Hello Teammates,

Like Labor Day observances in many other countries, our American holiday has roots in the historic labor movement and its efforts to regulate working conditions to protect the health, welfare, and morale of workers. Labor Day also gives us an opportunity to reflect upon our workplace achievements over the past year.

I am very pleased by how much we have evolved as a Command, learned from our partners, and deepened our strategic relationships over the past several months. Highly successful joint exercises like FLINTLOCK in Mali and AFRICA ENDEAVOR in Ghana included an unprecedented level of participation by African nations and regional organizations. These exercises helped to strengthen military interoperability and regional cooperation, and support the African Union and its sub-regional organizations' continued efforts to build regional peacekeeping and disaster-response capacities. Our ongoing support to Liberian Defense Sector Reform, along with dozens of other security cooperation initiatives across the continent, are contributing to building security capacity and complement broader efforts to promote stability and to leverage opportunities for economic growth and development.

As we measure the positive impacts of these activities, we also recognize that we have much work ahead of us. Deepening our relationships In Africa and supporting our partners as they continue to build security capacity will require sustained engagement that reinforces successes over time and adapts to changing needs. And while we have much to be proud of this Labor Day, our work as a Command continues on behalf of our fellow citizens and partners.

To my Africa Command teammates, I thank you for all you have accomplished this past summer, and wish you a pleasant, relaxing, and safe Labor Day weekend.

General William "Kip" Ward
Commander, U.S. Africa Command