WASHINGTON – Four Soldiers from the District of Columbia National Guard’s Delta Company, 223rd Military Intelligence Battalion returned home after supporting African Lion, the largest annual joint force military exercise held in Africa. Led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF), on behalf of U.S. Africa Command (USAFRICOM), the exercise involved more than 50 nations and seven NATO allies.
The exercise enhanced regional cooperation and security in North and West Africa by strengthening multinational cooperation to counter strategic competitors in the region. The engagement brought together U.S. military forces, government agencies, State Partnership Program (SPP) members, and international allies to build trust, improve readiness, strengthen global partnerships, and enhance multinational interoperability.
The District of Columbia National Guard’s Delta Company, 223rd Military Intelligence Battalion sent a team of four Soldiers to support the Tunisia cohort of the exercise.
Due to evolving operational requirements, the team’s mission shifted from providing instruction to facilitating exercise participation and progression. The team delivered and enriched the “Road to War” briefing to multinational participants. This brief outlined the context, key events, actors, and triggers of a scenario which helps Commanders and troops understand the mission’s strategic environment and objectives. The team also briefed various information injects throughout the exercise, evolving the scenario in real time.
“I was most proud to see that my Soldiers exhibited a high degree of adaptability throughout a changing mission,” said the 223rd Military Intelligence Battalion Commander. “They consistently exceeded the standard in demonstrating their proficiency and knowledge within their Military Occupational Specialty.”
One Soldier highlighted how leveraging cultural understanding and language skills allowed the team to bridge communication gaps and enhance the training experience.
Although not specifically educated about Tunisia, the participating Soldiers’ knowledge of cultural norms in Arabic speaking countries enabled them to properly communicate with and show respect to their Tunisian counterparts.
The participating Soldiers also had time to mingle with the Tunisians during class breaks. During these breaks where they had the opportunity to talk about things other than business. Soldiers found that despite living halfway across the planet, personalities and humor remain similar.
One participating Soldier remarked, “The exercise was incredibly informative, and it was a great opportunity to meet people from different backgrounds and to experience an environment that is simultaneously incredibly similar and different from our own.”
| Date Taken: | 05.27.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 05.28.2025 13:02 |
| Story ID: | 498948 |
| Location: | WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, US |
| Web Views: | 24 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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