US Army Africa Commander Reveals Details of East Africa Military Exercise

In a telephone interview on Tuesday from the headquarters of U.S. Army Africa in Caserma Ederle in Vicenza, Italy, Major General William B. Garrett III discussed with me the upcoming joint exercise titled Natural Fire 10. Partnering with the militaries of Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda, the exercise will test the capabilities of all of the participants in various humanitarian aid and assistance programs.

In a previous interview, General Garrett described his command's mission in Africa as that of building partnerships with the nations on the continent. Natural Fire 10 will involve the officers and enlisted from six nations in a number of field exercises and a table top exercise. It will take place in Uganda from October 16-25, 2009.

The United States has about 450 troops assigned to the operation. The other five nations are supplying 100 to 150 troops. Natural Fire 10 will allow troops from some of the smallest nations on the continent to work with and train alongside U.S. Soldiers and those from a regional power, Kenya.

Garrett talked about the field exercises that will take place in and around the northern Ugandan city of Kitgum. The humanitarian assistance in this region will involve holding four medical and dental clinics in and around the city. Engineering projects will repair and enhance two local schools and the Kitgum hospital. Personnel from all of the participating nations will be involved in the field exercises.

Kitgum is in a region that has suffered from insurgency for nearly twenty-five years. The Lord's Resistance Army is the main threat in the region. While General Garrett could not comment on any specific security threat, he expressed confidence in the force protection efforts.

The table top exercise will take place in the Ugandan capital of Kampala. The scenario will involve a pandemic flu outbreak and all of the countries will have military officers working in the exercise.

Command and control for Natural Fire 10 will be run from the city of Entebbe. The task for these participants will be to coordinate, communicate and control military units from all of the six nations as they perform their duties. This site will also be integral in the logistics for supplying all the various units day to day, and with the supplies for the exercises and for the assistance projects.

The supplies have been off-loaded from ships in the Kenyan port of Mombasa and are being trucked overland to Uganda. Three U.S. CH-47 helicopters have been assigned to the overall mission.

While U.S. Troops are working out of a French base in the nation of Djibouti, General Garrett reiterated his comments from his last interview. He stated that the United States has no plans to establish bases in Africa.