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U.S. Africa Command Special Operations Forces train alongside partners in Benin

Beninese soldiers from the 1st Commando Parachute Battalion provide security for the Alpha platoon during a Joint Combined Exercise Training in Ouassa, Benin, on Sept. 7, 2022. International engagement is necessary to counter violent extremism, and our military engagements are just one way we support African partners as part of an international community.

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Photo by: Staff Sgt. Jasmonet Holmes 

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U.S. Africa Command Special Operations Forces train alongside partners in Benin

U.S. Army Green Berets assigned to 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne) and Alpha platoon leader from the 1st Commando Parachute Battalion rally to discuss mission progress during a Joint Combined Exercise Training in Ouassa, Benin, on Sept. 7, 2022. Partnerships and alliances are the foundation of U.S. defense and diplomatic engagement.

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Photo by: Staff Sgt. Jasmonet Holmes 

Special Operations Command Africa forces partnered with the Beninese Army during a Joint Combined Exchange Training that concluded September 9, 2022, in Ouassa, Benin. U.S. Army Green Berets assigned to 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne) collaborated with members of the Beninese Army’s 1st Commando Parachute Battalion to hone tactical and operational skills.

As violent extremism poses a threat to global stability, safeguarding these borders from incoming threats requires a collective multilateral effort. Engagements including JCETs provide mutual benefits to both partner forces as they enhance partner capacity and strengthen relationships to combat regional insecurity and instability.

Special Operations Command Africa JCETs enhance U.S. relationships with partner nations by developing and maintaining critical military-to-military connections and improving joint and allied readiness and interoperability.

This exchange is part of a series of U.S. engagements with the Beninese military that provide opportunities for units to work together, learn from each other, build interoperability, and strengthen relationships. This recent engagement represents the second JCET that U.S. special operations forces conducted with Beninese forces this year. The two partner forces hosted a March JCET and participated alongside one another in previous Flintlock exercises with other allied and African partner nations. Flintlock is the premier special operations exercise in Africa with 30 participating nations.

U.S. Africa Command special operations forces demonstrate their commitment to their African partners through sustained military and civil engagements across the continent.