Photo By Staff Sgt. Zachary Wright | Participants gather during the closing ceremony of Flintlock 2025, Jacqueville, Côte...... read more read more
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U.S. Africa Command’s premier special operations exercise, Flintlock 2025, concluded today, May 14, 2025. Exercise Flintlock united over 500 participants from more than 30 nations to enhance multinational efforts against shared threats. Hosted by Côte d'Ivoire, this year’s exercise centered on improving strategic planning and information sharing across special operations and law enforcement units.
“Flintlock is building our collective readiness and fostering collaboration between partner nations who face similar security challenges, challenges that can spread and cause worldwide instability,” said U.S. Army Lt. Col. John Robey, Special Operations Command Africa exercise director. “Terrorism is a very real challenge in the Sahel. We are doing something here that no other country can do—organizing and training a multi-national special forces headquarters to command and control forces in counter-terror operations.”
This year’s exercise introduced a revised two-year training model, emphasizing strategic planning and command-and-control functions through academic instruction, a staff exercise and a command post exercise. The new model offers sustainability and cost efficiency while prioritizing partner nation-driven solutions.
Mentorship and rehearsals were emphasized early on to foster dialogue and elevate readiness. Each staff position included representatives from multiple countries, encouraging discussion and a deeper understanding of each nation's unique capabilities and challenges.
“We can’t achieve true readiness without consistent, realistic rehearsals and a deep commitment to sharing our unique skill sets,” said U.S. Army Col. William Gorby, commander of Special Operations Detachment Africa (Airborne). “Flintlock provides the stage for us to hone our skills and build a network of leaders ready to adapt and overcome, ensuring partners can confidently lead their battlespace.”
The approach draws from the origins of U.S. special operations and emphasizes building both interoperability and relationships that can also support real-world crisis response.
“We teach, we train, and then we execute the mission collectively,” Gorby said. “Shared ownership helps build lasting capabilities and trust, so we can answer our nation's call on a moment’s notice with the speed, precision and adaptability special operations are known for.”
To build the readiness needed for real-world operations, the exercise’s realistic scenarios emphasized coordination across military units, law enforcement agencies and national borders. This year’s scenarios also highlighted information management and narrative control, both internally among forces and externally with civilian populations.
“Achieving our goal of peace through strength demands the rapid activation of the global special operations forces network. We expect and receive tremendous contributions from our European allies, off-setting the costs of the exercise and enhancing readiness," said Robey. "We have a strategic, light footprint for Flintlock, and there is a reason for that. It is because that is how we want the training audience to fight—with minimal U.S. presence.”
The skills and relationships cultivated during Flintlock 2025 will support ongoing counterterrorism efforts and promote long-term stability, ensuring a higher state of readiness, autonomy and security.
| Date Taken: | 05.14.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 05.14.2025 11:20 |
| Story ID: | 497915 |
| Location: | JACQUEVILLE, CI |
| Web Views: | 24 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Flintlock 2025 Wraps: Strengthening Readiness, Empowering Partners, by SSgt Zachary Wright, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
Flintlock
