryio said. “We appreciate this cooperation with U.S. Army Africa. We hope to interact with the command in the future.”
Cleared for public release.
Photos by Rick Scavetta, U.S. Army Africa
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
Artillery aiming for the future with training for Afghanistan and beyond
Regular and Reserve Army units preparing for Afghanistan and for future contingency operations working alongside French military teams.
With the restructuring of the Army and a new strategic alliance with the French, training with Regular and Reserves operating alongside French military units will be increasingly important to prepare our troops for future operations. Around 1500 personnel are taking part in the exercise over two weeks, and media will be able to see live firing and the team working between fire support teams and artillery firepower.
The Artillery already integrates Reservists into Regular units on operations, and this will become increasingly important as the contribution of the Reserves to our fighting force increases. French Fire Support Teams, who work alongside their infantry units calling in artillery support, will be learning to work with the Royal Artillery to call in heavy firepower from their British allies. Female personnel already work in all areas of the Royal Artillery, and media will be able to meet women playing their part in this vital frontline combat support capability.
Units taking part include:
7 (Para) RHA based Colchester. Equipped with 105mm Light Gun.
26 Regt RA based Germany. Equipped with AS90.
29 (Cdo) Regt RA based Plymouth. Equipped with 105mm Light Gun.
39 Regt RA based Newcastle. Equipped with MLRS.
47 Regt RA based Thorney Island (Hants). Equipped with Mini UAV.
101 Regt RA(V) based Newcastle. Equipped with 105mm Light Gun.
104 Regt RA based Newport (Wales). Equipped with Desert Hawk 3.
105 Regt RA based Edinburgh. Equipped with 105mm Light Gun.
U.S. Army Africa supports Burundi's peacekeeping efforts in Somalia
By Rick Scavetta, U.S. Army Africa
BUJUMBURA, Burundi – When U.S. Army Col. Steve Smith recently joined discussions with Burundian generals about how Burundi conducts peacekeeping efforts in Somalia, he was leading the way for U.S. Army Africa partnerships on the continent.
In mid-January, Smith led a team to work with Burundian officers on ways to enhance Burundi’s leadership capacity as their military prepares to deploy its next rotation of peacekeepers to Mogadishu. Smith, of the U.S. Army’s Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute and Lt. Col. Ronald Miller, an Africa expert from U.S. Army Africa headquarters, held discussions with senior Burundian military officers at the Ministry of Defense in Bujumbura.
“We discussed the U.S. military’s way of planning for operations at the brigade level, using what we call MDMP, the military decision making process,” Smith said. “We also talked about how U.S. Army officers run a brigade-level command post.”
Burundi and Uganda share peacekeeping duties under the African Union Mission in Somalia, an operation designed to stabilize Somalia’s security situation following decades of war and chaos. African peacekeepers in Somalia face daily challenges as they mentor Somalis in security operations and work to counter extremist groups like al-Shabaab.
The U.S. Army effort is part of a larger effort by the U.S. government to support Burundi in its peacekeeping efforts, said Brig. Gen. Cyprien Ndikuryio, chief of Burundi’s land forces. The U.S. has helped with training and equipment, followed by these senior leader discussions, he said.
“My colleagues and I are senior officers. One of them, or I, could be appointed to higher responsibilities in Somalia’s peacekeeping mission and use what we have learned,” Ndikuryio said.
Until now, Burundi’s military planned missions similar to the way Belgian and French militaries work. The Ugandan People’s Defense Force, Burundi’s partner in AMISOM, already employs a planning system that is similar to the U.S. military, Smith said.
“It’s incredibly important for Burundi, as they are working alongside other armies using the U.S.-based model, to promote interoperability and overall efficiency,” Smith said.
In 2006, Burundi ended its 12-year civil war. Since then, Burundi has made strides toward partnering with its East African neighbors and the United States.
In October 2009, Burundian troops took part in Natural Fire 10, a U.S. Army Africa-led humanitarian and civil assistance exercise held in Uganda. During that time, Maj. Gen. William B. Garrett III, commander of U.S. Army Africa, visited Bujumbura to watch Burundian troops undergoing training with the U.S. State Department-led African Contingency Operations Training and Assistance program.
Burundian senior leaders then asked U.S. Army Africa to help with a familiarization event on brigade-level peacekeeping operations. Leaders from PKSOI at Carlisle Barracks in Pennsylvania offered their expertise for the event.
“This effort in Burundi has been a great opportunity for the U.S. Army to engage with a partner nation’s land forces on the continent,” Smith said. “There’s a tremendous potential here, a great thirst for knowledge.”
Smith’s Burundi assignment also benefits PKSOI in their efforts, he said.
“I’m taking back with me a better understanding of U.S. Army Africa operations and what’s happening on the ground in Africa,” Smith said. “That knowledge will help PKSOI plan to support future missions.”
The talks came at a key time for the Burundian military, as they prepare to deploy a new rotation of peacekeepers to Somali.
“This support was very important and effective,” Ndikuryio said. “We appreciate this cooperation with U.S. Army Africa. We hope to interact with the command in the future.”
Cleared for public release.
Photos by Rick Scavetta, U.S. Army Africa
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
Kelly thanks the troops.
CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE SPEICHER, Iraq – Kelly, a member of the Denver Broncos cheerleading squad, thanks deployed troops for their service and sacrifices during her squad’s performance at Contingency Operating Base Speicher, June 5, 2011. “We may be the Broncos cheerleaders, but before every game we pray for the safety of all of our troops serving overseas,” Kelly said. “So we are your cheerleaders, too.”
(U.S. Army photo by Spc. Andrew Ingram, USD-N PAO)
JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. -- Airman 1st Class Michael Studley, 818th Global Mobility Readiness Squadron close precision engagement course candidate, takes aim during a stalking exercise on a training range here Oct. 9. Studley and six other candidates were participating in a 621st Contingency Response Wing run, 10-day CPEC indoctrination course to prepare them for the more rigorous 19-day U.S. Air Force CPEC course at Fort Bliss, Texas. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Parker Gyokeres)
As part of Operation United Assistance, the international effort to battle the Ebola virus epidemic in West Africa, the Airmen of the 123rd Contingency Response Group set up and operated a cargo processing hub that ensured the safe and efficient distribution of supplies to battle the disease that ravaged that area of the world.
A U.S. Air Force Airman, part of the Joint Task Force-Port Opening team of the 621st Contingency Response Wing assigned to Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., helps to augment airport security along with local security personnel during Operation United Assistance, Oct. 16. The JTF-PO is supporting a comprehensive U.S. government effort led by the U.S Agency for International Development, to support the World Health Organization and other international partners to help the Governments of Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone respond to and contain the outbreak of the Ebola virus in West Africa. (U.S. Army Africa photo by Air Force Staff Sgt. Gustavo Gonzalez/ Released)
Artillery aiming for the future with training for Afghanistan and beyond
Regular and Reserve Army units preparing for Afghanistan and for future contingency operations working alongside French military teams.
With the restructuring of the Army and a new strategic alliance with the French, training with Regular and Reserves operating alongside French military units will be increasingly important to prepare our troops for future operations. Around 1500 personnel are taking part in the exercise over two weeks, and media will be able to see live firing and the team working between fire support teams and artillery firepower.
The Artillery already integrates Reservists into Regular units on operations, and this will become increasingly important as the contribution of the Reserves to our fighting force increases. French Fire Support Teams, who work alongside their infantry units calling in artillery support, will be learning to work with the Royal Artillery to call in heavy firepower from their British allies. Female personnel already work in all areas of the Royal Artillery, and media will be able to meet women playing their part in this vital frontline combat support capability.
Units taking part include:
7 (Para) RHA based Colchester. Equipped with 105mm Light Gun.
26 Regt RA based Germany. Equipped with AS90.
29 (Cdo) Regt RA based Plymouth. Equipped with 105mm Light Gun.
39 Regt RA based Newcastle. Equipped with MLRS.
47 Regt RA based Thorney Island (Hants). Equipped with Mini UAV.
101 Regt RA(V) based Newcastle. Equipped with 105mm Light Gun.
104 Regt RA based Newport (Wales). Equipped with Desert Hawk 3.
105 Regt RA based Edinburgh. Equipped with 105mm Light Gun.
U.S. Soldiers, assigned to 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, load tracked vehicles on rail cars at the 7th Army Joint Multinational Training Command's Grafenwoehr Training Area, Germany railhead station as part of Combined Resolve III, Oct. 16, 2014. The equipment is part of the European Activity Set (EAS), a battalion-sized set of equipment prepositioned on the Grafenwoehr Training Area to outfit and support U.S. Army forces rotating to Europe for training and contingency missions in support of the U.S. European Command. Combined Resolve III is a U.S. Army Europe-led, multinational exercise at the Joint Multinational Training Command's Hohenfels and Grafenwoehr training areas in Germany. The exercise focuses on maintaining and enhancing interoperability during unified land operations in a decisive action training environment. More at www.eur.army.mil/JMTC/CombinedResolveIII.html. (U.S. Army photo by Visual Information Specialist Gertrud Zach/released)
James Turrell, Skyscape, The Way of Color, 2009, stone, concrete, stainless steel, and LED lighting 228 x 652 inches © James Turrell (Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, Arkansas)
U.S. Soldiers, assigned to 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, get equipment issued during Exercise Combined Resolve III at Grafenwoehr, Germany, Oct. 6, 2014. The equipment is part of the European Activity Set (EAS), a battalion-sized set of equipment pre-positioned on the Grafenwoehr Training Area to outfit and support U.S. Army forces rotating to Europe for training and contingency missions in support of the U.S. European Command. Combined Resolve III is a U.S. Army Europe-led, multi-national exercise at the Joint Multinational Training Command's Hohenfels and Grafenwoehr training areas in Germany. The exercise focuses on maintaining and enhancing interoperability during unified land operations in a decisive action training environment. More at www.eur.army.mil/JMTC/CombinedResolveIII.html. (U.S. Army photo by Visual Information Specialist Gertrud Zach/released)
Pictured: A quick map check.
Ten Tors is one of the biggest multi-agency, tri service civil contingency exercises in Britain. It is run by more than nine hundred military personnel - almost all of them Reservists - from all three branches of the Armed Forces, led by the Army’s 43 (Wessex) Brigade with its HQ in Tidworth, Wiltshire.
The 54th running of the event this year comes just months after military personnel, including Reservists from the South West , assisted local authorities, the Environment Agency and blue-light services during the floods, carrying out a range of tasks from sandbagging to engineering.
As a military exercise Ten Tors provides the Armed Forces with an invaluable opportunity to practice these life-saving civil contingency responsibilities, to enable the military - assisted by the emergency services, including The British Red Cross and the Dartmoor Search and Rescue Group - to be ready to help when they are called upon during a national emergency.
Brigadier Piers Hankinson MBE, Director of Ten Tors, is the Commander of 43 (Wessex) Brigade and was the Joint Military Commander for the South West during the flooding.
“The severe flooding across parts of the South West earlier this year clearly demonstrates the importance of such training and the ability to react to fast changing conditions and working in a multi-agency tri-service team. It also highlights the way that Reservists, who have wide ranging civilian experience and employment (from plumbers to accountants), train to operate with their regular counterparts under a One-Army ethos.”
Ten Tors:
As well as a vital high-level military exercise, The Ten Tors Challenge is also one of the biggest outdoors adventure events for young people in Britain today. In all, 2400 youngsters aged between 14 and 19 will take part in Ten Tors, with a further 300 youngsters with physical or educational needs taking part in the Jubilee Challenge.
The majority of the teams who enter Ten Tors are from schools and youth groups from Bristol, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Somerset and Wiltshire. As usual, scores of scout groups, sports and ramblers teams and Armed Forces cadet units have accepted the challenge and are taking part.
Those teenagers taking on the Ten Tors Challenge will trek unaided over 35, 45 or 55 miles of some of the toughest terrain and highest peaks in Southern England relying on their navigational skills and carrying all their food, water, bedding, tents and other essentials as they go.
It is a feat they must complete as a team and without any help from adults and they’ll remain entirely self-sufficient during their arduous expeditions, including camping out overnight on the moor.
They do it for the challenge; to test themselves against one of the last remaining wildernesses in Britain. What they get in return for their months of hard training and commitment, as well as determination and bravery during the event itself, is an experience they’ll remember forever and the chance to learn a set of skills and values which will stay with them for the rest of their lives.
It’s a rite of passage which has played a positive and formative role in shaping the lives of more than a quarter of a million people.
NOTE TO DESKS:
MoD release authorised handout images.
All images remain Crown Copyright 2013.
Photo credit to read - Cpl Si Longworth RLC (Phot)
Email: simonlongworth@mediaops.army.mod.uk
richardwatt@mediaops.army.mod.uk
shanewilkinson@mediaops.army.mod.uk
Si Longworth - 07414 191994
Richard Watt - 07836 515306
Shane Wilkinson - 07901 590723
Spc. Sirlen Arriaza, non-rolling stock clerk, 227th Quartermaster Company, from Indianapolis, Ind., secures a pallet of equipment with metal binding strips at the redistribution property assistance team yard on Contingency Operating Base Adder, Nov. 27.
Transportation and Traffic Management Plan and Program Contingency Engineers during the operation of the Hollywood - Los Angeles Pride for the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Parade Route followed by Do Not Block Intersection signages at Wilcox Avenue, Whitley Avenue, Cherokee Avenue, Las Palmas Avenue, McCadden Place and State Highway Junction Route CA-170 Highland Avenue, Metro Red Line Hollywood Blvd. and Highland Avenue Underground Heavy Rail Subway Station Pedestrian Crosswalk Crossing Mid-Block traffic signal go straight green arrow lights, Orange Drive, Sycamore Avenue and La Brea Avenue intersections traffic signal green yellow red lights, left turn permissive and protected green yellow red arrow lights, pedestrian crosswalk crossing white walking lights and don't walk orange hand lights located at Hollywood in Los Angeles, California 90028.
This is the continuous Los Angeles Marathon Stadium to the Sea Route mile number 11.2 (km 18.02) water station drinking booth area and Starting Point of LA Pride LGBT Parade Route Mile 0 - km 0 located at Hollywood Blvd. and Cahuenga Blvd.
(Los Angeles Police Department Hollywood Division Patrol Station Number 6, LAPD West Traffic Division Station Number 27, LADOT - Los Angeles Department of Transportation's Parking Enforcement Hollywood Division Agency 54 on 411 North Vermont Avenue in Los Angeles, California 90004-3512, Los Angeles City Council District 13 Office of Councilmember Mitchell O'Farrell transitioning into Hugo Soto-Martinez and Council District 4 Office of Councilwoman Nithya Raman)
BOULDER CITY, NEV. – The Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation and representatives from all seven Colorado River Basin states gathered today and signed completed drought contingency plans for the Upper and Lower Colorado River basins at Hoover Dam. These completed plans are designed to reduce risks from ongoing drought and protect the single most important water resource in the western United States.
A British Army Soldier helps guard his fellow Soldiers while they sleep at a defensive point during the field training portion of the Saber Strike exercise at Adazi Training Area, Latvia on June 17, 2014. Saber Strike 2014 is a joint, multi-national military exercise scheduled for June 9- 20. The exercise spans multiple locations in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, and involves approximately 4,500 personnel from 10 countries. The exercise is designed to promote regional stability, strengthen international military partnerships, enhance multinational interoperability and prepare participants for worldwide contingency operations. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by: Staff Sgt. Brett Miller, 116 Public Affairs Detachment/ Released)
Pictured: A Royal Marine crewman observes Okehampton Camp from the air.
Ten Tors is one of the biggest multi-agency, tri service civil contingency exercises in Britain. It is run by more than nine hundred military personnel - almost all of them Reservists - from all three branches of the Armed Forces, led by the Army’s 43 (Wessex) Brigade with its HQ in Tidworth, Wiltshire.
The 54th running of the event this year comes just months after military personnel, including Reservists from the South West , assisted local authorities, the Environment Agency and blue-light services during the floods, carrying out a range of tasks from sandbagging to engineering.
As a military exercise Ten Tors provides the Armed Forces with an invaluable opportunity to practice these life-saving civil contingency responsibilities, to enable the military - assisted by the emergency services, including The British Red Cross and the Dartmoor Search and Rescue Group - to be ready to help when they are called upon during a national emergency.
Brigadier Piers Hankinson MBE, Director of Ten Tors, is the Commander of 43 (Wessex) Brigade and was the Joint Military Commander for the South West during the flooding.
“The severe flooding across parts of the South West earlier this year clearly demonstrates the importance of such training and the ability to react to fast changing conditions and working in a multi-agency tri-service team. It also highlights the way that Reservists, who have wide ranging civilian experience and employment (from plumbers to accountants), train to operate with their regular counterparts under a One-Army ethos.”
Ten Tors:
As well as a vital high-level military exercise, The Ten Tors Challenge is also one of the biggest outdoors adventure events for young people in Britain today. In all, 2400 youngsters aged between 14 and 19 will take part in Ten Tors, with a further 300 youngsters with physical or educational needs taking part in the Jubilee Challenge.
The majority of the teams who enter Ten Tors are from schools and youth groups from Bristol, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Somerset and Wiltshire. As usual, scores of scout groups, sports and ramblers teams and Armed Forces cadet units have accepted the challenge and are taking part.
Those teenagers taking on the Ten Tors Challenge will trek unaided over 35, 45 or 55 miles of some of the toughest terrain and highest peaks in Southern England relying on their navigational skills and carrying all their food, water, bedding, tents and other essentials as they go.
It is a feat they must complete as a team and without any help from adults and they’ll remain entirely self-sufficient during their arduous expeditions, including camping out overnight on the moor.
They do it for the challenge; to test themselves against one of the last remaining wildernesses in Britain. What they get in return for their months of hard training and commitment, as well as determination and bravery during the event itself, is an experience they’ll remember forever and the chance to learn a set of skills and values which will stay with them for the rest of their lives.
It’s a rite of passage which has played a positive and formative role in shaping the lives of more than a quarter of a million people.
NOTE TO DESKS:
MoD release authorised handout images.
All images remain Crown Copyright 2013.
Photo credit to read - Cpl Si Longworth RLC (Phot)
Email: simonlongworth@mediaops.army.mod.uk
richardwatt@mediaops.army.mod.uk
shanewilkinson@mediaops.army.mod.uk
Si Longworth - 07414 191994
Richard Watt - 07836 515306
Shane Wilkinson - 07901 590723
Airmen from the 435th Contingency Response Group load a U.S. Air Force C-17 for movement of the Rwanda Defense Force, equipment and supplies to the Central African Republic to participate in peace keeping operations. (U.S. Army Africa photos by Master Sgt. Thomas Mills)
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 Vimeo video channel: www.vimeo.com/usarmyafrica
Join the U.S. Army Africa conversation on Facebook: www.facebook.com/ArmyAfrica
NOVO SELO TRAINING AREA, Bulgaria – Spc. Luke Wilson assist Spc. Mario Cardona with fueling during Contingency Command Post operations. Saber Guardian 2014, hosted by U.S. Army Europe and the Bulgarian Land Forces, is a multinational military exercise involving approximately 700 military personnel from twelve participating nations including Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bulgaria, Georgia, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Ukraine, Turkey and the U.S., as well as representatives from NATO. The exercise, which runs until April 4, 2014, is designed to strengthen international agency and military partnering while fostering trust and improving interoperability between NATO and partner nations involved in foreign consequence management and peace support operations with U.S. forces. Saber Guardian 2014 is part of the U.S. Army Europe annual training and exercise program and has been planned for since 2013. Last year’s iteration of the training exercise was conducted at the Romanian Land Forces Combat Training Center in Cincu, Romania. The training at Saber Guardian 2014 will reinforce USAREUR commitment to increasing regional flexibility, preserving and enhancing NATO interoperability, and facilitating multinational training. (Photo by Sgt. Brooks Fletcher, U.S. Army Europe Public Affairs)
The ExoMars/TGO mission control team seen in simulation training at ESOC, Darmstadt, Germany, on 15 September. The team were rehearsing reactions to contingency situations that could occur prior to Mars orbit entry, set for 19 October. Credit: ESA
U.S. Army Africa supports Burundi's peacekeeping efforts in Somalia
By Rick Scavetta, U.S. Army Africa
BUJUMBURA, Burundi – When U.S. Army Col. Steve Smith recently joined discussions with Burundian generals about how Burundi conducts peacekeeping efforts in Somalia, he was leading the way for U.S. Army Africa partnerships on the continent.
In mid-January, Smith led a team to work with Burundian officers on ways to enhance Burundi’s leadership capacity as their military prepares to deploy its next rotation of peacekeepers to Mogadishu. Smith, of the U.S. Army’s Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute and Lt. Col. Ronald Miller, an Africa expert from U.S. Army Africa headquarters, held discussions with senior Burundian military officers at the Ministry of Defense in Bujumbura.
“We discussed the U.S. military’s way of planning for operations at the brigade level, using what we call MDMP, the military decision making process,” Smith said. “We also talked about how U.S. Army officers run a brigade-level command post.”
Burundi and Uganda share peacekeeping duties under the African Union Mission in Somalia, an operation designed to stabilize Somalia’s security situation following decades of war and chaos. African peacekeepers in Somalia face daily challenges as they mentor Somalis in security operations and work to counter extremist groups like al-Shabaab.
The U.S. Army effort is part of a larger effort by the U.S. government to support Burundi in its peacekeeping efforts, said Brig. Gen. Cyprien Ndikuryio, chief of Burundi’s land forces. The U.S. has helped with training and equipment, followed by these senior leader discussions, he said.
“My colleagues and I are senior officers. One of them, or I, could be appointed to higher responsibilities in Somalia’s peacekeeping mission and use what we have learned,” Ndikuryio said.
Until now, Burundi’s military planned missions similar to the way Belgian and French militaries work. The Ugandan People’s Defense Force, Burundi’s partner in AMISOM, already employs a planning system that is similar to the U.S. military, Smith said.
“It’s incredibly important for Burundi, as they are working alongside other armies using the U.S.-based model, to promote interoperability and overall efficiency,” Smith said.
In 2006, Burundi ended its 12-year civil war. Since then, Burundi has made strides toward partnering with its East African neighbors and the United States.
In October 2009, Burundian troops took part in Natural Fire 10, a U.S. Army Africa-led humanitarian and civil assistance exercise held in Uganda. During that time, Maj. Gen. William B. Garrett III, commander of U.S. Army Africa, visited Bujumbura to watch Burundian troops undergoing training with the U.S. State Department-led African Contingency Operations Training and Assistance program.
Burundian senior leaders then asked U.S. Army Africa to help with a familiarization event on brigade-level peacekeeping operations. Leaders from PKSOI at Carlisle Barracks in Pennsylvania offered their expertise for the event.
“This effort in Burundi has been a great opportunity for the U.S. Army to engage with a partner nation’s land forces on the continent,” Smith said. “There’s a tremendous potential here, a great thirst for knowledge.”
Smith’s Burundi assignment also benefits PKSOI in their efforts, he said.
“I’m taking back with me a better understanding of U.S. Army Africa operations and what’s happening on the ground in Africa,” Smith said. “That knowledge will help PKSOI plan to support future missions.”
The talks came at a key time for the Burundian military, as they prepare to deploy a new rotation of peacekeepers to Somali.
“This support was very important and effective,” Ndikuryio said. “We appreciate this cooperation with U.S. Army Africa. We hope to interact with the command in the future.”
Cleared for public release.
Photos by Rick Scavetta, U.S. Army Africa
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