US Military Coordinates Humanitarian Assistance in Southern Africa

Southern Accord 14

In partnership with Southern African Development Community partner nations, U.S. Army Africa, as the U.S. Africa Command lead agent, is conducting a combined joint exercise designed to increase the ability of both forces to respond to humanitarian disasters and peace keeping operations, while enhancing interoperability. Southern Accord 14 begins today in Lilongwe, Malawi, and will run through July 30. The exercise brings together participants in a command post exercise, which will focus on integrating SADC partner nations with U.S. forces to conduct planning for peace enforcement operations. This year, Southern Accord 14 will emphasize developing the abilities to plan, deploy, employ, sustain and redeploy a rapid deployment force in response to a regional crisis.

The U.S. Army participates annually in Southern Accord to improve interoperability and capacity to conduct joint and multinational planning and operations. Southern Accord provides unique and dynamic training opportunities for participating military partners, while also promoting relationship-building between militaries and local communities.

Headquartered in Vicenza, Italy, U.S. Army Africa is the Army service component to the U.S Africa Command, the U.S. regional command that oversees and coordinates U.S. military activities in Africa. Southern Accord 14 is the latest in a series of exercises involving U.S. military forces and partner militaries in Africa with the aim to establish and develop military interoperability, regional relationships, synchronization of effort and capacity-building.

Southern Accord is conducted annually to improve joint coalition interoperability and capabilities to respond to the most likely regional security and humanitarian situations. Future exercises will continue to build on progress made during previous exercises in terms of participating nations' ability to conduct joint/multinational operations, and improve multinational interoperability and capacity. The exercise is rooted in partnerships and recognizes the need for multinational solutions to common challenges ranging from transnational violent extremism to humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.

Engagements like these build readiness of African soldiers, thus increasing effectiveness of operations. In turn, it promotes regional stability and security. The U.S. Army's participation in Southern Accord increases cooperation and collaboration with land force partners in Africa and enhances mutual understanding and demonstrates the U.S. Army's commitment to strengthening our relationships across the continent.

Resources:

• Southern Accord 14
• U.S. Army Africa
• Southern African Development Community

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How The US Army is Going Beyond The Horizon in 2014

"Beyond the Horizon 2014" (BTH) is a U.S. Army South exercise deploying military engineers and medical professionals to Guatemala and the Dominican Republic for training, while providing services to rural communities. BTH, conducted annually, is part of U.S. Southern Command's (SOUTHCOM) humanitarian and civic assistance program. Working closely with host nation forces and civilian organizations, BTH teams provide medical, dental and engineering support.

Under the strategic guidance of SOUTHCOM, Army South has planned and conducted BTHs since 2008, including missions in the Dominican Republic and El Salvador. U.S. personnel from the Army Reserve, National Guard and active-duty forces construct schools and clinics and provide medical and dental support. During each four-month BTH exercise several smaller events called medical readiness training exercises take place, which consist of a team of military medical and dental professionals who work in austere areas to gain valuable real-world training, while also providing medical services to people in need of treatment. 

The BTH series of exercises have provided care to hundreds of thousands of people and built or renovated dozens of facilities in the SOUTHCOM area of responsibility.

This year, U.S. forces, working with the approval of the governments of Guatemala and the Dominican Republic, selected several sites to provide engineering, medical and dental support. U.S. forces will work alongside host nation forces as well as a variety of government and non-government organizations to build schools, clinics and conduct Medical Exercises. Each BTH typically involves and trains about 1,400 U.S. service members and 150 host nation personnel.

Army South, working with SOUTHCOM, sister services and partner nations, will continue to build upon its strong partnerships in the region by training and providing humanitarian assistance, while engaging with the Allies and building partner nation capacity.

BTHs are a major part of Army South's regional engagement efforts and afford the opportunity to train service members while providing needed services to communities throughout the region. The relationships built and sustained with our partners help tremendously in building security and stability in the region.

A curious Afghan girl holds the hand of a female American soldier.

Sergeant Frank Praytor looks after a kitten during the height of the Korean War in 1952.