"We cannot do our mission without you and your troops supporting the command," Major General David Hogg, commander of U.S. Army Africa (USARAF) told visiting Army Reserve representatives who attended the first USARAF - United States Army Reserve(USAR) Sourcing Conference at Caserma Ederle.

US Army Africa's Reserve Component Division invited the US Army Reserve Command along with its major units to work on processes that will improve how the Army Reserve can support military to military training engagements in Africa. Months went into planning this event that brought Army Reservists' from across the United States to Italy.

The results included substantive changes to the manner USAR policy relates to its support of military - to - military training engagements overseas. Between the changes to policy and bringing the Reserve representatives together, U.S. Army Africa received verbal support toward 12 training engagements on the African continent in FY 2011.

Colonel Bruce Stillman, USARAF Reserve Component division chief, credited the USARC staff with the "re-vision" of how USAR supports overseas missions. He went on to say "the Warrior-Citizens of the U.S. Army Reserve have shown their commitment to U.S. Army Africa through their commitment to support these events, and our partners in Africa stand to benefit from the knowledge, professionalism and expertise of America's citizen-soldiers well into the future."

Brigadier General David Elmo, USARAF deputy commanding general, who chaired the conference said, "This was a great event that achieved measurable results associated with new growth and processes in the Army Reserve's commitment to U.S. Army Africa.

What this means is we now have better and more expedient access to the great soldiers within the Army Reserve's institutional training units, its large medical and logistical force structure, and the military intelligence specialists within the USAR. I am just so pleased that the USAR is taking aim at its ability to support U.S. Army Africa and I am looking forward to seeing USAR units supporting military - to - military training events in Africa next year."

In attendance at the conference were key planners from U.S. Army Reserve Command, 84th Training Command, 108th Training Command, Military intelligence Readiness Command, 807th Medical Command, 3rd Medical Command, and the 75th Battle Command Training Division.