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DODJI, Senegal — The 2nd Security Force Assistance Brigade (2SFAB) has taken a pivotal role in African Lion 2024, conducting a comprehensive staff exercise (STAFFEX) aimed at enhancing joint operational capabilities.
Taking place in the heart of Senegal, the STAFFEX involves a multifaceted simulation of command-and-control scenarios designed to prepare staff officers and noncommissioned officers from multiple nations for real-world challenges.
"The staff exercise is integral to our goals of improving communication and decision-making among allied forces," said U.S. Army Maj. Josh Beneviat, Company Commander, A Company, 2SFAB, and Team Commander during AL24 Senegal. "It's about building cohesive teams that can operate effectively across diverse environments."
Led by advisors from 2SFAB, participants from the U.S. Army and Marines, Senegal Armed Forces, and the Royal Netherlands Army, a NATO ally, were trained in the military decision-making process, as well as analyzing the real-world activities of the Maryland Army National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 175th Infantry Regiment (1-175) also participating in the exercise.
“The training taking place during this STAFFEX will prepare the participants of all nations to plan and synchronize operations at the battalion level,” said Beneviat.
The advisor participants are from Maneuver Combat Advisor Team 2310, 3rd Squadron, 2SFAB. They’re in Senegal as part of an ongoing 9-month employment cycle to Senegal. Most of their time has been spent in nearby Kaolack, Senegal, but it was important for them to be in Dodji for AL24 for utilization of their expert advising skills.
The Senegalese armed forces that MCAT 2310 is partnered with in Kaolack are also here. 3rd Battalion, La Legion, has developed a special relationship and rapport with the Advisors, and the trust and understanding the two armies share is evident during AL24 training exercises.
“It’s been an amazing 3 months with the 3rd Infantry Battalion,” said 1st. Sgt. Jesse Pelayo, Team Sergeant, MCAT 2310. “We have built a relationship with the Senegalese unlike any other I’ve experienced with partners in my 18 years of service in the Army.”
It’s not just training events that the partner nations share together. They get to know one another on a personal level, and friendships are maintained long after the training is complete and the Advisors leave the country.
“Our daily activities of conducting physical training, playing sports like soccer, and sharing all our meals both in and out of training environments have helped build lasting bonds between my team and partner forces,” said Pelayo. “The entire 2SFAB gets to experience this with several different partners across the African continent on a regular basis, and it’s a unique unit with many opportunities for any soldier looking to do something different in their career.”
For 2SFAB, participation in exercises such as AL24 and Justified Accord, U.S. Africa Command’s largest exercise in eastern Africa which took place earlier this year, underscores its commitment to international security cooperation and capability development.
"Over the course of the STAFFEX, we've seen significant improvements in interoperability and understanding between our partner militaries," said Capt. Mohamed Lamine DIARRA, Operations Officer for 3rd Infantry Battalion, Senegalese Armed Forces. "It translates directly to better preparedness for combined operations."
For the Netherlands, the STAFFEX is a great opportunity to share lessons learned, bring NATO doctrine to their Senegalese colleagues, and learn lessons and best practices used by Senegalese Armed Forces staff members.
“During the STAFFEX I’ve seen the battalion staff start working together and build a good plan,” said Major Sebastian Dinjens, Operations Officer of the 44th Mechanized Infantry Battalion and Executive Officer during the STAFFEX.
The work will continue for 2SFAB long after AL24 ends.
"Each exercise and training session is a step towards greater integration and readiness," added Beneviat. "We are not just training alongside each other; we are learning from each other, which is invaluable."
About African Lion
2024 marks the 20th anniversary of U.S. Army Africa Command's premier and largest annual, combined, joint exercise African Lion. This year’s exercise will take place April 19 through May 31 and is hosted across Morocco, Ghana, Senegal and Tunisia with more than 8,100 participants from over 27 nations and contingents from NATO. African Lion 24 focuses on enhancing readiness between the U.S. and partner nation forces.
African Lion content can be found on the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (DVIDS).
About 2SFAB
The 2nd Security Force Assistance Brigade (2SFAB), assigned to SETAF-AF, specializes in providing security force assistance and advisory support to African partner nations.
About SETAF-AF
SETAF-AF provides U.S. Africa Command and U.S. Army Europe and Africa a dedicated headquarters to synchronize Army activities in Africa and scalable crisis-response options in Africa and Europe.
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