US Army makes big plans for summer exercise in Africa

Photo By Maj. Cain Claxton | Capt. Jonathan Paul, 173rd Brigade (Airborne), explains his unit's training requirements to Rommel Vargas and Hunter Parker, 7th Army Training Command, during a site survey in Morocco Jan. 22, 2021, for exercise African Lion 21. Scheduled for June, African Lion, U.S. Africa Command's largest exercise, has increased interoperability among U.S. partners and allies since 2003. Plans for AL21 involve more than 10,000 troops from the United States, Morocco, Tunisia, Senegal and elsewhere. The global COVID-19 pandemic curtailed the previous year's exercise. Plans for AL21 include COVID-19 mitigations and flexible options to ensure maximum participation and value for participating countries.(U.S. Army photo by Maj. Cain Claxton)  

MOROCCO

01.27.2021

Story by Maj. Cain Claxton 

U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa

AGADIR, Morocco -- In the face of a global pandemic, military planners from U.S. Southern European Task Force, Africa, met here with Moroccan military counterparts Jan. 20-30 to make arrangements for the largest military exercise in Africa.

Exercise African Lion annually brings together members of the U.S. and Moroccan militaries. In 2020, the COVID-19 global pandemic curtailed the exercise, which had been in the works for months.

Undeterred, SETAF-Africa and planners from Morocco's Royal Armed Forces have continued to develop the exercise for 2021. This week's planning event in Morocco demonstrated their combined resolve to partner together to improve military readiness in the face of global pandemic.

• Date Taken: 01.27.2021
• Date Posted: 01.27.2021 16:52
• Story ID: 387754
• Location: MA