U.S. Army Africa, the Army component of U.S. Africa Command, maintains close ties to the Center of Excellence for Stability Police Units, (CoESPU) an international police training mission led by Italian Carabinieri.

During a visit to Vicenza May 4-5, 2009, General William "Kip" Ward stopped by CoESPU, where the CoESPU director, Brigadier General Umberto Rocca, briefed Ward on the center's mission -- improving police officers' abilities to operate in peacekeeping missions to include operations in Africa.

Ward met with police officers from several African nations, to include Cameroon, Nigeria, Mali and Burkina Faso. Other officers, from countries such as Serbia, Nepal and Indonesia, may serve in future police assignments in Africa. Ward encouraged them to put the CoESPU experience to good use.

"The training you go through here, you can take back with you to your country and make a difference in police matters," Ward told the officers. "Fight for opportunities to pass the knowledge you learn here onto others."

Already, the U.S. military presence in Africa is creating a positive change, said Evina Mathurin, a police officer from Cameroon who spoke with Ward.

"We appreciate what the U.S. military is doing in Africa. We see them working hard at their jobs," Mathurin said. "It is important for the U.S. Army to partner with us."