US, Tanzanian planners work side-by-side for ALFS 2016

By Capt. Jason WelchApril 6, 2016

US, Tanzanian planners work side-by-side for ALFS 2016
Tanzanian People's Defense Force Maj. Apolmary Bongole, U.S. Army Africa Lt. Col. Hector Montemayor and TPDF Maj. Abraham Kilundumya discuss the sequence of events for the opening and closing ceremonies during the final planning event for the African... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

The final planning event this week was the last opportunity for the TPDF and USARAF planners to meet in person and coordinate the support requirements for the seminar. Tanzanian and U.S. planners worked side-by-side to ensure all their efforts were synchronized.

"We appreciate the hard work of everyone and how we are working together between our two countries," said Col. Ngemela Lubinga, director of information and public relations for the TPDF.

"We want to maintain this spirit up until the last minute, up until the summit begins," said Lubinga.

Lubinga was the lead TPDF planner in Arusha and responsible for coordinating all the TPDF efforts during the final planning event.

Senior military leaders from across Africa will attend ALFS and have opportunities to share their challenges and best practices while building relationships with other leaders. Planners are responsible for meeting the needs of delegates' that includes medical, safety, transportation and communication requirements.

Meeting these needs ensures that the delegates stay focused on earnest and open discussions, said Kevin Czarkowski, U.S. Army Africa international relations chief.

It will be an opportunity for Tanzania to demonstrate the professionalism of their military and share their local culture with an international audience, said Czarkowski.

"I can think of no better country on the continent to highlight than Tanzania. We are very pleased to call you our partners," said U.S. Col. Nicolas Lovelace, director of the U.S. Army Africa security cooperation directorate.

"This is our chance to showcase to these senior leaders from across Africa, the nation of Tanzania, the land of jambo and karibu," said Lovelace.

Jambo and karibu mean hello and welcome in Kiswahili, the official language of Tanzania.

During ALFS 2015, held in Dakar, Senegal, more than 35 nations attended the weeklong seminar to discuss regional and transregional issues. The 2016 summit will build on these discussions and pave the way for future cooperation between attendees.

Attendees from across Africa bring their unique perspectives on issues that affect both their own nations and those of other regions. By sharing their challenges and best practices they create opportunities to work together towards fostering security, said Lovelace.

"We look forward to the opportunity to work together to bring so many senior leaders together for this conference," said Lovelace.