AFRICOM Awareness

U.S. Africa Command announced today it "is seeking information about, and expressions of interest by, organizations, associations, and other entities, both public and private, which are currently working on the West, East, and North Coasts of Africa in the areas of maritime domain awareness and maritime security."

In a Federal Register notice, AFRICOM states that such information "and expressions of interest in observing the aforementioned exercises is being solicited to inform USAFRICOM and African Host Nations of potential public and private sector capability to improve maritime security. It is expected that these private entities will enrich the exercises planned in Africa concerning maritime awareness and maritime security on the West, East, and North coasts of Africa." Further, according to the notice:

Specifically, USAFRICOM seeks to include a limited number of local, national, and international public and private organizations, associations, and entities as observers into the USAFRICOM Express Series Exercises in order to familiarize U.S. forces and Host Nation Maritime forces with public and private entities which are often the first affected by maritime domain awareness and/or maritime security issues. USAFRICOM and African Host Nation Maritime forces seek to understand the objectives, capabilities, operating procedures, coordination processes, and information sharing tools of these organizations, associations, and entities. USAFRICOM and African Host Nation Maritime forces desire to eventually build collaborative relationships with non-federal entities and promote a sustainable unity of effort among these stakeholder public and private organizations, associations, and entities. Finally, USAFRICOM and African Host Nation Maritime forces desire to eliminate gaps in response, set standard operating processes and procedures for interaction, and promote understanding within the multi-faceted community of key maritime stakeholders.

Inside the Navy reports this week that a new Marine Corps crisis response team that falls under the control of AFRICOM is being based at Morón Air Base in Spain while the service continues to assess the appropriate location for the unit:

A special purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force for crisis response (SP-MAGTF CR) is a rotational contingent of approximately 500 Marines, sailors and support elements. The unit is capable of responding to a broad range of military operations and will provide limited defense crisis response of U.S. embassies in the region, support non-combatant evacuation operations, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations or provide tactical recovery of aircraft and personnel, Marine Corps spokesman Capt. Eric Flanagan wrote in a June 4 email.

The Spanish government agreed to temporarily host the unit. The Marine Corps and Spanish government will reassess the location on a year-by-year basis. Other locations could be elsewhere in Spain or somewhere in Europe, he added.

The State Department works with host countries on basing situations while U.S. European Command acts as the liaison between the embassy and the Defense Department, a Marine Forces Africa spokesman wrote in a June 6 email. . . .

Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James Amos proposed the special purpose MAGTF specifically tailored for crisis response in Africa. Forward-basing in Europe would increase the capability of the crisis-response team to rapidly respond to incidents on the continent, then-AFRICOM chief Gen. Carter Ham wrote in testimony submitted March 7 to the Senate Armed Services Committee.