VICENZA, Italy - Senior U.S. Army Africa NCOs recently conducted an on-the-ground training observation and exchange of ideas with their counterparts in the United Republic of Tanzania.
At the invitation of the Tanzania People Defense Force Land Forces, Army Africa Command Sgt. Maj. Gary J. Bronson and Equal Opportunity Officer, Sgt. Maj. Osvaldo Del Hoyo, with most of the TPDF's noncommissioned and warrant officer corps to discuss the importance of leadership development at the NCO level as key to building force cohesion and soldier confidence in their leadership.
"They're highly disciplined NCOs, and they really want to develop the corps," Del Hoyo said.
The Army Africa NCOs toured the Tanzanian Peace Keeping Center to observe training activities and facilities, and share their insights on possible approaches to improve training.
They also traveled to the African Contingency Operations Training and Assistance site at Msata to observe a TPDF battalion a gearing up for deployment to peacekeeping operations in Rwanda.
Bronson and Del Hoyo were briefed on the battalion's upcoming mission, its readiness and a variety of training issues and concerns. The Army Africa NCOs observed each training event at the ACOTA, and ended the day with a roundtable discussion with TPDF officers and senior NCOs.
"This was time well spent both in terms of observing the TPDF training activities in person, and in building our partnership for peace and stability with the land forces leadership," said Bronson.
The Army Africa NCOs ended their trip with a visit with Col. Tim Mitchell, senior defense official and defense attachAfA, and Lt. Col. Kevin Balisky, Office of Security Cooperation, and other military leaders at the American Embassy in Dar es Salaam to discuss future engagements.
"I'll be traveling there again in September to assess their enlisted development program," said Del Hoyo.
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