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NAVAL AIR STATION SIGONELLA, Sicily – The 180 Marines and sailors of a newly formed unit left for home from their forward base in Italy, March 31 after completing a six month deployment in support of U.S. Africa Command.
Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force 12 was formed over the summer of 2011 from more than 40 Marine Forces Reserve units scattered across the U.S. Over the past several months, they have trained nearly 1,000 African soldiers from a half dozen nations to face regional terrorism and instability.
In the West African trans-Sahel region, they trained forces to fight Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb and in the Horn of Africa they helped prepare troops for the on going African union peace keeping mission in Somalia. The unit traveled to Led by elements of the 4th Force Reconnaissance Company, the unit grew to include Marines from a vast array of occupational fields including combat engineers, motor transport, communications and supply specialists.
“SPMAGTF were trail blazers in their own right,” said Brig. Gen. Charles G. Chiarotti, deputy commander of Marine Forces Africa. “They built long lasting relations with partner nations and germinated the soil for future long lasting relationships.”
Many of the task force’s missions were based around the doctrine of “low footprint, high payoff,” sending as few team members as possible to do the most with the least amount of manpower and supplies. In Liberia, for example, three Marines trained over 220 Liberian soldiers over the course of a four-week nonlethal weapons program using mainly local training tools. In Djibouti, a handful of Marines combined their military and civilian expertise to help a local motor pool ready 16 Humvees to support their nation’s first deployment of troops to Somalia only weeks before their departure date. The Marines also operated in Uganda and Burundi.
“This deployment is just as strategically important as being in combat,” said Task Force Commander, Lt. Col. David L. Morgan, explaining that building partner nations’ capacity means African militaries won’t need U.S. help to meet future security concerns.
The very same aircraft that took the first rotation home brought in the second. Led by elements of the 3rd Force Reconnaissance Company, much of their missions will build on relationships built by their predecessor’s numerous contact teams. The specialized groups of as little as three to five Marines spent time exchanging tactics and assessing training needs with local African militaries in an effort to map out future endeavors.
“Rotation one has made great strides in planning and mission development and we look forward to continuing that momentum,” said Lt. Col. James Thomas, SPMAGTF 12.2’s executive officer. “Because of their hard work during the past six months, SPMAGTF-12.2 will be able to launch four Theater Security Cooperation Teams into the continent within the next few weeks to conduct training with our partner nations.”
The task force’s also found time for internal sustainment training aboard their home station, Naval Air Station Sigonella, Sicily, and elsewhere. Unit leadership arranged specialized, perishable parachute training that earned many of their recon Marines their advanced gold jump wings while maintaining pistol qualifications and conducting a corporal’s course for the task force Marines in other fields.
The unit also sent Marines into Djibouti for a week-long field exercise that went over combat marksmanship, patrolling, land navigation and other common skills.
“The sustainment training is absolutely essential because it is always in concert with what is potentially going on down range,” said Task Force Sgt. Maj., Sgt. Maj. Patrick, F. Llamas, explaining that the unit could be called upon bu U.S. Africa Command for a wide range of operations, including humanitarian assistance and civilian evacuations.
Their mission as an on call security and logistics cooperation platform was largely unique in the Corps and among the first of its kind. Unit leaders often reminded their Marines of the real-world impact their missions would have in Africa.
“To see the progress that the African partner nations has made is the true success,” said Morgan.
Unit leadership say the way ahead lies in the second rotation building on the successes and international relationships built by the first rotation. They hope to expand the training into more advanced fields using the foundations established over the past several months.
| Date Taken: | 03.31.2012 |
| Date Posted: | 04.13.2012 13:36 |
| Story ID: | 86719 |
| Location: | NAVAL AIR STATION SIGONELLA, IT |
| Web Views: | 284 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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