The newest part of the system is Africa Command, often referred to as AFRICOM. Previously, U.S. military operations in Africa were divided between three different command offices. AFRICOM is designed to give a coherent approach to America's presence across the continent... although the new designation has also been controversial.
AFRICOM was officially activated October 1. And last week, it carried out its first military exercise, a joint training event called Flintlock 2008.
AFRICOM is supposed to combine hard power (guns and bombs) with soft power (civil affairs). And Flintlock 2008 has both parts. It includes military-to-military training AND medical and veterinary clinics for locals in Mali.
Comments
I have worked and lived in many African countries. While there I was living and working with locals so got to know the local customs and more importantly the way the locals thought.
However 90% of the Americans who lived and worked and visited Africa never got this close understanding of the local thought processes so did not really understand what was going on.
An example of this a group of ex Seals were in Congo (ex Zaire) in a little village when the chief gave them a rooster and a hen. They did not know that this meant the chief was telling the villagers that if they accepted the gift and built a hen house and bought some more hens (a rooster needs about 4 or more hens to keep him happy)that would show the villagers that the Seals now had to be accepted as belonging to the village. This would have immediately increased their ability to gain intelligence on what was happening, and WHY.
Until I explained this they were ready to eat the rooster and hen which would have been an insult. Because Americans never really live with the locals they really can’t find out what is happening and will fail. Unfortunatly in many African countries foreigners live in safe compunds just like a ghetto and don’t react fully with the locals.
Alex
I have worked and lived in many African countries. While there I was living and working with locals so got to know the local customs and more importantly the way the locals thought.
However 90% of the Americans who lived and worked and visited Africa never got this close understanding of the local thought processes so did not really understand what was going on.
An example of this a group of ex Seals were in Congo (ex Zaire) in a little village when the chief gave them a rooster and a hen. They did not know that this meant the chief was telling the villagers that if they accepted the gift and built a hen house and bought some more hens (a rooster needs about 4 or more hens to keep him happy)that would show the villagers that the Seals now had to be accepted as belonging to the village. This would have immediately increased their ability to gain intelligence on what was happening, and WHY.
Until I explained this they were ready to eat the rooster and hen which would have been an insult. Because Americans never really live with the locals they really can’t find out what is happening and will fail. Unfortunatly in many African countries foreigners live in safe compunds just like a ghetto and don’t react fully with the locals.
Alex