The North Carolina National Guard hosts the African Military Law Forum Advisory Council at NCNG Joint Force Headquarters in Raleigh, North Carolina, April 26 - 28, 2022. The conference, created by the United States Africa Command, brought African military legal advisors from several nations including Botswana, one of the NCNG State Partnership Program peers, and Nigeria, Cameroon, Namibia, Burkina Faso, Uganda, Tunisia, Niger, Malawi, Burundi, and NCNG leaders including U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Jeffery Copeland, the NCNG Director of Joint Staff and retired Col. Rick Fay, NCNG Chief Counsel, to share their expertise in International, Operational, Administrative, and Civil law and to announce the formation of the Women’s Peace and Security component to the ongoing forum.

The North Carolina National Guard hosts the African Military Law Forum Advisory Council at NCNG Joint Force Headquarters in Raleigh, North Carolina, April 26 - 28, 2022. The conference, created by the United States Africa Command, brought African military legal advisors from several nations including Botswana, one of the NCNG State Partnership Program peers, and Nigeria, Cameroon, Namibia, Burkina Faso, Uganda, Tunisia, Niger, Malawi, Burundi, and NCNG leaders including U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Jeffery Copeland, the NCNG Director of Joint Staff and retired Col. Rick Fay, NCNG Chief Counsel, to share their expertise in International, Operational, Administrative, and Civil law and to announce the formation of the Women’s Peace and Security component to the ongoing forum.

Maj. Mike Sterling, North Carolina National Guard State Partnership Director, greets Namibian Defence Force Brig. Gen. Helena Ndilimeke Amutenya, left, and Cameroon Armed Forces Col. Marguerite Meffand-Loaw, center, at the African Military Law Forum Advisory Council at NCNG Joint Force Headquarters in Raleigh, North Carolina, April 26 - 28, 2022. The conference, created by the United States Africa Command, brought African military legal advisors from several nations including Botswana, one of the NCNG State Partnership Program peers, and Nigeria, Cameroon, Namibia, Burkina Faso, Uganda, Tunisia, Niger, Malawi, Burundi, and NCNG leaders including U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Jeffery Copeland, the NCNG Director of Joint Staff and retired Col. Rick Fay, NCNG Chief Counsel, to share their expertise in International, Operational, Administrative, and Civil law and to announce the formation of the Women’s Peace and Security component to the ongoing forum.

Maj. Mike Sterling, North Carolina National Guard State Partnership Director, greets Botswana Defence Force Deputy Commander Maj. Gen. MPho Churchill Mophuting at the African Military Law Forum Advisory Council at NCNG Joint Force Headquarters in Raleigh, North Carolina, April 26 - 28, 2022. The conference, created by the United States Africa Command, brought African military legal advisors from several nations including Botswana, one of the NCNG State Partnership Program peers, and Nigeria, Cameroon, Namibia, Burkina Faso, Uganda, Tunisia, Niger, Malawi, Burundi, and NCNG leaders including U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Jeffery Copeland, the NCNG Director of Joint Staff and retired Col. Rick Fay, NCNG Chief Counsel, to share their expertise in International, Operational, Administrative, and Civil law and to announce the formation of the Women’s Peace and Security component to the ongoing forum.

Members of the African Military Law Forum Advisory Council pose at the North Carolina National Guard hosted at NCNG Joint Force Headquarters in Raleigh, North Carolina, April 26 - 28, 2022. The conference, created by the United States Africa Command, brought African military legal advisors from several nations including Botswana, one of the NCNG State Partnership Program peers, and Nigeria, Cameroon, Namibia, Burkina Faso, Uganda, Tunisia, Niger, Malawi, Burundi, and NCNG leaders including U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Jeffery Copeland, the NCNG Director of Joint Staff and retired Col. Rick Fay, NCNG Chief Counsel, to share their expertise in International, Operational, Administrative, and Civil law and to announce the formation of the Women’s Peace and Security component to the ongoing forum.

Members of the African Military Law Forum Advisory Council pose at the North Carolina National Guard hosted at NCNG Joint Force Headquarters in Raleigh, North Carolina, April 26 - 28, 2022. The conference, created by the United States Africa Command, brought African military legal advisors from several nations including Botswana, one of the NCNG State Partnership Program peers, and Nigeria, Cameroon, Namibia, Burkina Faso, Uganda, Tunisia, Niger, Malawi, Burundi, and NCNG leaders including U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Jeffery Copeland, the NCNG Director of Joint Staff and retired Col. Rick Fay, NCNG Chief Counsel, to share their expertise in International, Operational, Administrative, and Civil law and to announce the formation of the Women’s Peace and Security component to the ongoing forum.

Members of the African Military Law Forum Advisory Council pose at the North Carolina National Guard hosted at NCNG Joint Force Headquarters in Raleigh, North Carolina, April 26 - 28, 2022. The conference, created by the United States Africa Command, brought African military legal advisors from several nations including Botswana, one of the NCNG State Partnership Program peers, and Nigeria, Cameroon, Namibia, Burkina Faso, Uganda, Tunisia, Niger, Malawi, Burundi, and NCNG leaders including U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Jeffery Copeland, the NCNG Director of Joint Staff and retired Col. Rick Fay, NCNG Chief Counsel, to share their expertise in International, Operational, Administrative, and Civil law and to announce the formation of the Women’s Peace and Security component to the ongoing forum.

Cameroon Armed Forces Col. Marguerite Meffand-Loaw addresses fellow legal professionals at the North Carolina National Guard hosted African Military Law Forum Advisory Council at NCNG Joint Force Headquarters in Raleigh, North Carolina, April 26 - 28, 2022. The conference, created by the United States Africa Command, brought African military legal advisors from several nations including Botswana, one of the NCNG State Partnership Program peers, and Nigeria, Cameroon, Namibia, Burkina Faso, Uganda, Tunisia, Niger, Malawi, Burundi, and NCNG leaders including U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Jeffery Copeland, the NCNG Director of Joint Staff and retired Col. Rick Fay, NCNG Chief Counsel, to share their expertise in International, Operational, Administrative, and Civil law and to announce the formation of the Women’s Peace and Security component to the ongoing forum.

Sandra Franzblau, Office of the Legal Counsel, United States Africa Command, addresses legal experts at the North Carolina National Guard hosted African Military Law Forum Advisory Council at NCNG Joint Force Headquarters in Raleigh, North Carolina, April 26 - 28, 2022. The conference, created by AFRICOM, brought African military legal advisors from several nations including Botswana, one of the NCNG State Partnership Program peers, and Nigeria, Cameroon, Namibia, Burkina Faso, Uganda, Tunisia, Niger, Malawi, Burundi, and NCNG leaders including U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Jeffery Copeland, the NCNG Director of Joint Staff and retired Col. Rick Fay, NCNG Chief Counsel, to share their expertise in International, Operational, Administrative, and Civil law and to announce the formation of the Women’s Peace and Security component to the ongoing forum.

North Carolina National Guard leader U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Jeffery Copeland, the NCNG Director of Joint Staff, right, and retired Col. Rick Fay, NCNG Chief Counsel, listen to legal experts via translators at the African Military Law Forum Advisory Council at NCNG Joint Force Headquarters in Raleigh, North Carolina, April 26 - 28, 2022. The conference, created by the United States Africa Command, brought African military legal advisors from several nations including Botswana, one of the NCNG State Partnership Program peers, and Nigeria, Cameroon, Namibia, Burkina Faso, Uganda, Tunisia, Niger, Malawi, Burundi, and NCNG leaders to share their expertise in International, Operational, Administrative, and Civil law and to announce the formation of the Women’s Peace and Security component to the ongoing forum.

Mr. Magagi Maman Dada, Agadez Regional Governor, cuts a ceremonial ribbon in front of the newly donated mobile field hospital in Agadez, Niger, April 4, 2022. The donation increases Agadez Regional Hospital’s capacity by an additional 30 beds, complete with the medical tools and resources to care for the 670,000-person community and surrounding areas.

Nigerien workers build a mobile field hospital financed by U.S. Africa Command through the Overseas Humanitarian, Disaster Assistance, and Civic Aid program in Agadez, Niger, March 22, 2022. Subject matter experts taught Nigerien workers how to construct and maintain the field hospital autonomously, allowing the facility to be repurposed by the Government of Niger once the COVID-19 threat subsides

Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force JoAnne Bass, center, and Chief Master Sgt. Benjamin W. Hedden, U.S. Air Forces in Europe and U.S. Air Forces Africa command chief, left, talk to Airmen during a holiday visit at Nigerien Air Base 101, Niamey, Dec. 21, 2021. During her 3-day visit, Bass gained first-hand knowledge of how Airmen deter and defeat violent extremism in Sahel to enable a more secure, stable, and prosperous Africa.

U.S. and Nigerien officials cut a ceremonial ribbon in front of the second C-130 Hercules aircraft delivered to Niger during a Dec. 7, 2021, ceremony at Nigerien Air Base 101, Niger. Niger received the second of three scheduled C-130 aircraft deliveries by the U.S. on Nov. 9, 2021.

U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen James Kriesel, USAFE-AFAFRICA National Guard assistant to the commander and Nigerien Gen. Salifou Mody shake hands, Dec. 7, 2021, during the C-130 Hercules delivery ceremony at Nigerien Air Base 101, Niger. Niger received the second of three scheduled C-130 aircraft deliveries by the U.S. in November.

Two C-130H Hercules delivered to the Nigerien Armed Forces sit side-by-side on the Niamey flightline during a Dec. 7, 2021, ceremony at the Nigerien Air Base 101, Niger. Niger received the first of the three scheduled C-130 aircraft deliveries by the U.S. in January 2021. The second was delivered in November 2021.

U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen James Kriesel, USAFE-AFAFRICA National Guard assistant to the commander, gives remarks during the C-130 Hercules delivery ceremony at Niamey Air Base 101, Niger. The addition C-130s to the Nigerien Armed Forces fleet places Niger among 70 others nations with this airlift capability and marks the enduring commitment of the U.S. Air Force to support continued humanitarian operations and counter violent extremist organizations missions throughout the Sahel alongside Nigerien Air Force partners.

U.S. Army Gen. Stephen Townsend, commander, U.S. Africa Command, addresses service members at Airbase 201, near Agadez, Niger, Oct. 28. The stop in Niger, as part of a 5-day visit to Africa with Dr. Liz Sherwood-Randall, Assistant to the President for Homeland Security, included a meeting with Nigerien President Mohamed Bazoum and tours of Air Bases 101 and 201 to understand U.S. power projection capabilities in West Africa.

U.S. Army Gen. Stephen Townsend, commander, U.S. Africa Command, and Dr. Liz Sherwood-Randall, assistant to the President for Homeland Security, learn about the air traffic capabilities from Lt. Col. John Lodes, aerial operations battalion commander, 475th Expeditionary Air Base Squadron, at Camp Simba in Manda Bay, Kenya, Oct. 27, 2021. Camp Simba was one of several stops on a trip throughout East Africa that provided Sherwood-Randall a first-hand perspective of the complex security environment in Africa as well as U.S. Africa Command’s counter-terrorism missions across the continent.

Dr. Liz Sherwood-Randall, assistant to the President for Homeland Security, meets with members of SEAL Team 2 personnel deployed to Mogadishu, Somalia, Oct. 26. Sherwood-Randall, accompanied by U.S. Army Gen. Stephen Townsend, commander, U.S. Africa Command, were in Somalia as part of a five-day trip to get a first-hand perspective of the complex security environment in Africa.

U.S. Army Gen. Stephen Townsend, commander, U.S. Africa Command, and Dr. Liz Sherwood-Randall, assistant to the President for Homeland Security, conduct a troop engagement with SEAL Team 2 personnel deployed to Mogadishu, Somalia, Oct. 26. Sherwood-Randall and Townsend were in Somalia as part of a five-day trip to get a first-hand perspective of the complex security environment in Africa.

Army Gen. Stephen Townsend, commander, U.S. Africa Command, following mission briefs during a visit to Airbase 201, near Agadez, Niger, Oct. 28. The stop in Niger, as part of a 5-day visit to Africa with Dr. Liz Sherwood-Randall, Assistant to the President for Homeland Security, included a meeting with Nigerien President Mohamed Bazoum and tours of Air Bases 101 and 201 to understand U.S. power projection capabilities in West Africa.

U.S. Army Gen. Stephen Townsend, commander, U.S. Africa Command, and Dr. Liz Sherwood-Randall, assistant to the President for Homeland Security, arrive at Airbase 201, near Agadez, Niger, Oct. 28. Sherwood-Randall and Townsend, here greeted by base leadership, visited the site to understand U.S. power projection capabilities in West Africa.

U.S. Air Force Airmen and coalition partners load cargo onto an aircraft as part of the Proof of Principle mission across Europe and Africa's Sahel region. The PoP series of missions enable a multinational, partner-centric distribution network of medical supplies and repair parts to increase logistic capabilities and expand operational reach in the region.

On Sept. 1, 2021, fourteen Forces Armees Nigeriennes (FAN) vehicle mechanics from Niamey, Ouallam, Diffa and Terra, and a two-person Mobile Training Team from the Indiana National Guard concluded a two-week knowledge exchange that focused on basic automotive theory, electrical theory, and basic troubleshooting related to the MAMBA Armored Personnel Carrier.

On Sept. 1, 2021, fourteen Forces Armees Nigeriennes (FAN) vehicle mechanics from Niamey, Ouallam, Diffa and Terra, and a two-person Mobile Training Team from the Indiana National Guard concluded a two-week knowledge exchange that focused on basic automotive theory, electrical theory, and basic troubleshooting related to the MAMBA Armored Personnel Carrier.

On Sept. 1, 2021, fourteen Forces Armees Nigeriennes (FAN) vehicle mechanics from Niamey, Ouallam, Diffa and Terra, and a two-person Mobile Training Team from the Indiana National Guard concluded a two-week knowledge exchange that focused on basic automotive theory, electrical theory, and basic troubleshooting related to the MAMBA Armored Personnel Carrier.

On Sept. 1, 2021, fourteen Forces Armees Nigeriennes (FAN) vehicle mechanics from Niamey, Ouallam, Diffa and Terra, and a two-person Mobile Training Team from the Indiana National Guard concluded a two-week knowledge exchange that focused on basic automotive theory, electrical theory, and basic troubleshooting related to the MAMBA Armored Personnel Carrier.

A member of the French Air Force briefs U.S. Army Soldiers of the 173rd Airborne Brigade, assigned to U.S. Africa Command’s North and West Africa Response Force, on the capabilities the French Air Force Mirage 2000-D during an informal tour at Air Base 101 in Niamey, Niger, August 8, 2021. The NARF, under the command and control of U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa, conducted a cross-continent strategic engagement in Niger, August 7-9.

U.S. Army Soldiers assigned to U.S. Africa Command’s North and West Africa Response Force (NARF) set up a communication center in Air Base 101 in Niamey, Niger, August 8, 2021. The NARF, under the command and control of U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa, conducted a cross-continent strategic engagement in Niger, August 7-9.

Spc. Visel with Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa works with Nigerien Soldiers during a dry-fire exercise at Tondibiah, Niger, May 25, 2021.

Nigerien and U.S. Civil Affairs teams from Airbase 201 partnered to deliver humanitarian aid to the citizens of Beital, Niger, 30 km north of Agadez on May 18, 2021. The donation consisted of 3,000 kilograms of rice, 120 mats, and 120 buckets.

U.S. Marines with Fleet Anti-terrorism Security Company, Europe (FASTEUR), U.S. Navy Sailors with Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 8 (EODMU 8), and Naval Construction Forces, the “Seabees”, Commander, Task Force - 68 (CTF-68) personnel wait to board a U.S. Air Force C-130J with the 37th Airlift Squadron in Agadez, Niger, May 8, 2021 for a joint forces readiness exercise in Mali, Africa. U.S. forces routinely conduct operational and logistics assessment exercises across regions to prepare for contingencies, exercise readiness, and identify areas of improvement. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. William Chockey)

U.S. Sailors and Marines assigned to Fleet Antiterrorism Security Team, Europe, a part of Navy Expeditionary Combat Force Europe-Africa/Task Force 68, stationed in Rota, Spain, traveled to Timbuktu, Mali, on April 16, 2021. U.S. forces routinely conduct operational and logistics assessment exercises across regions to prepare for contingencies, exercise readiness, and identify areas of improvement.

Ambassador Andrew Young, deputy to the commander for civil-military engagement traveled to Niger to attend the presidential inauguration of Nigerien President Mohamed Bazoum, April 2. U.S. Ambassador to Niger, Eric P. Whitaker led the delegation, which included representatives from diplomacy, defense, and development.

U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa, coordinated for the ground movement of 16 Armored Personnel Carriers to support joint-force G5 Sahel efforts in northern Niger. The Joint Force’s missions include combating counterterrorism, transnational organized crime and trafficking in the Sahel.

U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa, coordinated for the ground movement of 16 Armored Personnel Carriers to support joint-force G5 Sahel efforts in northern Niger. The Joint Force’s missions include combating counterterrorism, transnational organized crime and trafficking in the Sahel.

U.S. Africa Command Director of Operations U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Joel Tyler and AFRICOM Director of Logistics U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Kevin Jones met with Sahel region leaders, partner military leaders and forces, and U.S. troops during a multi-day trip to Chad, Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, Feb. 8-12. During the trip, Tyler and Jones met with African and French partners and U.S. leadership in all four countries to reaffirm the command’s ongoing mission, personnel support, and commitment in the region.

Students from Chad, Ghana, Madagascar, Malawi, Niger, Sierra Leone and Togo attend the U.S. Navy's Naval Small Craft Instruction and Technical Training School on the Pearl River in Mississippi Dec. 2. The training took place as part of U.S. Africa Command's International Military and Education Training program, which provides funds for international personnel to attend U.S. military professional training programs.

U.S. Army Gen. Stephen Townsend, commander, U.S. Africa command travelled to West Africa Nov. 15-19 to discuss security issues across the region. Townsend met leaders and chiefs of defense in Niger, Chad, Mali, and Senegal. U.S. Africa Command works with partner nations throughout Africa, supporting their efforts on common security issues. The command strives to create conditions that lead to enhanced security and stability while advancing U.S. interests