SHOSHONG, Botswana — Exercise Southern Accord 2024 brings together U.S. forces and the Botswana Defence Force to improve interoperability, enhance joint operational capabilities and address shared security challenges across the region. The exercise has evolved into a critical platform for deepening ties between the U.S. and its African partners, fostering cooperation in areas vital to both regional and global security.
“The purpose of the exercise is to continue efforts to build trust and advance the Botswana-U.S. military relationship,” said U.S. Army Col. Mark Whiteman, senior defense officer and defense attaché for U.S. Embassy, Gaborone. “This includes military relationships with and between other regional partners in Southern Africa.”
Southern Accord 2024 was not just about military drills.
This year’s exercise — held from Aug. 5-15, 2024, and led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa — was a strategic initiative that promoted understanding and collaboration between U.S. forces and multinational partners. It focused on enhancing counterterrorism capabilities, improving disaster relief responses and supporting peacekeeping operations.
By working together in a challenging environment, participants from both nations learned how to integrate their teams, systems and processes to function as a cohesive unit.
“This one is important because, since 2019, this is the largest exercise we have had with U.S. forces here in Botswana,” said U.S. Army Maj. Danny Fitzpatrick, deputy state training officer at the Joint Force Headquarters, North Carolina National Guard. “We are doing infantry subject matter exchanges, special operation forces exchanges and Air National Guard exchanges as well.”
The integration process involved several phases, including joint planning sessions, combined field exercises and after-action reviews. These activities ensured that both U.S. forces and the BDF could share their experiences and expertise, building trust and mutual respect.
Throughout the exercise, bilateral leaders strongly emphasized communication and coordination, which are crucial for any successful joint operation. The lessons learned from after-action reviews will work to enhance the ability of both nations to respond effectively to future security challenges.
“We are training together, using small arms tips and tactics, including close combat techniques. And while there are some differences, the Botswana Defence Force is very smart and they catch on to new things very quickly,” said U.S. Army Sgt. Grant Sams, a team leader with Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 120th Infantry Regiment, North Carolina National Guard. “There are a lot of things that we train that are very similar and that we have in common. They are super sharp, and I am just blessed to be here and I am very grateful to the Botswana Defence Force for allowing us to have time in Africa with them.”
During field training, members of the North Carolina National Guard teamed together with their BDF counterparts to conduct urban operations training such as room clearance. Utilizing four-man “stacks,” two BDF soldiers joined two U.S. Army Soldiers to attack the objective together.
The shared training objectives also included multi-domain operations, where participants engaged in scenarios that simulated real-world challenges. These scenarios covered a wide range of operations, from humanitarian assistance and disaster relief to counterterrorism and peacekeeping missions. By training together in these complex environments, bilateral participants were able to develop a deeper understanding of each other’s capabilities.
Participants agreed that the mix of field training and academics-style engagements will lead to more effective collaboration in future missions.
The integration of U.S. and BDF forces during the exercise was a clear demonstration of how different militaries can work together to achieve common goals. By training side-by-side, participants developed a sense of camaraderie and shared commitment to maintain peace and security in the region.
About exercise Southern Accord
Sponsored by U.S. Africa Command and led by the SETAF-AF, Southern Accord is a joint bi-annual exercise that unites U.S. Army and Air Force personnel with their Botswana Defence Force (BDF) counterparts. The exercise focuses on conducting humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations, peacekeeping missions and aeromedical evacuations, all while enhancing multinational military capabilities and interoperability.
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.
Social Sharing