Category: Security

Source: United States Army

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U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa

AGADIR, Morocco — U.S. service members focused on advancing innovation to maintain battlefield superiority amid rapidly evolving threats and emerging technologies during African Lion 26.

As the largest multinational exercise in Africa, AL26 provided a multidomain training and experimentation environment where joint and combined forces integrated emerging technologies into real-world scenarios. The exercise emphasized interoperability, experimentation and readiness while aligning capabilities with African partner regional security priorities.

Exercise participants evaluated artificial intelligence-enabled and autonomous platforms, remote systems and other emerging technologies across attack, defense and mission command operations, contributing to cost-effective and adaptable warfighting solutions.

“Central to this effort is the evolution of the ‘Bumblebee’ counter-unmanned aerial system,” said U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Derrick Guyton, an instructor with 7th Army Training Command who teaches small unmanned aerial systems. “The Bumblebee was designed as a compact, agile interceptor capable of neutralizing small unmanned aerial threats with an emphasis on portability and rapid deployment. This training and the operational feedback will improve current counter-UAS capabilities and inform future technological developments.”

AL26’s plan involved integrating emerging technology with structured, progressive training. U.S. Soldiers executed a deliberate progression from classroom instruction to hands-on application and mission-focused employment.

“We conducted a three-day training progression that included classroom instruction, hands-on training and a culminating exercise,” Guyton said. “The goal is to see U.S. Soldiers employ the system in a mission set, operate it effectively and recover equipment.”

He emphasized the platform’s versatility across multiple mission sets.

“It is a first-person-view capable system that can conduct intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, strike and payload delivery,” Guyton said. “Operators can control multiple platforms from a single ground control station and execute simultaneous tasks.”

Guyton noted the system’s role in future operations.

“This capability extends the fight beyond forward lines, allowing forces to reach deeper into the battlefield while enabling maneuver elements to advance,” he said. “African Lion also strengthens partnerships and demonstrates our ability to train alongside allies in complex environments.”

For U.S. Soldiers training with the system, the experience directly contributed to readiness.

“This is our first time training with this capability as a unit,” said U.S. Army Sgt. Pedro Gallardo, a combat medic assigned to the 7th Engineer Brigade, 21st Theater Sustainment Command. “It improves our ability to support mobility and counter-mobility operations while adapting to new technology.”

Joint Interagency Task Force 401 continues to drive the development and integration of counter-UAS capabilities supporting similar efforts. The organization emphasizes a layered defense approach, combining multiple systems and capabilities rather than relying on a single solution.

JIATF-401 is investing in training environments to ensure warfighters can effectively employ emerging technologies, using kinetic defeat options alongside enhanced air domain awareness through interoperable systems.

“Drones are the defining threat of our time,” said U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Matt Ross, director of JIATF-401. “The proliferation of inexpensive unmanned aerial systems allows nonstate actors and individuals to access intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and precision strike tools in ways that were previously only available to state actors. This presents a direct and growing threat to our installations, our personnel, our mission, and our partners and allies. We must be proactive with creating a layered defense that includes kinetic defeat options at all of our facilities at home and abroad.”

The evaluation of systems like the Bumblebee during AL26 demonstrated how the U.S. Army is aligning innovation with training to enhance operational readiness. By leveraging multinational exercises as real-world experimentation platforms, U.S. forces validate emerging capabilities while strengthening partnerships and preparing for future threats.

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

MONROVIA, Liberia — As part of the National Guard Bureau’s State Partnership Program, the Michigan National Guard sent Airmen and Soldiers to Liberia to participate in a military-to-military engagement with the Armed Forces of Liberia.

During a weeklong exchange, May 4-8, 1st Lt. Spencer Lawson and Master Sgt. Cameron McArthur, both assigned to the 110th Force Support Squadron at Battle Creek Air National Guard Base, Michigan, collaborated with AFL mortuary affairs personnel at the 14 Military Hospital. The team exchanged ideas and discussed mortuary affairs capabilities while working alongside partner forces to revise formal standard operating procedures.

“This was a great opportunity to learn from our partner, better understand their culture, and improve our interoperability,” Lawson said. “This type of engagement reinforces the importance of dignity, honor and respect for fallen service members of both nations.”

A two-person team, consisting of a chaplain and a chaplain assistant, also returned to Liberia to engage with the newly formed AFL Chaplain Corps. Col. Brian Martinus and Master Sgt. Chad Hollopeter, from Michigan Joint Force Headquarters in Lansing, Michigan, conducted a subject-matter expert exchange with Liberian chaplains.

Discussions focused on the role of chaplains after a service member’s death, including casualty assistance, funeral preparation, military honors and the integration of chaplain support with mortuary affairs operations.

“As Liberian chaplains continue to develop their Chaplain Corps within the Armed Forces of Liberia, a structured exchange of ideas is critical to its successful establishment,” Martinus said. “The Michigan National Guard remains committed to supporting the AFL in achieving the three core tenets of chaplaincy: nurturing the living, caring for the wounded and honoring the dead.”

Capt. Andrew Layton, bilateral affairs officer at the U.S. Embassy in Liberia, emphasized the value of the engagement.

“The mortuary affairs specialists and the chaplain team complemented each other, creating a well-rounded engagement between the Michigan National Guard and the Armed Forces of Liberia,” Layton said. “This military-to-military exchange provided valuable insight to both forces and further strengthened our partnership.”

The Department of War National Guard Bureau State Partnership Program pairs U.S. states with partner nations to conduct cooperative, mutually beneficial engagements across military, security and civilian sectors. The program supports regional stability, enhances interoperability and builds enduring relationships between partner forces.

Related Links

The Official Website of the National Guard | NationalGuard.mil

State Partnership Program | NationalGuard.mil

The National Guard on Facebook | Facebook.com/TheNationalGuard

The National Guard on Flickr | Flickr.com/TheNationalGuard

The National Guard on Instagram | Instagram.com/us.nationalguard

The National Guard on X | X.com/USNationalGuard

The National Guard on YouTube | YouTube.com/TheNationalGuard

Source: United States Army

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana Army National Guardsmen with the 113th Engineer Battalion are the latest service members within the Department of War to reap the benefits of the Innovative Readiness Training program.

Soldiers in the Gary-based unit are partnering with the City of Terre Haute to demolish a roughly 60,000-square-foot building on the city’s near north side — a real-world training opportunity for Soldiers who specialize in horizontal construction and operating heavy equipment such as excavators.

Through the Innovative Readiness Training program, or IRT, government entities and nonprofits across the country can coordinate directly with military units to complete real-world projects, such as providing medical services or constructing affordable housing. Since its inception in 1993, the program has supported hundreds of projects across the United States.

The Terre Haute mission gives Hoosier Soldiers two opportunities to conduct specialized training in an urban, civilian environment. In addition to the 113th Engineer Battalion’s work to demolish the former Boys & Girls Club to make way for more housing, the state’s 19th Chemical Enhanced Response Force Package, or CERFP, Battalion will use the structure for training in June. With expertise in advanced rescue and recovery missions, they will work alongside regional partners to recover hundreds of Flat Stanleys — paper stand-ins for victims — during a simulated building collapse.

Training in an active urban environment also gives Soldiers exposure to variables and conditions that are difficult to simulate in standard training exercises, helping sharpen their readiness for real-world missions at home and abroad. Though the opportunities provided through the IRT program are vast, demolition is a unique opportunity not just for the Indiana National Guard but for the entire U.S. military.

“It is the epitome of war fighter readiness,” said Indiana National Guard Capt. Brandyn Sims, project officer with the 19th CERFP. “Our guys are going to arrive at a building that they have never heard of and never seen before… And be told that there are victims trapped inside and they have to get them out during a 24 hour, non-stop operation.”

Sims helped organize the training opportunity through IRT, which requires a robust review process among federal, state and local governments to ensure that Soldiers involved gain strong experience and training value from the project and that all participating communities and organizations meet strict program eligibility and oversight requirements.

“This provides a great opportunity for my engineers to get training on the equipment in a way that we don’t typically get to use it,” said Indiana Army National Guard Lt. Col. Derek Sutton, commander of the 113th Engineer Battalion. “Demolition is not one of our normal missions, but it is one of our objectives so this helps us stay ready.”

For the 113th Engineer Battalion, demolition involved more than daily operations. Soldiers of all ranks gained experience in site preparation, traffic and pedestrian control, infrastructure evaluations and more. While many of the National Guardsmen bring years of experience from their civilian and military careers, some Soldiers are working with new concepts and equipment.

“I have particularly enjoyed getting to train my teammates out here,” said Sgt. Alexander Sovel, a Soldier in the 113th Engineer Battalion and one of the primary excavator operators on-site. “I love standing next to them and helping them learn and experience the same experience that I have. It has just been a great experience overall to help make this project move faster too.”

Indiana Army National Guard Staff Sgt. Hector Tinoco contributed to this story.

Related Links

The Official Website of the National Guard | NationalGuard.mil

State Partnership Program | NationalGuard.mil

The National Guard on Facebook | Facebook.com/TheNationalGuard

The National Guard on Flickr | Flickr.com/TheNationalGuard

The National Guard on Instagram | Instagram.com/us.nationalguard

The National Guard on X | X.com/USNationalGuard

The National Guard on YouTube | YouTube.com/TheNationalGuard

Innovative Readiness Training | defense.gov

Source: United States Army

TAN-TAN, Morocco — U.S. Air Force pararescuemen with the 406th Air Expeditionary Wing, Moroccan military mountaineers, and Moroccan Civil Protection recovered the second of two U.S. Soldiers who went missing May 2, near the Cap Draa Training Area, during African Lion 26.

Search and rescue operations have concluded. With both Soldiers accounted for, the focus shifts to recovery and repatriation.

The combined recovery team located and retrieved the Soldier May 12 from a coastal cave roughly 500 meters from where both Soldiers reportedly entered the ocean. Challenging ocean conditions, coastal terrain and the cave’s accessibility complicated search and recovery operations throughout the effort.

The Soldier was identified as Spc. Mariyah Symone Collington, 19, of Taveres, Florida. Collington served as an air and missile defense crew member and was assigned to Charlie Battery, 5th Battalion, 4th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command.

“The loss of Spc. Collington is a profound loss for the 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command,” said Brig. Gen. Curtis King, commanding general of the 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command. “Her recovery closes the search for our two missing Soldiers, but our commitment to caring for their Families, friends, and teammates continues. We are grateful to the U.S. and Moroccan forces for their professionalism and support throughout the search efforts.”

More than 1,000 U.S. and Moroccan military and civil personnel participated in the search, covering more than 21,300 square kilometers across sea and littoral zones. U.S. and Moroccan forces applied integrated air, land, sea and subsurface capabilities throughout the operation, including unmanned aerial systems, rotary-wing and fixed-wing aircraft, surface vessels, dive teams, mountaineering teams and ground search elements. Search planners repositioned assets daily based on real-time drift analysis, weather predictions and each platform’s operational capabilities to focus efforts on the highest-probability areas.

“I can’t say enough about the extraordinary efforts of the Moroccan government, our sister services, and Allies,” said Gen. Christopher Donahue, Commanding General, U.S. Army Europe and Africa. “They were with us during a difficult time– tireless, determined, and compassionate – to aid in the search for our two missing Soldiers. Their commitment never wavered, and their willingness to do whatever it took to bring our Soldiers home to their families speaks volumes about the strength of our partnership and the character of those who serve.”

Collington entered the Regular Army’s Delayed Entry Program in 2023 before beginning active-duty service in 2024. She completed Basic Combat Training and Advanced Individual Training at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, as a 14P air and missile defense crewmember. She reported to Charlie Battery, 5th Battalion, 4th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, in Ansbach, Germany, in February 2025 and was promoted to specialist May 1, 2026.

During her time with Charlie Battery, Collington was known for her character and impact across her battery.

“Spc. Collington was an outstanding Soldier whose unwavering enthusiasm and positive spirit uplifted every environment she entered,” said Capt. Spencer Grider, commander of Charlie Battery, 5-4 ADAR.“Her infectious energy, whether in the office, in the field or among her peers, fostered connection and camaraderie, bringing people together through her genuine warmth and heartfelt sense of humor. Her presence will be greatly missed a cross our formation.”

Collington’s leaders emphasized the unit’s continued support to her Family, friends, and fellow Soldiers.

“Spc. Collington was a bright light in this battalion. To the Soldiers who knew her best and served alongside her each day, she was a treasured friend whose loss leaves a deep and profound void on our team,” said Lt. Col. Chris Couch, the 5-4 ADAR battalion commander. “As we hold her Family, friends, and teammates in our prayers, we extend our heartfelt thanks to the U.S. personnel and Moroccan partners who dedicated themselves to bringing her home.”

Collington’s awards and decorations include the Army Service Ribbon.

The Soldier’s next of kin have been notified. No further family details will be released at this time.

Royal Moroccan Armed Forces transported the Soldier’s remains by a Moroccan helicopter to the morgue of Moulay El Hassan Military Hospital in Guelmim, Morocco. On the evening of May 12, Moroccan and U.S. forces conducted a dignified carry at the military airport in Guelmim honoring both Soldiers. The remains of 1st Lt. Kendrick Lamont Key Jr. and Spc. Mariyah Symone Collington departed Morocco aboard a U.S. Air Force C-130J and are enroute to the United States.

The incident remains under investigation, and additional information will be released as it becomes available.

For media inquiries, contact media@army.mil.

Source: United States Army

Bemowo Piskie, Poland — On May 7, 2026, at Bemowo Piskie Training Area in Poland, three Soldiers from the U.S. Army’s 2nd Cavalry Regiment (2CR) tested a Group 3 unmanned aircraft system (UAS) with a vendor during the Saber Strike combined arms live-fire exercise (CALFEX) to explore a potential partnership.

A Group 3 UAS weighs greater than 55 pounds and can fly longer distances than smaller sized systems.

“This Saber Strike CALFEX is showing that right now our platoons have a Group 3 asset, where they’re able to communicate with the intel cell and the fire cell,” said 1st Lt. Ethan Moore, UAS platoon leader, 409th Military Intelligence Company, 2CR. “Our drone can cue on the fire’s assets and call for fire on enemy positions at a greater distance than we’ve had before.”

At the CALFEX, Moore was joined by U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Dalton Kastner, the standardization officer, and Spc. Mason Tomplait, the drone operator. The trio met with the Group 3 UAS vendor to evaluate its technology.

There are many advantages to utilizing a Group 3 UAS, which is considered medium-sized among drone capabilities

“Our short-range reconnaissance drones only go from five to seven kilometers; a medium-range reconnaissance might go 30 or more,” said Moore.

The RQ 7B Shadow is what Kastner knows to be the U.S. Army’s medium-sized drone for roughly 20 years.

Comparing this updated medium-sized drone to the Shadow, Kastner said, “This system has extremely similar capabilities, with a much smaller footprint and a much smaller weight, and for me, that’s a positive. This system also has the vertical takeoff and landing, or VTOL kit, so it’s able to just take off straight up and then transition into forward movement.”

After the drone flew out, mission sets were sent to Moore, who coordinated with Tomplait in control of the gimbal camera on the system.

In real time, they could fly to specific areas of the training area and confirm friendly forces, possible enemy camps and target accuracy – all part of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR).

Today, ISR relies more on machine-driven intelligence rather than the previously human-centered model.

“They’re able to get that long range, very good camera view to see the targets on the ground, to provide accurate targeting grids for us to push fires and to get faster reports,” explained Kastner, “to make those jumps even quicker with accurate and rapid intelligence.”

The combat-support training exercise lasted around 41 hours.

“They’ll be able to use infrared capabilities, and we’ll be able to do everything at night as well,” said Kastner.

With eight years of experience with drones, Kastner feels that the drone was easy to put together and use.

“They even have the controller for manipulating the camera and some of the programmable features in the camera as well, so it’s very user friendly,” said Kastner.

Moore, who’s also an intelligence officer, said the Army needs equipment like this in order for intel cells to find the enemy.

Moore added, “Not only is this craft able to fill a regimental gap in intelligence collection, but it’s also something that’s valid and capable in today’s conflict that we need to enable us for the intelligence collection and fires.”

Moore said when choosing a vendor, they must be able to modify and adapt as new technologies and capabilities emerge.

After departing Poland to evaluate other vendors’ drone systems, Moore and his team went to Project Flytrap in Lithuania — part of a series of exercises (including Sword 26, Saber Strike, Immediate Response, and Swift Response) that turn experimentation into capability.

Project Flytrap is a counter-unmanned aerial system exercise designed to integrate emerging technologies and inform future Army requirements and doctrine.

The Army stays innovative by partnering with vendors and the UAS industry, alongside the real-world feedback from Soldiers.

Source: United States Army

BOLESLAWIEC, Poland — A routine maintenance mission near Bolesławiec quickly turned into an emergency response for Sgt. Nicolette Frankowski when she witnessed a traffic collision unfold directly in front of her vehicle, March 4.

Frankowski, who works operations for U.S. Army Garrison Poland’s Bolesławiec Garrison Support Element, was traveling with interpreter Kamil Stuczynski, when a passing car collided with another vehicle attempting to turn left along a busy two-lane roadway.

“We saw it happen in slow motion,” Frankowski said. “As soon as the collision happened, our focus immediately shifted to making sure everyone was safe.”

The crash sent one vehicle into a roadside ditch with airbags deployed and debris scattered across the street. Frankowski’s military police training kicked in and she immediately stopped to assist.

The pair moved the occupants away from traffic, assessed them for injuries, called police, and placed emergency warning triangles along the roadway to alert approaching vehicles around the curve.

“Everyone was in shock,” Frankowski said. “My biggest concern was calming everyone down and securing the scene.”

One of the drivers emerged from the damaged vehicle limping, prompting Frankowski to carefully assess him for injuries while reassuring him in Polish.

“I thought he was seriously hurt at first,” she said. “I kept asking if he was okay and encouraged him to sit down and stay calm.” The limp, thankfully, was later determined to be unrelated to the accident and connected to a previous surgery.

Stuczynski said Frankowski’s calm demeanor helped stabilize the situation until local police arrived.

“She stayed composed the entire time,” he said. “That helped everybody else stay calm too.”

For Frankowski, the interaction carried personal meaning beyond the immediate emergency.

Raised in Tampa, Florida, by parents who immigrated from Poland, Frankowski grew up in a Polish-speaking household where traditions, holidays and language remained central to family life. Speaking Polish at the scene helped her quickly connect with those involved in the accident.

“When people heard me speaking Polish, it immediately made things easier,” she said. “It helped build trust.”

Frankowski joined the Army Reserve nearly five years ago as a military police Soldier and first came to Poland in 2024 during a previous rotation with the 200th MP Command. After returning home, the 22-year-old raised her right hand and volunteered for another assignment, this time supporting USAG Poland.

“I loved being around the culture and the people,” she said. “After growing up in Florida, coming to Poland felt like a way to reconnect with part of who I am.”

Back home, she said, her Polish heritage was something primarily experienced within her family. Serving in Poland has allowed her to experience that connection more fully.

“At home it was always Polish traditions inside the house, but outside it was American life,” Frankowski said. “Being here has helped me learn more about my culture and feel connected to it in a different way.”

Frankowski received the Army Achievement Medal recognizing her actions following the crash. Despite the recognition, she said helping others felt instinctive.

“I would have stopped no matter where I was — Poland or America,” Frankowski said. “I just wanted to make sure everyone was okay.”