Photo By Staff Sgt. Marcus Hardy-Bannerman | U.S. Air Force Gen. Dagvin Anderson, commander of U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), meets...... read more read more
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U.S. Air Force Gen. Dagvin R.M. Anderson, commander of United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) and U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Maj. Michael Woods, AFRICOM command senior enlisted leader, visited with troops from Combine Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa stationed throughout Djibouti, Somalia, and Kenya from Aug. 31 - Sept. 4.
The visit marked Anderson’s first time visiting the continent as the AFRICOM commander since assuming command Aug. 15, 2025, underscoring the importance of East Africa in AFRICOM’s broader strategic objectives.
During the trip, Anderson and Woods also met with key military leaders, U.S. diplomatic officials, and partner nation forces to reaffirm U.S. commitment to a secure, stable, and prosperous Horn of Africa. Their engagements highlighted AFRICOM’s whole-of-government approach, where diplomacy, development, and defense work in tandem to address regional challenges.
“I’ve been in command for just over two weeks,” said Anderson. “This is my very first trip as the AFRICOM commander, for two reasons: this is where our forces are on the continent, and we’re executing a mission that matters. It’s critically important we do it, and we do it right.”
As the premiere campaigning headquarters on the African continent, Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa plays a central role in supporting U.S. strategic objectives in East Africa. By maintaining a persistent presence and fostering strong relationships with allies and African partners, CJTF-HOA enables AFRICOM’s objectives of furthering African Partner-led, U.S.- and Ally-enabled initiatives to build partner capacity for African partner operational independence.
During his stop at Camp Lemonnier, Anderson met with troops and heard firsthand how the command is postured to enhance partner nation capacity, promote regional stability, dissuade conflict and respond to crises.
To see that posture in action, Anderson spoke with members from one of CJTF-HOA’s key components - the East Africa Response Force team, made up of Soldiers assigned to Task Force Bataan. The EARF is a forward-deployed unit responsible for rapidly responding to crises in the AFRICOM area of operation. U.S. Army Capt. Rachael Lindstrom, Task Force Bataan EARF commander, had the opportunity to brief Anderson and Woods on the EARF’s capabilities.
“Gen. Anderson stressed the importance of the presence of U.S. forces in strategic locations across the continent - specifically, how quickly the EARF must be able to respond in a state of crisis,” said Lindstrom. “In speaking about the training efforts and ground force composition of our personnel, I hope I was able to highlight the importance of the mission is shared from his level, all the way down to the Soldiers on the ground executing AFRICOM’s intent. I’m so proud of what my company has accomplished here so far, and I know meeting with the leadership was a much appreciated opportunity that further validated their commitment to the mission.”
Part of that posture includes the presence of cooperative security locations throughout Somalia and Kenya, which Anderson and Woods also visited. During their stops in Somalia and Kenya, Anderson met with troops, and some of the nations’ key leaders and military advisors – emphasizing AFRICOM’s focus on enabling African-led security efforts.
During their time with troops within those regions, he was briefed on their reliance in support of joint training exercises, logistics support, and rapid-response missions.
“This is a no-fail mission,” said Anderson. “We all sleep better because you guys are out here. This matters, even though most people in America don’t see the full scope or understand the work within the AOR. There aren’t a lot of people out there addressing the threat as directly as these folks are.”
During their travels and engagements, Anderson and Woods prioritized time with service members, coining and recognizing notable members who demonstrated exceptional leadership and commitment to the mission. He noted that because these outstanding troops are supporting the mission, they are protecting not only Anderson’s daughter, but also the sons and daughters of many others.
“What makes this unit strong is the culture the service members have built,” said Woods. “These members have a great command environment, they look out for one another, and they take care of each other. In this service, you’ve got to be ready to roll with the punches. High-demand assets like our troops are rare, and that’s not a burden, that’s a compliment. There is no higher praise than being in such high demand.”
Anderson consistently emphasized AFRICOM’s broader mission throughout his visit: to enhance regional stability, strengthen African security forces, and build long-term partnerships with African nations to counter shared threats.
“Our job here is to prevent adversaries from having the capability to bring Americans harm,” said Anderson. “And while we may not be the ones going out and doing that directly, our allies and partners are. That’s why we have teams strategically placed in outstations working with the Kenyans, Ugandans, Ethiopians, Djiboutians, and the Somalis - they can’t do it alone. There are things that only America can bring.”
AFRICOM is one of seven U.S. geographic combatant commands, responsible for military engagement across 53 African nations. Working with partners and allies, the command counters malign actors and transnational threats, responds to crises, strengthens African security forces, and supports U.S. government efforts in Africa to advance U.S. national interests and promote regional security, stability, and prosperity.
| Date Taken: | 09.06.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 09.06.2025 04:49 |
| Story ID: | 547405 |
| Location: | DJ |
| Web Views: | 491 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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