More than 150 airmen, sailors and Marines in Ghana and 1,000 sailors aboard the USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7) came together to form a task force to support U.S. President Barack Obama's visit to Ghana July 10 and 11.

The mission was planned and conducted by Seventeenth Air Force, also known as U.S. Air Forces Africa, at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. Seventeenth Air Force is the air component for U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM).

The task force provided aerial port and aircraft maintenance teams, along with forward communications, medical, helicopter support, early warning and air domain safety and security elements to support the President's visit, his first to sub-Saharan Africa since taking office in January. The president visited Egypt in June.

In addition, the mission marks the first major operation executed by the 617th Air and Space Operations Center, also located at Ramstein under 17th Air Force. The newly activated AOC provided command and control for the staging and movement of support equipment and personnel, which included C-17s from Air Mobility Command.

In addition to supporting the visit, members worked with their Ghanaian counterparts to strengthen the partnership between the two nations.