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U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa

HINDI, Kenya — Soldiers assigned to Civil Affairs Team Kenya, Alpha Company, Civil Affairs Battalion, U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) engaged with multiple Kenyan civilian and military organizations to increase interoperability by conducting a medical camp, Dec. 11, 2025.

U.S. Army Capt. Andrew Hunt, team chief for CA Team Kenya, explained that a medical camp is an organized event that provides essential medical services to communities that would otherwise not receive treatment. Medical camps are significant for civil affairs efforts because they address the lack of access to medical treatment in underdeveloped regions — a core vulnerability CA teams have identified that can make local populations susceptible to recruitment by violent extremist organizations.

The CA team’s partners included the Kenyan navy’s Civil-Military Cooperation personnel, Kenyan naval medical professionals, the Kenyan Red Cross, Safari Doctors and the Lamu County Department of Health Services. The team worked as a liaison with these agencies to organize the event, while U.S. Soldiers assigned to Task Force Bataan and Kenyan army rangers provided security.

This event focused on increasing opportunities for medical treatment for civilians in Forward Operating Site Manda Bay Kenya’s area of operations, improving local perceptions of U.S. and Kenyan naval forces, and planning future joint activities. Medical and dental professionals treated approximately 250 patients during this one-day medical camp.

Hunt emphasized that the civil affairs mission seeks to minimize — or ideally, eliminate —negative impacts of military operations on civilians and help whenever possible. The information gathered during engagements like medical camps helps achieve these goals. These efforts not only provide humanitarian aid to underdeveloped regions, the goodwill generated from these events also improves the Army’s overall readiness if combat forces need to mobilize.

“Civil affairs teams provide critical information to the combatant commander to develop a detailed picture of the civil considerations in the area when planning kinetic operations,” Hunt said.

Doctrinally, the civil affairs mission set is intentionally about disarming, Hunt noted.

“If I took the perspective of a host-nation civilian who doesn’t have frequent interactions with U.S. forces, I would be suspicious of their intentions,” Hunt said. “The nature of our mission allows us to be upfront about our intentions and simply state that we’re here to listen to concerns of the community, identify existing vulnerabilities that can be exploited by bad actors, find solutions that address vulnerabilities, and reinforce that the U.S. military wants the same things the host nation wants: peace and security.”

According to Hunt, this event gave the CA team in Kenya a deeper understanding of the capabilities each partner provided. Such initiatives exemplify civil affairs’ role in sustaining Camp Simba’s mission and fostering positive relations with the local population.

“This collaboration helped identify potential civil vulnerabilities within the area and helped further develop a robust civil network,” Hunt said. “This will ultimately lead to improved coordination and enhanced security measures for U.S. military personnel assigned to Camp Simba. Engagements like these cultivate community support for U.S. efforts and mitigate threats posed by violent extremist organizations.”

CA Team Kenya’s future efforts will include maintaining the strong relationships it has established with the organizations that made the medical camp a successful event.

“Representatives from the groups we worked with said they would like to plan another medical camp,” Hunt said. “Going forward, we’re confident that the continued collaboration and dedication from these entities and others will help provide essential medical services until more permanent and accessible facilities become available.”

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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.

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Source: United States Army

GRAYLING, Mich. — More than 450 U.S. Soldiers and Airmen braved freezing temperatures and extreme winter conditions during the winter iteration of Northern Strike 26, Jan. 26-29. An Army-sponsored, National Guard Bureau exercise, Northern Strike provides service members from across the total force the opportunity to train to meet the objectives of the Department of War’s Arctic strategy.

The winter iteration of the exercise focuses on one of the most unforgiving aspects of warfighting: surviving, moving, and fighting in extreme cold.

Held across more than 14,000 acres at the National All-Domain Warfighting Center in Northern Michigan, the event pushed service members to operate in sub-zero temperatures while training in a complex, contested environment — conditions leaders say are essential for meeting Department of War priorities and preparing for potential conflict against rival competitors.

“Northern Strike replicates the complexity of the modern environment and it’s an outstanding learning opportunity,” said U.S. Army Col. Todd Fitzpatrick, officer in charge of the Northern Strike plans team, Michigan National Guard. “It’s a very robust scenario that answers the call.”

The training includes conventional maneuver operations alongside modern threats such as unmanned aircraft systems, electronic warfare and complex opposing-force attacks. Northern Strike affords units the opportunity to perform these operations across each warfighting domain: land, sea, air, space, and cyberspace.

“We can train in all five domains of warfare simultaneously,” Fitzpatrick said.

The weather itself, Fitzpatrick said, becomes a crucial training tool.

“We experienced lows in the negative teens, not including wind chill, and several feet of snow on the ground,” he said. “That challenges movement and mobility. Service members get to test their individual equipment and weapon systems and understand what those extreme conditions have on their equipment.”

For Soldiers in the Michigan Army National Guard’s field artillery formations, the winter iteration offered a rare opportunity to train in conditions that cannot be replicated at home station.

U.S. Army Sgt. Stephen Nugent, a howitzer crew section chief with Alpha Battery, 1st Battalion, 119th Field Artillery Regiment, Michigan National Guard, said the cold forced his team to adapt quickly.

“What we’re able to do out here that we can’t do at home station is train effectively in cold weather and test our howitzers, vehicles and equipment,” Nugent said. “In case the state or the country needs us, we’re ready.”

Even basic artillery maintenance became a challenge in the extreme cold. To combat necessary liquids from freezing, soldiers implemented a cleaning, lubrication, and protection solvent, also known as CLP, mixture into their training routine.

“For our job, we definitely need water for cleaning the breech,” Nugent said. “It’s been tricky maintaining warm water, so we have to mix water and CLP so it doesn’t freeze over.”

Despite the hardship, Nugent said morale remained strong.

“This battery has, by far, the best morale you’ll ever find,” he said. “We’re suffering out here, but everyone’s keeping each other’s spirits up, joking around and talking with one another.”

U.S. Army Capt. James Stock, commander of Alpha Battery, 1st Battalion, 119th Field Artillery, Michigan National Guard, said the winter conditions provided a critical test of survivability and combat capability.

“These are some of the coldest temperatures that Michigan’s seen in a very long time,” Stock said. “It enables Soldiers and equipment to get out and not only test their capabilities, but exercise warfighting functions like survivability and field artillery tactics.”

Stock said his unit faced equipment breakdowns and logistical challenges but continued adapting to accomplish the mission.

“We’ve been troubleshooting equipment breaking down — weapon systems, vehicles, utilities,” he said. “But we’ve come up with solutions outside the box to keep driving the mission forward. We’re adapting every day.”

As units prepared for live-fire missions, the focus remained on learning under pressure.

“This is the first time we’ve set up cold-weather tents in the field,” Stock said. “We’re working through those processes, getting maintenance squared away and carrying those lessons learned throughout the exercise.”

For Fitzpatrick, that ability to operate and improve before real-world conflict is one of the exercise’s greatest opportunities.

“Northern Strike offers the opportunity to train and struggle here before we have to do it for real,” he said. “We allow units to try, fail, reset and do it all over again.”

Northern Strike is structured to support Department of War objectives, including defending the homeland and preparing forces for large-scale combat in contested environments.

Northern Strike’s summer iteration will return in August, bringing thousands of service members to Michigan, but leaders said the winter event remains uniquely valuable.

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Source: United States Army

FORT McCOY, Wis. — About 200 Soldiers assigned to the Wisconsin National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 120th Field Artillery Regiment trained at Fort McCoy Jan. 21–31 to complete individual Soldier tasks and conduct cold-weather operations on M777 and M119 howitzers.

The training reinforced the battalion’s readiness to operate artillery systems in extreme cold while maintaining individual proficiency, teamwork and safety in austere conditions.

Army Command Sgt. Maj. Nicholas Kletzien, the battalion’s senior enlisted advisor, said the training was designed to mirror elements of previous cold-weather exercises, including Exercise Northern Strike at Camp Grayling, Michigan, but on a smaller scale.

“Those were good training opportunities,” Kletzien said. “What we wanted to do here was conduct similar training, but at a smaller scale.”

Kletzien said just over half of the battalion participated, as many Soldiers were supporting deployments or attending institutional training typically scheduled this time of year.

“Because we were training with a smaller number of troops, we decided to conduct the training at Fort McCoy, and it worked out great,” he said.

Army Lt. Col. Rustin Billings, the battalion commander, and Kletzien said the 11-day training event focused on multiple operational objectives, including equipment proficiency, basic Soldier skills and teamwork in extreme cold.

“We find this type of training resonates with Soldiers more than when we make training artificially hard,” Kletzien said.

During the exercise, Soldiers set up arctic 10-person tents equipped with heaters to maintain warmth while operating howitzers and during a sling-load training event Jan. 28.

Kletzien said practicing cold-weather techniques and wearing proper cold-weather gear helps ensure Soldiers are prepared to operate in any environment.

In October, Joe Ernst, an instructor with the Cold-Weather Operations Course at Fort McCoy, demonstrated proper use of cold-weather equipment to unit members, helping prepare them for the winter training.

“When Joe came to talk with our unit, he showed us how to use that equipment, and it really helped us prepare for this training,” Kletzien said.

Throughout the event, Soldiers trained in snow showers and temperatures at or below zero.

“Our goal was to test the equipment while focusing on individual tasks and training,” Kletzien said. “That was accomplished.”

Kletzien also said Fort McCoy’s location and range options make it an ideal training site for extended combat training, weekend drills and annual training.

“Fort McCoy offers a wide array of firing points for our unit,” he said. “That flexibility helps us build realistic training scenarios for our Soldiers.”

Planning is already underway for future training in 2027.

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Source: United States Army

AUSTIN, Texas — Soldiers assigned to the 36th Infantry Division gathered with family members, friends and community leaders Jan. 31 at Camp Mabry for a farewell ceremony as they prepare to deploy to the Middle East in support of Operation Spartan Shield.

The ceremony marked a key milestone in the division’s deployment process, recognizing the dedication of service members and the sacrifices their families made. Following the event, the division will continue readiness training and final mission validation before deploying.

Maj. Gen. John “Brad” Bowlin, commander of the 36th Infantry Division, addressed service members and families during the ceremony, emphasizing readiness, leadership and the critical role families play throughout the deployment cycle.

“As we prepare to deploy, we do so grounded in a legacy that began in 1917 and continues today,” Bowlin said. “This moment reflects months of preparation and the unwavering commitment of our service members and their families as we move forward ready, disciplined and focused on the mission ahead.”

Beyond marking a deployment milestone, the ceremony underscored the people behind the formation — the Soldiers preparing to deploy and the families who support them.

“This deployment gives me the opportunity to contribute in a way that directly supports national defense initiatives and strengthens partnerships with host nations,” said Sgt. 1st Class Joshua Caldwell, a senior intelligence analyst with the division. “Working across staff sections to support commanders and the mission is something I take pride in, especially as a first-generation service member.”

Family members in attendance reflected on the significance of the moment and the support required throughout the deployment.

“This deployment brings a mix of emotions, but I know it will be a meaningful season of growth for both of us,” said Katrina Bondoc, wife of 2nd Lt. James Bondoc. “It gives him the opportunity to grow, serve his country and step into the leader he is becoming.”

The 36th Infantry Division will deploy as part of Task Force Spartan, supporting U.S. Army Central’s enduring mission to strengthen regional security, reassure allies and partners, and maintain a ready and forward-postured force in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility.

The deployment continues the division’s long history of overseas service, following its most recent mobilization in 2020 in support of Operation Spartan Shield.

Created in 1917, the division first saw combat during World War I. During World War II, its amphibious assault at Salerno, Italy, made it the first American division to land on the European continent. Throughout the Cold War, the division maintained a continuous overseas presence, followed by peacekeeping missions in the Balkans and Kosovo and multiple deployments in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom, New Dawn and Spartan Shield.

Operation Spartan Shield promotes stability across the region and reinforces the United States’ enduring commitment to its allies and partners in the Middle East. The deployment highlights the National Guard’s ability to provide trained and ready forces in support of global operational requirements.

An official casing of the colors ceremony is scheduled for March at Fort Hood following completion of training and readiness validation.

“We are Texans, we are Guardsmen, and we are ready,” Bowlin said. “We go as a team, we serve as a team, and we will all come home as a team.”

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