United States Africa Command

 

 Theme  Light  Dark
 AFRICOM Portal  Contact Us
Media Room
From the Media Room
Articles
Our latest news all in one place
Press Releases
Our official press releases
Images
Browse the latest images from AFRICOM and our partners
Documents
Factsheets, posture statements, and more
Videos
Browse the latest uploaded videos
Audio
Listen to recent audio recordings
Niger Investigation
Read the special report here
 
Transcripts
Catch up on speeches from our leaders both past and present
MISO
Military Information Support Operations
 
News by Section
Special Links
About the Command
Leadership
Commander
Command Senior Enlisted Leader
Deputy Commander
Deputy to the Commander for Civil-Military Engagement
Headquarters Chief of Staff
Former leadership
Directorates and Staff
J1 - Manpower and Personnel
J2 - Intelligence
J3 - Operations
J4 - Logistics
J5 - Strategy, Engagement and Programs
J6 - C4S Systems
J8 - Resources and Assessments
Headquarters Commandant
Office of the Command Chaplain
Office of the Command Surgeon
Office of the Foreign Policy Advisor
Office of the Legal Counsel
Office of the Inspector General
Office of Public Affairs and Communication Synchronization
Interagency Staff
Our team
Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa
U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa
U.S. Air Forces Africa
U.S. Marine Corps Forces Africa
U.S. Naval Forces Africa
U.S. Special Operations Command Africa
2025 Posture Statement to Congress
2024 Posture Statement to Congress
2023 Posture Statement to Congress
2022 Posture Statement to Congress
2021 Posture Statement to Congress
2020 Posture Statement to Congress
2019 Posture Statement to Congress
2018 Posture Statement to Congress
History of U.S. Africa Command
What We Do
Security Cooperation
Africa Partnership Station
Africa Maritime Law Enforcement Partnership (AMLEP) Program
Foreign Humanitarian Assistance
Foreign Military Sales
Global Peace Operations Initiative
International Military and Education Training
State Partnership Program
Africa Endeavor
Additional programs
African Partnership Outbreak Response Alliance (APORA)
Africa Enlisted Development Strategy
Exercises
African Lion
Cutlass Express
Flintlock
Justified Accord
Obangame Express
Phoenix Express
Airstrikes
U.S. Africa Command Strike Process
Civilian Harm Report
U.S. Africa Command Civilian Harm Assessment Process
2025 Airstrikes
2024 Airstrikes
2023 Airstrikes
2022 Airstrikes
2021 Airstrikes
2020 Airstrikes
2019 Airstrikes
2018 Airstrikes
2017 Airstrikes
2016 Airstrikes
Staff Resources
Resources for AFRICOM Personnel assigned to Stuttgart, GE
AFRICOM Portal (Stuttgart)
Stuttgart Inprocessing
Stuttgart Outprocessing
Resources for AFRICOM personnel assigned to RAF Molesworth, U.K.
AFRICOM Portal (Molesworth)
Office of Security Cooperation in-processing
AFRICOM Portal
ATAAPS
Guard & Reserve
Theater Medical Clearance
Network Account Creation
Operational Contract Support
OPSEC Hub
Research
Travel to Africa
AFRICOM Mission Partner Environment (AMPE)
Useful Links
Veterans/Military Crisis Line (VCL/MCL)
Sexual Harassment/Assault Response Prevention
Civilian Harm Reporting
Home  Translate Arabic French Portugese Somali  Theme  Light  Dark
Social
Facebook
Twitter
YouTube
Flickr
Instagram
LinkedIn
Forms
Contact Us
Civilian Harm Reporting
From the Media Room
Articles
Press Releases
Images
Documents
Niger Investigation
Transcripts
Audio
Special Links
Privacy
FOIA Requests
About the Command
Leadership
2025 Posture Statement to Congress
2024 Posture Statement to Congress
2023 Posture Statement to Congress
2022 Posture Statement to Congress
2021 Posture Statement to Congress
2020 Posture Statement to Congress
2019 Posture Statement to Congress
2018 Posture Statement to Congress
History of U.S. Africa Command
Directorates and Staff
Our team
What We Do
Security Cooperation
Additional programs
Exercises
Airstrikes
Staff Resources
Resources for AFRICOM Personnel assigned to Stuttgart, GE
Resources for AFRICOM personnel assigned to RAF Molesworth, U.K.
Office of Security Cooperation in-processing
AFRICOM Portal
ATAAPS
Guard & Reserve
Theater Medical Clearance
Network Account Creation
Operational Contract Support
OPSEC Hub
Research
Travel to Africa
AFRICOM Mission Partner Environment (AMPE)
Useful Links
Veterans/Military Crisis Line (VCL/MCL)
Sexual Harassment/Assault Response Prevention

Secretary of Defense Meets with AFRICOM Leadership

U.S. Secretary of Defense Dr. Mark T. Esper visited U.S. Africa Command Sep. 5, 2019, in Stuttgart, Germany to meet with command leadership and better understand the command’s efforts and operations in Africa.

By Nate Herring ,  United States Africa Command Office of Public Affairs Stuttgart, Germany Sep 06, 2019
View Gallery
fallback
Gallery contains 5 images
×
Photo 1 of 5

Secretary of Defense Meets with AFRICOM Leadership

Secretary of Defense Dr. Mark T. Esper participates in a roundtable discussion with the commander of U.S. Africa Command, Army Gen. Stephen Townsend, Stuttgart, Germany, Sept. 5, 2019.
Download image
Photo by: Lisa Ferdinando 
Photo 2 of 5

Secretary of Defense Meets with AFRICOM Leadership

Army Gen. Stephen J. Townsend, commander, U.S. Africa Command, shakes hands with Air Force Gen. Tod D. Wolters, commander, U.S. European Command and NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe during a visit from Secretary of Defense Dr. Mark T. Esper Sep. 5, 2019.
Download image
Photo by: Takisha Miller  
Photo 3 of 5

Secretary of Defense Meets with AFRICOM Leadership

Secretary of Defense Dr. Mark T. Esper holds a town hall with troops from U.S. European Command and U.S. Africa Command, Stuttgart, Germany, Sept. 5, 2019.
Download image
Photo by: Lisa Ferdinando 
Photo 4 of 5

Secretary of Defense Meets with AFRICOM Leadership

Secretary of Defense Dr. Mark T. Esper holds a town hall with troops from U.S. European Command and U.S. Africa Command, Stuttgart, Germany, Sept. 5, 2019.
Download image
Photo by: Lisa Ferdinando 
Photo 5 of 5

Secretary of Defense Meets with AFRICOM Leadership

Secretary of Defense Dr. Mark T. Esper holds a town hall with troops from U.S. European Command and U.S. Africa Command, Stuttgart, Germany, Sept. 5, 2019.
Download image
Photo by: Takisha Miller 

Stuttgart, Germany – U.S. Secretary of Defense Dr. Mark T. Esper visited U.S. Africa Command Sep. 5, 2019, in Stuttgart, Germany to meet with command leadership and better understand the command’s efforts and operations in Africa.

During the visit, Esper met with U.S. Army Gen. Stephen Townsend, commander, U.S. Africa Command, AFRICOM component and subordinate commanders, and other key leaders.

“[I] took part in a roundtable discussion with U.S. Africa Command leadership on National Defense Strategy implementation in Africa,” Esper said. “The African theater is integral to achieving our national security objectives.”

The role of AFRICOM in addressing Chinese and Russian influence in Africa and counterterrorism efforts on the continent was discussed during the meetings, he said.

Esper also addressed AFRICOM and U.S. European Command personnel during a town hall meeting held at Patch Barracks in Stuttgart.

“I am proud of our service members for their unwavering dedication,” he said. “Without them, our country could not be the force for good in the world it is today.”

This was his first visit to the command since becoming Secretary of Defense.  

We also recommend
U.S. Military Chaplains Increase Readiness at SADC Chaplains Conference
Flintlock 2025: 20 Years of Enhancing SOF Readiness in Africa
USAFRICOM Successfully Tests AI-Powered Personnel System During Continuity of Operations Exercise
U.S. Forces Conduct Strike Targeting ISIS-Somalia
U.S. Forces Conduct Strike Targeting al Shabaab
More in Media Room
U.S. Military Chaplains Increase Readiness at SADC Chaplains Conference
U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) and U.S. National Guard’s State Partnership Program (SPP) chaplains participated in the 2025 Southern African Development Community (SADC) Chaplains Conference held in Lusaka, Zambia, April 9-11, 2025.
Read more
Flintlock 2025: 20 Years of Enhancing SOF Readiness in Africa
U.S. Africa Command’s annual, combined special operations exercise, kicked off in Côte d’Ivoire today. From April 24 – May 14, Flintlock 25 will bring together approximately 500 personnel from more than 30 nations to strengthen collective readiness in response to shared threats.
Read more
USAFRICOM Successfully Tests AI-Powered Personnel System During Continuity of Operations Exercise
U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) recently completed a successful Continuity of Operations (COOP) exercise, significantly bolstered by a use of an emerging artificial intelligence (AI) PowerApp capability designed to enhance efficiency with human resources management.
Read more
More in Media Room
U.S. Military Chaplains Increase Readiness at SADC Chaplains Conference
U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) and U.S. National Guard’s State Partnership Program (SPP) chaplains participated in the 2025 Southern African Development Community (SADC) Chaplains Conference held in Lusaka, Zambia, April 9-11, 2025.
Read more
Flintlock 2025: 20 Years of Enhancing SOF Readiness in Africa
U.S. Africa Command’s annual, combined special operations exercise, kicked off in Côte d’Ivoire today. From April 24 – May 14, Flintlock 25 will bring together approximately 500 personnel from more than 30 nations to strengthen collective readiness in response to shared threats.
Read more
USAFRICOM Successfully Tests AI-Powered Personnel System During Continuity of Operations Exercise
U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) recently completed a successful Continuity of Operations (COOP) exercise, significantly bolstered by a use of an emerging artificial intelligence (AI) PowerApp capability designed to enhance efficiency with human resources management.
Read more
More in Media Room
U.S. Military Chaplains Increase Readiness at SADC Chaplains Conference
U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) and U.S. National Guard’s State Partnership Program (SPP) chaplains participated in the 2025 Southern African Development Community (SADC) Chaplains Conference held in Lusaka, Zambia, April 9-11, 2025.
Read more
Flintlock 2025: 20 Years of Enhancing SOF Readiness in Africa
U.S. Africa Command’s annual, combined special operations exercise, kicked off in Côte d’Ivoire today. From April 24 – May 14, Flintlock 25 will bring together approximately 500 personnel from more than 30 nations to strengthen collective readiness in response to shared threats.
Read more
USAFRICOM Successfully Tests AI-Powered Personnel System During Continuity of Operations Exercise
U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) recently completed a successful Continuity of Operations (COOP) exercise, significantly bolstered by a use of an emerging artificial intelligence (AI) PowerApp capability designed to enhance efficiency with human resources management.
Read more
×