USARAF-led exercise in Ethiopia reunites Soldier, mother

Master Sgt. Bakaffa Casey, an information technology manager with U.S. Army Africa, and his mother pose for a photo at the Peace Support Training Center in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Casey was able to reunite with his mother and extended family members while in Ethiopia for exercise Justified Accord 17, which was held March 20-24, 2017. JA17 is an annual weeklong joint exercise that brings together U.S. Army personnel, African partners, allies and international organizations to promote interoperability between participating nations for peacekeeping operations in the East Africa region. (U.S. Army Africa photo by Staff Sgt. Lance Pounds)



By Staff Sgt. Lance Pounds U.S. Army Africa Vicenza, Italy Apr 04, 2017
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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.
Read more
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Read more
More in Operations
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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.
Read more
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Read more
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