Commandant and Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps visit Marines and Sailors of Special-Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force Africa

Photo By Sgt. Adwin Esters | Commandant of the Marine Corps, Gen. James F. Amos, shakes the hand of Cpl. Charles Solomon, automotive maintenance mechanic, with Special-Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force Africa, Security Cooperation Team-5, during a visit to Naval Air Station Sigonella, July 18, 2012. Amos and Sgt. Maj. of the Marine Corps, Micheal P. Barrett visited the Marines and sailors of Special-Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force Africa. Special-Purpose MAGTF Africa is made up of over 120 reservists from 32 different units and supports U.S. Africa Command by conducting security cooperation missions in the continent of Africa.  

SIGONELLA, ITALY

07.23.2012

Story by Cpl. Adwin Esters 

U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Europe and Africa     

NAVAL AIR STATION SIGONELLA, Sicily – General James F. Amos, Commandant of the Marine Corps, and Sgt. Maj. of the Marine Corps, Micheal P. Barrett, met with the Marines and sailors of Special-Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force Africa, July 18, 2012.

Special-Purpose MAGTF Africa, a newly formed unit of about 125 Reserve Marines and sailors from roughly 32 different units, is commanded by Lt. Col. Gerard Wynn of 3rd Force Reconnaissance Company out of Mobile, Ala. The unit supports Marine Forces Africa and U.S. Africa Command by providing security cooperation teams to African nation partners.

“Talking to leadership at U.S. Africa Command they told me that Special-Purpose MAGTF Africa couldn’t be more flexible, more user friendly,” said Gen. Amos. “Other than Djibouti and some episodic exercises, [Special-Purpose MAGTF Africa] is the only trained, consistent, persistent Marine Corps force that AFRICOM has.”

While Special-Purpose MAGTF Africa offers AFRICOM a new set of capabilities in theater security cooperation and crisis response, the Reserve Marines and sailors of the Special-Purpose MAGTF are representative of the operational reserve, a concept the Marine Corps has recently embraced.

“You Marines are forward-deployed and forward-engaged; shaping, training, deterring, and responding to all manner of crises and contingencies,” said Sgt. Maj. Barrett, referencing the Commandant’s Planning Guidance while talking to the Marines.

“You are part of an operational reserve. One hundred percent of Marine Forces Reserve units have deployed over the past ten years. That is over 75,000 Marines and sailors!”

Many of the Reserve Marines and sailors of Special Purpose-MAGTF have civilian careers as business owners, law enforcement officers, or as paramedics, while others are working towards a degree. Both Gen. Amos and Sgt. Maj. Barrett thanked the reservists for volunteering to take time away from their civilian lives and staying dedicated to the mission.

“Don’t think that we don’t know what you are going through here,” said Gen. Amos. “Thank you for being Marines and thank you for volunteering,”

• Date Taken: 07.23.2012
• Date Posted: 07.23.2012 05:15
• Story ID: 91992
• Location: SIGONELLA, IT