US Army advisors build relationships, partnership during major exercise in Africa

GABORONE, Botswana - August 2024 was a time of excitement and successes for Botswana, from the country's first ever gold medal in the Olympic games, to the completion of exercise Southern Accord 2024 back home. In their own uniquely analogous ways, the two accomplishments highlight the teamwork, cooperation and perseverance needed to achieve strategic wins.

Exercise Southern Accord 2024, a bi-annual joint exercise sponsored by U.S. Africa Command and led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force - Africa, brings together U.S. Army, Air Force and Botswana Defence Force personnel to conduct a variety of training. The exercise is designed to enhance bilateral military capabilities and interoperability. This year marks the first time since 2012 that Botswana hosted the exercise.

Advisors from the 2nd Security Force Assistance Brigade (2d SFAB) out of Fort Liberty, North Carolina, participated in the exercise that spanned 10 total days across 3 separate training locations in Botswana. These advisors played a critical role in the success of the exercise and the continued partnership with BDF counterparts.

U.S. Army 1st Lts. Grace Sullivan and Olivia Jeans, gender focal points with 2d SFAB, served as advisors during a Women, Peace and Security (WPS) forum in Gaborone. They conducted a subject matter expert exchange with their BDF counterparts, leading several classes over a two-day span. The result was enhanced partnership through discussion and lessons learned from both militaries, helping implement new ideas into their respective country's programs.

For the U.S. military, WPS is part of a national strategy and National Action Plan set forth by President Biden in 2023 which renewed commitment to the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325. According to a White House press release in October 2023, the focus of WPS remains on participation, protection, integration and institutionalization, partnerships, as well as relief, response and recovery.

The WPS forum at Southern Accord consisted of several classes and discussions led by both BDF and U.S. military personnel. Subjects included the roles of gender focal points, U.S. WPS framework, national, regional and international framework, as well as focusing specifically on the BDF's strategy for implementing gender perspective.

Sullivan and Jeans both attended a WPS course in Vicenza, Italy, prior to assuming their roles as Gender Focal Points, and the BDF are the first partner force with which they've worked in this capacity. Southern Accord is also their first time participating in a major exercise in Africa.

"As a junior female officer in the U.S. Army, WPS is an important initiative for myself and all other service members," said Sullivan, who is part of the U.S. Army Nurse Corps. "Women must not just be given a seat at the table. We must be heard and integrated accordingly."

Simultaneous with WPS, a Maneuver Advisor Team (MAT) conducted training in the Shoshong district of eastern Botswana. U.S. Army Capt. Jeremy Fowler, the team leader for MAT 2321, and his team served as liaisons between the BDF and the North Carolina National Guard, who shares a State Sponsorship Program with Botswana.

MAT 2321 has extensive experience on the continent of Africa, spending about a month with their BDF partners prior to the exercise and recently participating in another major SETAF-AF led event, African Lion 2024, working alongside partner forces from Morocco. Their participation in these exercises is part of a 9-month employment to Africa, which takes them to several different nations to train and share best practices with respective partner forces.

Training between the MAT and the BDF included infantry small unit tactics, operational logistics, intelligence preparation of the operational environment, and reconnaissance and security operations. These are all focus areas that both nations can implement lessons learned from one another's experiences. The training continuously focused on taking the unique experiences from both nations and building stronger partner capacity and integration.

"This has been an amazing experience," said Fowler. "Our BDF partners have been very hospitable hosts, and the relationships we've developed will last a lifetime."

The combat-focused integration between the U.S. and BDF forces developed during the exercise was put on display in a closing ceremony exhibition that included both forces conducting a simulated platoon attack in an urban area. Moving side-by-side, both forces showed their professionalism and expertise while working together to achieve a common objective, something that resonates across the tactical, operational and strategic levels.

SFAB advisors come from all different backgrounds and are meticulously chosen for their designated roles in the unit. Fowler shared that the experience of being employed for rotations in Africa as a junior officer or mid-career noncommissioned officer is invaluable. The rewards not only include joint and multinational experience, but developing friendships and learning and sharing cultural knowledge that enhance individual and unit readiness.

"The SFAB has been one of the most rewarding experiences in my military career," said Fowler. "Nowhere else in the conventional Army can you establish lasting relationships with soldiers from other countries and see the strategic impacts a small team is making. If the SFAB advisor role was a specific military occupational specialty, I would volunteer

to stay for the rest of my career."

Exercise Southern Accord 2024 came to a close August 15, 2024.

About 2SFAB

2SFAB, assigned to SETAF-AF, specializes in providing security force assistance and advisory support to African partner nations. Tasked with enhancing the tactical proficiency, operational capabilities, and overall effectiveness of African military forces, the 2nd SFAB plays a pivotal role in strengthening defense partnerships across the continent.

About SETAF-AF

SETAF-AF serves as a dedicated headquarters under U.S. Africa Command and U.S. Army Europe and Africa, coordinating Army activities across Africa to provide scalable crisis response options.

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