Following a five-week course on motor transport operations, 29 soldiers with the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL), the majority of them women, were honored at a graduation ceremony June 26, 2008.

The United States partnered with the Liberian government to administer and fund the training, which required participants to drive 5-ton military transport trucks and learn marketable skills to help them succeed in their jobs.

Lieutenant Colonel Chris Wyatt, chief of the U.S. Embassy's Office of Security Cooperation in Liberia, spoke at the ceremony, praising the 21 female officers for their hard work and determination in training for a traditionally male-dominated field.

"While women do not yet comprise a desirable number of AFL soldiers, they have nonetheless quickly come to dominate this career field," said Wyatt in his keynote address. "Please take a moment to think about that. The job of a motor transport operator, or truck driver, is seldom viewed as professional for women."

The high recruitment rate for women is partly attributable to a goal set by Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf to increase the presence of women in the AFL to 20 percent. Many female soldiers who join the AFL do so for the opportunities to learn a marketable skill that will benefit them throughout their careers.

As the female soldiers drove the trucks along Robertsfield Highway, they stopped in villages along the way, where they were welcomed and congratulated by community leaders for setting a positive example for women in Liberia.

"The new AFL is a place where Liberia's best and brightest gather and take advantage of opportunities to succeed," said Wyatt. "It is a place for both men and women, as this is a group of motor transport operators, which is clearly illustrated."

The AFL was established in 2006 with the assistance of the U.S. and United Nations forces after a 14 year civil war. The U.S. government continues to support the development and training of the AFL through the funding and coordination of its training programs.