YAMOUSSOUKRO, Côte d’Ivoire — The sun hung high over the schoolyard in Yamoussoukro, but the thick humidity did little to diminish the energy of young schoolchildren in the morning. Shortly after the sun rose, on a hazy Ivorian morning, Soldiers from the 91st Civil Affairs Battalion, participating in exercise Flintlock 26, arrived at a small primary school in Ouffoué-Diékro, a small village on the outskirts of the nation’s capital city. Away from the sounds of the tactical scenario just a few miles down the road, the civil affairs Soldiers were there for a much different purpose: investment in the next generation of Côte d’Ivoire.
As part of Exercise Flintlock 26, the African-led special operations exercise, the mission was not about building combat expertise, but reinforcing the foundational idea that security is built on more than just military training. Security is built on trust, relationships and a shared vision for a stable future.
The day began at the Ouffoué-Diékro Primary School, where the four-person U.S. Civil Affairs team and Ivorian civil-military relations soldiers arrived for a ceremony, one where school supplies filled critical shortages across the school to maximize youth potential. As the community gathered around the school’s grounds, centered on a small flagpole flying the national colors, the sound of nearly 700 young schoolchildren overpowered the voices of the community’s leaders ringing over the speaker system. For the small African village, the supplies represented a dedication to leadership and knowledge. To the students, the backpacks filled with pencils and notebooks were a powerful promise. One that sent a clear message that the international community and local leaders wholeheartedly believe in their potential to be the future leaders of Côte d'Ivoire.
“Today’s ceremony was about connecting with a small community that represents the heart of Côte d’Ivoire,’ said Army Capt. Rudsheld Plaisir, a Civil Affairs Team Leader with the 91st Civil Affairs Battalion. “It was apparent that kids here today were excited to see these supplies come into their school. It shows that we are committed to the long-term development of the Ivorian youth.”
Among the students eagerly awaiting the ceremony's commencement was a 7-year-old boy named Prince, a student at Ouffoué-Diékro Primary School. When asked, Prince exclaimed that he one day hopes to become a teacher. As community leaders handed over the supplies, the roars of excitement grew even louder. After the backpacks were handed out, hundreds of children took the opportunity to pose for photos with the Army Soldiers, bashfully asking questions and dancing to the music that filled the school grounds.
After nearly three hours in Ouffoué-Diékro, school supplies were donated to over 600 kids, making an impact for years to come. As the students eagerly waved to the Soldiers as they departed, it was clear that their impact would not be forgotten.
The momentum of the morning carried into the afternoon as the group of Soldiers moved to Lycée Scientifique de Yamoussoukro for an engagement focused on the less tangible. One that honed in on information sharing during the school’s “Army-Youth Forum” career day.
As the sun burned off the morning haze, hundreds of students filled the school’s football stadium, surrounded by equipment from Côte d’Ivoire’s military, including the Army, Air Force, Navy, Gendarmerie, and fire department. As young adults filled the stadium, they were greeted by a helicopter centered on the green field and armored personnel carriers and fire trucks on the athletic track.
The goal was to pivot to professional mentorship and information-sharing on careers within Côte d’Ivoire’s broader security sector. There, the various organizations spoke with secondary school students about the paths to becoming a public servant and what it means to be a part of such an organization. To many, it highlighted the importance of service, discipline, and the value of education.
“My service in the Army is very important to me. I’ve enjoyed serving in the military because I get to protect the communities that I grew up in and that I care about,” said Ivorian Army Lt. Traore Mohamed, a civil-military corporation officer assigned to the Ivorian Special Forces. “I want these students to know what opportunities are available to them and what the military can provide.”
In Côte d’Ivoire, the event served as the first time the government brought representatives from the nation’s broader security apparatus to a single location to inform the nation’s youth about career opportunities. This event represents the heart of what Flintlock is about. By bringing in Soldiers to engage with Côte d’Ivoire’s youth, the visit reinforced the critical value of proactive civil-military cooperation. It demonstrated continued commitment to lasting national development and security, not just combating conflict.
For the U.S. Civil Affairs team, the event presented a unique opportunity of its own: a chance to go on a partner-led civil-military engagement. Alongside the military equipment surrounding the stadium’s athletic track, Ivorian and American civil-military Soldiers watched and engaged with the students, garnering a deeper understanding of Côte d’Ivoire’s youth.
For more than 1,200 students in attendance at Lycée Scientifique de Yamoussoukro, the career day provided a rare opportunity to talk to Côte d’Ivoire’s and U.S. Soldiers about their work in the military. For most, this opportunity will never come again.
“This opportunity allowed us to join in on a real-world CA mission led by our Ivorian partners and talk about how we each approach every unique mission,” Plaisir exclaimed. “As we watched the Ivorian military talk with the students, it was great seeing such a young population take an interest in the nation’s security infrastructure.”
For almost five hours under the hot Ivorian sun, students rotated around the stadium, seizing the opportunity to interact with uniformed personnel across Côte d’Ivoire’s security sector. To some, it will change the course of their lives.
As the sun began to set and the sun shimmer appeared over the horizon, the event came to a close. As the team prepared to depart, the atmosphere was one of mutual respect. During the mission, the 91st Civil Affairs Battalion built on shared human connections with neighbors from across the world. As Flintlock 26 edges toward its conclusion, and Soldiers begin to make the long journey home, Ivorian and U.S. civil-military relations soldiers are cementing the relationships formed in the schools of Yamoussoukro for future generations.
As the Soldiers departed the nation’s capital, hundreds of young, impressionable school students walked away with more than just new school supplies or a brief memory of talking with an Ivorian service member; they left with a new view on their own potential. For the Soldiers of the 91st Civil Affairs Battalion, it was a reminder that their impacts extend far beyond their reach. A reminder that their service is not only to protect the peace, but also to help foster a culture of opportunities that make that peace worth fighting for.
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