Carlisle Barracks, Penn. – Former African graduates of the Army War College will return here this weekend to attend the African Alumni Symposium at the U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center Feb. 26 to March 2.
The symposium is a U.S. Africa Command annual event bringing together African alumni from U.S. military education schools. Every three years, the Army takes its turn to host African graduates of the Army War College.
Senior officers from about 20 African nations and the U.S. will participate in discussions on this year’s theme of “Collaborative Security Building.” The discussions will cover topics that include developing the next generation of African leadership, addressing violent extremism across the continent, building partner capacity to enhance security, and the protection of civilians in military operations.
Through this exchange of ideas and discussion, participants will have an opportunity to learn from one another's different approaches to similar challenges, and consider those for improvement, said Maj. Gen. Todd R. Wasmund, commanding general of the U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa.
"Strong partnerships and sustained engagements forged over time support well‐trained and disciplined land forces that contribute to a secure and stable environment where development can flourish," said Wasmund, who greeted the African alumni after their arrival on Sunday. "African nations, the United States and the world benefit from a secure, stable and prosperous African continent." Over several months, Wasmund’s staff from Vicenza, Italy, worked closely with the Army War College, various National Guard state partnership programs, and dozens of U.S. embassies across Africa to coordinate the event. Scheduled event highlights include presentations from Chidi Blyden, the deputy assistant secretary of defense for African affairs, Maj. Gen. David C. Hill, commandant of AWC, and Lt. Gen. Jonah Mwangi, Kenya National Defense University as well as a visit to Gettysburg National Military Park. On Thursday, the Army War College will induct two new members into its International Fellows Hall of Fame -- Lt. Gen. Sitali Allibuzwi, army commander of the Zambian Defense Force, and Maj. Gen. Joseph Seelo, army commander of the Botswana Defense Force. The U.S. Army War College established the International Fellows Hall of Fame to provide a prestigious and visible means of honoring AWC International graduates who have attained, through military merit, the highest positions in their nation's armed forces, or who have held an equivalent position by rank or responsibility in a multinational organization.
U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa provides U.S. Africa Command and U.S. Army Europe & Africa a dedicated headquarters to synchronize Army activities in Africa and scalable crisis response options in Africa and Europe.
