Category: Security

Source: United States Army

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U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa

ZIGUINCHOR, Senegal — When U.S. Army Maj. Erin Graham, a physical therapist with the Vermont National Guard, tried helping a Senegalese woman with a broken femur out of bed, she immediately noticed something was wrong.

The hospital bed would not lower. Its wheels would not lock into place.

As Graham and her team worked to safely move the patient, the bed shifted beneath them, creating another challenge in an already difficult situation. It was a reminder that, in austere environments, many of the tools and systems Graham relies on back home simply may not be available.

“It’s the little things you don’t think about at home,” Graham said. “Things like adjustable beds, wedges or even hooks for catheter bags. Here, you realize how much you rely on them.”

Currently, Graham and her colleagues are participating in a medical readiness exercise in Senegal, as part of African Lion 26. Running from April 25 to May 8, the exercise brings together U.S. Army medical professionals and Senegalese Armed Forces healthcare providers to strengthen medical readiness and interoperability, while operating in expeditionary environments.

The training spans multiple facilities across the region, including Ziguinchor Regional Hospital, Hospital De La Paix and a local military hospital. U.S., Austrian, Italian and Senegalese medical professionals work side by side in these locations, treating patients while exchanging knowledge and techniques shaped by their respective environments.

Executed by the U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF), the exercise prepares military health professionals to deliver care outside traditional clinical settings while strengthening partnerships with African allies.

For Graham, who previously supported Hurricane Helene response and COVID-19 missions with the Vermont National Guard, the experience has pushed her outside her comfort zone and forced her to think differently as a physical therapist.

“You have to figure it out when you don’t have the equipment you’re used to having,” Graham said.

Throughout the exercise, Graham has had to rethink even simple tasks, from moving patients without adjustable beds to securing catheter bags without the hooks commonly found in U.S. hospitals.

“At home, if I need a wheelchair or walker, there’s one available,” Graham said. “Here, you learn to work with what you have.”

Experiences like these help train military medical professionals to operate in austere environments where medical infrastructure and equipment may be limited during future combat or disaster‑response missions.

Alongside Senegalese providers, U.S. and multinational medical professionals strengthen interoperability and build readiness while working in resource‑constrained settings.

The MEDREX also reflects the longstanding relationship between Senegal and the Vermont National Guard through the National Guard‘s State Partnership Program, which has connected the two partners for decades through military cooperation and training exchanges.

Senegal gave Graham more than clinical practice. It gave her new ways to think, adapt and solve problems when the unexpected becomes the norm.

At home, a hospital bed lowers with a tap of a pedal, but here she learned how to move patients and complete the mission even when the equipment she relies upon simply doesn’t exist.

About African Lion

African Lion 2026 is U.S. Africa Command’s largest annual joint exercise, designed to strengthen collective security capabilities of the U.S., African nations and global allies. Co-led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) from April 20 to May 8, 2026, and hosted in Ghana, Morocco, Senegal and Tunisia, AL26 involves over 5,600 personnel from more than 40 nations, using innovation to drive partner-led regional security.

African Lion content can be found on the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (DVIDS).

About SETAF-AF

U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) prepares Army forces, executes crisis response, enables strategic competition and strengthens partners to achieve U.S. Army Europe and Africa and U.S. Africa Command campaign objectives.

Follow SETAF-AF on: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn & DVIDS

Source: United States Army

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U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa

BIZERTE, Tunisia — When most people think of forensics, they picture crime scenes, fingerprints, bloodstain patterns and investigators working to solve crimes after they happen. They don’t usually consider how forensic analysis can help stop threats before they ever reach the United States.

During Exercise African Lion 2026, forensic experts assigned to the Joint Theater Forensics Analysis Center worked alongside Tunisian Armed Forces to identify patterns, share intelligence and prevent threats from reaching U.S. borders.

“We protect our home front by making sure the bad guys don’t come to the U.S.,” said Greg Sanson, JTFAC liaison officer for U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF).

Throughout the exercise, JTFAC and the Forensics Exploitation Directorate, part of the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division, collaborated with Tunisian partners, sharing forensic techniques and building lasting relationships. The exchange of knowledge ensures both forces operate with a shared understanding while strengthening long-term cooperation.

By building those partnerships, U.S. forces gain trusted allies who help identify and track threats early. When experts collect forensic data — whether that is fingerprints, DNA or digital information — they enter it into databases and share it across networks. This process helps identify individuals overseas and flag them before they can enter the United States.

“When we put somebody on a watch list, it goes to the Department of Homeland Security,” Sanson said.

Forensic teams also play a critical role in understanding transnational threat networks. Trafficking people, weapons and drugs often spans multiple regions, making pattern recognition essential. By identifying how individuals and networks operate across borders, analysts can disrupt threats before they spread to Europe or the United States.

In addition to fingerprints and ballistics, modern forensic teams analyze emerging technologies such as unmanned aerial systems. A device’s construction can often reveal unique identifiers tied to specific individuals or groups. This understanding also helps analysts and investigators determine the origins of “exploitable material,” which refers to any physical, chemical or biological traces left at a scene that experts can study to identify perpetrators, link crimes or reconstruct events.

“Just by how something is built, you can often tell who made it,” said Amanda Atkins, an FXD forensic scientist.

Sharing that information allows partner nations to identify threats earlier and take collective action. This collaboration also helps Tunisia strengthen its own forensic capabilities, contributing to long-term, partner-led regional security.

African Lion also provides an opportunity for U.S. personnel to test their readiness. Teams train to rapidly deploy, integrate into partner-nation laboratories and operate in unfamiliar environments, ensuring they are prepared to respond wherever needed.

For some JTFAC members, their assignment in Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, is the latest in a long line of deployments to overseas-based forensic labs. Although allies and partners exchange exploitable material throughout the year, African Lion provides the opportunity to work side by side in a lab to compare and refine best practices.

As threats continue to evolve, forensic analysis remains a critical tool, not only for solving crimes but also for preventing them and maintaining national security.

About African Lion

African Lion 2026 is U.S. Africa Command’s largest annual joint exercise, designed to strengthen collective security capabilities of the U.S., African nations and global allies. Co-led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) from April 20 to May 8, 2026, and hosted in Ghana, Morocco, Senegal and Tunisia, AL26 involves over 5,600 personnel from more than 40 nations, using innovation to drive partner-led regional security.

African Lion content can be found on the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (DVIDS).

About SETAF-AF

SETAF-AF prepares Army forces, executes crisis response, enables strategic competition and strengthens partners to achieve U.S. Army Europe and Africa and U.S. Africa Command campaign objectives.

Follow SETAF-AF on: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn & DVIDS

Source: United States Army

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U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa

AGADIR, Morocco – The inaugural African Lion drone academics class graduated more than 20 service members from four nations, trained on cost-effective small unmanned aircraft systems at Southern Zone Headquarters in Agadir, Morocco, May 5.

Students from Ghana, Morocco, Nigeria and the United States participated in this first-of-its-kind training as part of U.S. Africa Command’s largest annual joint exercise, led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF).

The training served as a fusion center of training and technology, allowing partners to collaborate on solutions to persistent security threats. Aligned with the U.S. Army Transformation Initiative, the academics included emerging sUAS capabilities, putting the initiative’s aim of a more lethal force into practice.

“Our continuous transformation initiative is built on bottom-up innovation,” said Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll. “Putting capability in the hands of the warfighter, experimenting and learning how Soldiers actually use it, is critical to this effort. This drone academy is the manifestation of that idea — U.S. Soldiers training shoulder to shoulder with our partners, building skills and sending lessons back into their formations.”

The drone academics featured two simultaneous courses, an eight-day sUAS planner course and a 10-day sUAS operator course, taught by instructors from the 7th Army Training Command. U.S. trainees came from the 173rd Airborne Brigade and the Utah Army National Guard‘s 19th Special Forces Group (Airborne).

The sUAS planner course gave students the knowledge and skills to integrate sUAS into the broader scheme of maneuver, with a focus on airspace deconfliction, multidomain integration, strike capabilities and intelligence, and surveillance and reconnaissance synchronization.

“Over eight days, planners covered everything from capabilities gap analysis and warfighting functions to airspace management, counter-UAS and electronic warfare,” said U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Derrick Guyton, sUAS master trainer with the 7th Army Training Command Combined Arms Training Center and noncommissioned officer in charge of drone academics. “They built that into course of action development, then spent the last two days running mission rehearsals. By graduation, they could integrate sUAS team employment, UAS orders and symbols, and meteorology into the broader scheme of maneuver.”

The sUAS operator course gave service members the proficiency to plan, operate and maintain sUAS in a tactical environment, react to emergencies and provide real-time reconnaissance to commanders.

“Operators spent 10 days training on sUAS components, operational considerations, vehicle identification, meteorology, battery management, electronic warfare, aerodynamics, night operations, mission planning, airspace deconfliction, camouflage and concealment, with hands-on familiarization across a variety of systems,” Guyton said. “They had to pass emergency procedure tests, and they finished with four days of flying.”

The training connected a live drone feed to the combined joint task force innovation cell, demonstrating that real-time imagery can be used in both training and operations. The capability supports a broader push to compress the kill chain and sharpen how operational headquarters see, sense and strike.

“What we are seeing in African Lion are partner forces learning and using emerging technology together, so they can apply this capability against their own persistent security challenges,” said U.S. Army Gen. Christopher Donahue, commanding general of U.S. Army Europe and Africa. “This is a great example of partners stepping up, fusing intelligence and technology, and how we can enable them to take the lead on their own challenges and contribute to regional security.”

Morocco’s permissive environment, including an open electromagnetic spectrum, uncongested airspace and austere, combat-realistic terrain, enables training difficult that is to replicate elsewhere.

“Operators are leaving here able to plan a mission, fly several platforms, react to emergencies and provide commanders with real-time reconnaissance,” Guyton said. “Planners are leaving able to integrate sUAS operations into the broader scheme of maneuver, from airspace deconfliction to targeting.”

Drone academics will continue to grow and develop, supporting shared security interests through sustainable, partner-led solutions. African Lion remains the premier venue for multinational training and innovation across the region.

About African Lion

AL26 is U.S. Africa Command’s largest annual joint exercise, designed to strengthen collective security capabilities of the U.S., African nations and global allies. Led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) from April 20 to May 8, 2026, and hosted in Ghana, Morocco, Senegal and Tunisia, AL26 involves over 5,600 personnel from more than 40 nations, using innovation to drive partner-led regional security.

About SETAF-AF

U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) prepares Army forces, executes crisis response, enables strategic competition and strengthens partners to achieve U.S. Army Europe and Africa and U.S. Africa Command campaign objectives.

Follow SETAF-AF on: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn & DVIDS

Source: United States Army

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U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa

ZIGUINCHOR, Senegal — Military medical personnel representing the U.S., Senegal, Italy and Austria concluded a multinational medical readiness exercise in southern Senegal to end African Lion 26, May 8.

From April 25 to May 8, U.S. Army medical professionals from the Vermont National Guard worked alongside Senegalese Armed Forces healthcare providers and allied medical teams from Austria and Italy. Training took place at multiple medical facilities across Senegal, where participating forces exchanged expertise and refined their ability to provide effective care in complex environments.

This training event focused on critical wartime medical skills, including point-of-injury care, blast and trauma management, surgical treatment and patient recovery through rehabilitation.

“Over the past two weeks, our team worked side by side with our Senegalese partners, completing 350 patient encounters,” said U.S. Army Col. Christopher Gookin, commander of the Vermont National Guard Medical Readiness Detachment. “That’s the greatest strength of these medical readiness exercise missions — not just what is provided, but what is gained through partnership.”

Led by the U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF), this MEDREX prepared military medical personnel to operate outside traditional clinical settings while strengthening multinational interoperability.

“Medical readiness exercises allow multinational medical teams to exchange expertise and strengthen their ability to operate in complex environments,” said U.S. Army Col. Scot Tebo, command surgeon for SETAF-AF. “Training alongside our Senegalese, Austrian and Italian partners improves coordination, readiness and our collective ability to provide care during operational missions.”

This year’s MEDREX proved highly successful, with participants treating more than 350 patients throughout the exercise. The mission enabled multinational medical teams to collaborate in unfamiliar and operational environments, strengthening interoperability, readiness and adaptability.

Throughout the exercise, medical teams worked side by side to improve coordination, strengthen professional relationships and enhance readiness to deliver care in operational environments.

The MEDREX also highlighted the longstanding partnership between Senegal and the Vermont National Guard through the Department of War National Guard State Partnership Program, which has fostered decades of military cooperation and training exchanges.

The exercise reinforced enduring partnerships among participating nations and built the trust and coordination needed to respond to shared security challenges.

About African Lion

African Lion 2026 is U.S. Africa Command’s largest annual joint exercise, designed to strengthen collective security capabilities of the U.S., African nations and global allies. Co-led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) from April 20 to May 8, 2026, and hosted in Ghana, Morocco, Senegal and Tunisia, AL26 involves over 5,600 personnel from more than 40 nations, using innovation to drive partner-led regional security.

African Lion content can be found on the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (DVIDS).

About SETAF-AF

U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) prepares Army forces, executes crisis response, enables strategic competition and strengthens partners to achieve U.S. Army Europe and Africa and U.S. Africa Command campaign objectives.

Follow SETAF-AF on: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn & DVIDS

Source: United States Army

CLAY KASERNE, Germany — U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria community members took center stage at this year’s U.S. Army Installation Management Command – Europe Tournament of Plays (TOPPERs) Awards April 25, 2026 at USAG Wiesbaden, earning recognition for their outstanding achievements in U.S. military theater programs.

The TOPPERs Awards is an annual event held by IMCOM-Europe to recognize military community theater productions across Europe. More than 600 Army Europe leaders, entertainment staff and program participants attended the gala dinner and awards show, which was hosted by IMCOM-Europe deputy director Col. G. Kirk Alexander.

The program has a long tradition. It is one of the longest-running Army Entertainment Europe events, with show judging from February to mid-April.

USAG Bavaria’s success at this year’s TOPPERs Awards reflects the garrison’s continued commitment to supporting the arts and enriching the lives of Soldiers, civilians and Family members across its communities.

Twenty-five people from USAG Bavaria were nominated for TOPPERS awards this year, with five ultimately receiving honors.

Sgt. Michael Bradle, afternoon show DJ and multimedia producer for American Forces Network Bavaria, won the award for Outstanding Military Debut Performance in a Play or Musical for his role as William Barfee in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, marking an impressive introduction to the military community theater stage.

“In all seriousness, I wasn’t expecting anything more than a nomination, if anything at all,” Bradle said. “Even after I sat down, I was still shaking a bit as I processed the fact that I just won an award. I’m very honored to have been selected by the judges.”

“The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee was technically my second production with Bavaria Performing Arts, my first being Shakespeare In The Park,” he continued. “For Shakespeare, I wasn’t really planning to take a starring role and had no idea of my acting ability.”

Bradle credited the camaraderie among the cast and crew for the production’s success. He also encouraged others to get involved in the performing arts.

“If you want to, do it,” he said. “You don’t know what you’re good at until you do it.”

He also encouraged people possessing a variety of talents to join a stage crew.

“The performing arts doesn’t just need actors,” Bradle said. “We need set designers, painters, and even musicians. Every little bit helps to make each production incredible.”

Bavaria’s Performing Arts team had a standout evening, earning recognition across multiple categories:

• Outstanding Set Design for a Musical: Rachael Harper
• Outstanding Military Debut Performance in a Play or Musical: Sgt. Michael Bradle
• Outstanding Youth Performance in a Play: Taisa Bradley
• Outstanding Military Performance of a Female Role in a Musical: Spc. Elise White
• Outstanding Lead Performance of a Male Role in a Musical: Jason Smith

Find more pictures of the event here.

Find a list of a the nominees here.

Source: United States Army

WIESBADEN, Germany — Celebrity chef and talk show host Robert Irvine visited U.S. Army Garrison Wiesbaden on May 5 as part of the Armed Forces Entertainment “Fueling the Fight” tour. Irvine, a former British Royal Navy cook, has dedicated his post-military career to supporting service members and transforming military dining.

On Clay Kaserne in Wiesbaden, Irvine met with units, toured the installation, and offered a special meal for community members.

“It’s very important for the Robert Irvine Foundation, and myself, to support the men and women,” said Irvine. “Nutrition stands for resiliency, retention, recruitment, and readiness. And if we fuel their bodies with great nutrition, feed these Soldiers properly, they can do the job correctly.”

The tour is designed to boost morale and promote wellness through food, fitness and community.

“It’s great to see that Chef Irvine is here. I’ve met him previously once in the past when he was at Fort Stewart, and it’s good to see that he’s continued to show love and support to the troops, always looking out for us, and always looking for ways to improve our daily lives here,” said Staff Sgt. Ivy Roberson IV, Vice President of Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers. “And he’s all about getting us the best food possible, making sure that we have the fuel that we need [so] we can be ready every single day for whatever we’re asked to do.”

During a lunch engagement, Irvine and his team met with members of B.O.S.S, sharing his passion for food and wellness.

“For us, seeing someone like that come here to visit us just to talk to us, just to sit with the Soldiers is really good,” said Roberson. “To see that no matter what happens, there is someone thinking about them, especially someone who’s as successful and as creative as Chef Irvine is.”

As part of the tour Irvine and his team of chefs prepared a special dinner for service members and their families dining at the Stronger Together Cafe (DFAC) on Clay Kaserne, feeding up to 350 service members.

Source: United States Army

DAEGU, South Korea — U.S. and Republic of Korea Army logisticians gathered across two events in April to share expertise in military logistics and strengthen combined readiness on the Korean Peninsula.

Col. Jason P. Book, commander, 403rd Army Field Support Brigade, delivered a guest lecture at the ROK Army Consolidated Logistics School in Daejeon, April 23. He spoke to 40 newly promoted ROK Army majors attending the Logistics Branch Advanced Course on the topic of “Contested Logistics,” covering the threats surrounding the Korean Peninsula and the challenges facing military logistics operations today.

The majors, who are preparing to return to field assignments, engaged in discussions with Book on the operational realities shaping logistics planning in the current environment.

As a follow-up, the group traveled to Camp Carroll in Waegwan, April 27 to visit the Army Prepositioned Stocks-4 site, operated by the Army Field Support Battalion – Northeast Asia. Centurion Battalion staff provided briefings on APS-4 fleet readiness, maintenance, and supply activities. Book also quizzed the majors on material from the April 23 session, prompting further discussion as the group toured the facility and observed U.S. Army vehicles stored there.

Lt. Col. Rosilyn C. Woodard, commander, AFSBn-NEA, engaged with the visiting officers and highlighted the battalion’s role in sustaining APS-4 readiness. Her involvement underscored the close coordination between brigade and battalion leadership in supporting the engagement.

Officers who took part in the visit said the two events gave them a broader understanding of Army theater logistics concepts and doctrine relevant to ensuring stability in the region, while also offering a meaningful opportunity to consider the future direction of ROK Army logistics as they prepare to return to field assignments.

The events were part of the 403rd AFSB’s ongoing effort to engage with ROK counterparts and support the U.S.-ROK alliance. The two organizations said they plan to continue fostering exchanges between U.S. and ROK logisticians in the future.