BDF and USARAF sign ALFS support arrangement

Photo By Maj. Jonathon Daniell | Botswana Defence Force and U.S. Army Africa Soldiers discuss medical planning during the African Land Forces Summit final planning event in Gaborone, Botswana, May 16, 2019. The four day African Land Forces Summit, planned for next month, is the largest gathering of African land force chiefs in Africa, an annual affair designed to promote cooperative solutions to similar challenges.  

ITALY

05.17.2019

Story by Capt. Jonathon Daniell 

U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa

VICENZA, Italy - Botswana Ground Forces Commander Maj. Gen. Molefi Seikano and U.S. Army Africa Deputy Commanding General Eric Folkestad signed the African Land Forces Summit support arrangement May 18, at the Gaborone International Convention Center in Gaborone, Botswana.

"The ALFS support arrangement is the culmination of the ALFS 19 planning process," said Capt. Jason DiNapoli, the USARAF ALFS legal advisor. "It's a document that memorializes the intentions and responsibilities of USARAF and the BDF for the summit, and it is a product developed, in large part, by the USARAF functional teams working cooperatively with their BDF counterparts."

The signing of the Botswana-U.S. document highlights nearly a year of collaboration and coordination between the partner nations, including five separate trips to Gaborone by the USARAF planning team.

ALFS is the premiere conference for land force chiefs from across Africa. The annual summit brings together commanders from across the continent for candid dialogue on security threats and challenges and provides a platform for participants to strengthen partner networks.

The summit expects to draw approximately 50 African land force chiefs, along with other military leaders from the U.S., South America and Europe.

Academic and political leaders will serve as guest speakers and moderators covering such topics as regional organizations, multinational task forces and cooperation through peacekeeping during plenary sessions.

After each session of keynote speakers, the land force chiefs will separate into regional groups to share best practices and personal experiences in an attribution-free environment to stimulate candid conversation.

In addition to hosting the land force chiefs, this year’s summit is on pace for the largest gathering of command senior enlisted leaders attending an ALFS.

The primary role of the CSEL is to advise and assist commanders with training and all issues pertaining to the enlisted ranks.

While the land force chiefs will focus on the aforementioned topics, the CSELs will cover subjects related to good order and discipline and the morale of the force.

Although the ALFS support arrangement is signed, there is still plenty of work to be done for both the BDF and USARAF planning teams.

“We will work together all the way through the last day of ALFS,” Folkestad said. “I believe we are positioned very nicely today to enable a very successful conference.”

• Date Taken: 05.17.2019
• Date Posted: 05.23.2019 04:41
• Story ID: 323607
• Location: IT