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African Lion planning underway
Tech. Sgt. Holly McLelland 1st Med Det 1, Medic, paints a child's face in a medical waiting area for children at Talouine, Morocco. June 24, 2022. African Lion 2022 is U.S. Africa Command’s largest, premier, joint, annual exercise hosted by Morocco, Ghana, Senegal and Tunisia, June 6 - 30. More than 7,500 participants from 28 nations and NATO train together with a focus on enhancing readiness for U.S. and partner nation forces. AL22 is a joint all-domain, multi-component and multinational exercise, employing a full array of mission capabilities with the goal to strengthen interoperability among participants and set the theater for strategic access. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Spc. Alexandra Behne.)
Photo by: Sgt. 1st Class Alexandria Hughes
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African Lion 23 plans underway
U.S. Marine Sgt. Anthony Ruiz, an infantry squad leader assigned to Echo Company, Battalion Landing Team 2/6, 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, works with Tunisian armed forces to move towards an objective as part of an integrated training event during African Lion 2022, Camp Ben Ghilouf, Tunisia, June 21, 2022. African Lion 22 is a multinational- scale exercise focused on increasing training and interoperability between the U.S., partners and allies in Africa to work towards increased security and stability within the region. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Staff Sgt. Marcela Diazdeleon)
Photo by: Staff Sgt. Marcela Diazdeleon
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African Lion 23 plans underway
U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Timothy Faitala, with Maneuver Company Advisor Team, 2nd Security Forces Assistance Brigade, adjusts an M-4 Carbine during African Lion 22 in Dodji, Senegal, June 22, 2022. African Lion 22 is U.S. Africa Command’s largest, premier, joint, annual exercise hosted by Morocco, Ghana, Senegal and Tunisia, June 6-30. More than 7,500 participants from 28 nations and NATO train together with a focus on enhancing readiness for U.S. and partner nation forces. AL22 is a joint all-domain, multi-component and multinational exercise, employing a full array of mission capabilities with the goal to strengthen interoperability among participants and set the theater for strategic access. (U.S. Army photo by Cpl. Zachary Myers)
Photo by: Cpl. Zachary Myers
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Army 'docs' exchange best practices in Ghana
Members of a 19-person medical team from the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force partnered with Ghanaian military medical professionals for Medical Readiness Exercise (MEDREX) Ghana 22, from June 6-23, 2022, at the 37th Military Hospital in Accra, Ghana as part of African Lion 22. The teams work together providing medical services to patients from local communities in a variety of specialties, including orthopedics, general surgery and emergency room care. MEDREX allow military personnel from the United States and their African Partners to exchange best medical practices, procedures and techniques that build and strengthen treatment capabilities, resulting in lasting relationships between medical professionals.
African Lion 22 is U.S. Africa Command's largest, premier, joint, annual exercise hosted by Morocco, Ghana, Senegal and Tunisia, June 6 - 30. More than 7,500 participants from 28 nations and NATO train together with a focus on enhancing readiness for U.S. and partner nation forces. AL22 is a joint all-domain, multi-component, and multinational exercise, employing a full array of mission capabilities with the goal to strengthen interoperability among participants and set the theater for strategic access. (U.S. Army photo by Cpl. Ethan Ford)
Photo by: Cpl. Ethan Ford
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U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa
ATLANTIC OCEAN (JUNE 13, 2021) The Spearhead-class expeditionary fast transport vessel USNS Trenton (T-EPF-5), front, the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Rose (DDG 71), center, and the Moroccan navy Sigma class frigate Allal Ben Abdellah (615), sail in formation to kick off exercise African Lion 2021 with the Expeditionary Sea Base USS Hershel “Woody” Williams (ESB 4) in the Atlantic Ocean, June 13, 2021. African Lion 2021 is U.S. Africa Command’ largest, premier, joint, annual exercise hosted by Morocco, Tunisia and Senegal, 7-18 June. More than 7,000 participants from nine nations and NATO train together with a focus on enhancing readiness for U.S. and partner nation forces. AL21 is a multi-domain, multi-component, and multi-national exercise, which employs a full array of mission capabilities with the goal to strengthen interoperability among participants. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Eric Coffer/Released)
Photo by: Petty Officer 2nd Class Eric Cof
Tunis, Tunisia – Planners from U.S. Africa Command, U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF), the U.S. National Guard and U.S. Army Reserve and multiple African partners assembled Sept. 26-30, in Tunisia to begin detailed planning for Exercise African Lion 2023, slated for next summer.
African Lion is a U.S. AFRICOM event, led by SETAF-AF in coordination with all U.S. joint forces, multiple U.S. government agencies and allies and partners.
"Given the multitude of complexities that exist naturally in such a broad reaching exercise, the planning and coordination with joint US forces and partner nations is a long-term project spread over the entire year to ensure that when the exercise starts, African Lion is a well-coordinated, masterfully executed event," said Lt. Col. Paul Hilaski, African Lion branch chief for SETAF-AF.
African Lion is U.S. AFRICOM's largest, premier, joint, annual exercise. More than 10,000 participants from 20 nations and NATO train together with a focus on enhancing readiness for U.S. and partner nation forces. AL23 is a joint all-domain, multi-component, and multinational exercise, employing a full array of mission capabilities with the goal to strengthen interoperability among participants and set the theater for strategic access. It is currently scheduled to run from May 15 and July 18, 2023 and will be hosted by Morocco, Djibouti, Ghana, Senegal and Tunisia.
The annual exercise provides unmatched opportunities for participation and cooperation on the African continent. While Morocco anchors the exercise, the other nations, known as spokes, continue to increase their size and contribution to the overall exercise.
This year's initial planning meeting took place in Tunis for the first time, indicating an increased presence and participation by the North African nation.
"African Lion is AFRICOM's premiere exercise, and in 2023 will include both more partners and allies than in previous years with activities spanning five different host countries," said Hilaski.
"As a large scale global exercise, African Lion demonstrates our commitment to building and maintaining interoperability with our African and European partners to improve our ability to meet security-related challenges together."
Over the course of the next eight months, military and civilian planners will meet multiple times in each of the host nations to deliberately plan and refine the exercise.
