13th ESC: Sustaining basic life needs in Africa

VICENZA, Italy – When U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) and U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) identified a need to gather evidence, the U.S. Army’s Joint Theater Forensic Analysis Center (JTFAC) answered the call. Its forensic team launched into action at sea, turning expertise into real-world impact. At the request of CENTCOM and AFRICOM, JTFAC personnel deployed to collect and analyze forensic evidence from a vessel carrying Iranian-supplied advanced conventional weapons. The seized cargo included ballistic missile components, anti-ship ballistic missile parts and a warhead, all bound for Houthi rebel forces in Yemen. The forensic evidence helped secure a June 5, 2025, federal conviction of the ship’s captain, Muhammad Pahlawan, a Pakistani national who worked closely with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, on six charges related to smuggling Iranian-made advanced conventional weaponry destined for the Houthis in Yemen, as well as threatening multiple witnesses.

Precision, speed and analytical expertise took center stage as geospatial engineers assigned to the 517th Engineer Detachment - Geospatial Planning Cell (517th GPC), U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF), competed in a locally planned best mapper competition.

VICENZA, Italy – Safety goes beyond individual responsibility—it is about learning from shared experiences and working together to uphold best practices.