View Gallery

Gallery contains 2 images

×

Photo 1 of 2

Inaugural symposium connects U.S., European, African senior naval infantry leaders

U.S. Marine, European and African naval infantry senior leaders met for the Naval Infantry Leaders Symposium-Africa on July 15 by video conference to organize future exercises and endeavors. Through participation in the forum, allied and partner naval infantries increase understanding of the operating environment, broaden perspectives on maritime security, and identify ways to increase capability, capacity and interoperability.

Download image

Photo by: U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Europe and Africa 

Photo 2 of 2

Inaugural symposium connects U.S., European, African senior naval infantry leaders

U.S. Marine, European and African naval infantry senior leaders met for the Naval Infantry Leaders Symposium-Africa on July 15 by video conference to organize future exercises and endeavors. Through participation in the forum, allied and partner naval infantries increase understanding of the operating environment, broaden perspectives on maritime security, and identify ways to increase capability, capacity and interoperability.

Download image

Photo by: U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Europe and Africa 

U.S. Marine, European and African naval infantry senior leaders met for the Naval Infantry Leaders Symposium-Africa on July 15 by video conference to organize future exercises and endeavors.

NILS-A is a multinational, Africa-focused forum designed to bring together partner nations with marine forces and naval infantries to develop crisis response capabilities and foster relationships aimed at improving Africa’s maritime domain security. Forum discussions were hosted by U.S. Marine Corps Forces Europe and Africa commander, Maj. Gen. Tracy King, and Senegalese Naval Chief of Staff, Rear Adm. Oumar Wade.

Nearly 20 countries throughout Europe and Africa attended the symposium.

“Promoting maritime security on the African coast is a shared responsibility and we will come up with shared solutions,” King said. “None of us can do this alone, we must do it together.”

Plans of attending the NILS-A conference in Dakar, Senegal, were halted to mitigate the risks associated with COVID-19. Next year's event is scheduled to ratify the NILS-A charter discussed during the virtual conference. The NILS-A charter is the first step in building international partnership for maritime security on the coast of Africa.

“We are Marines working with Marines,” King said. “We are very proud of what we accomplished today and this is a powerful first step in finding shared solutions.”

Through participation in the forum, allied and partner naval infantries increase understanding of the operating environment, broaden perspectives on maritime security, and identify ways to increase capability, capacity and interoperability.