News From USJFCOM: Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa Mission Rehearsal Exercise prepares forces to help Africans solve African problems

Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa Mission Rehearsal Exercise prepares forces to help “Africans solve African problems”

U.S. Joint Forces Command continued its Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa Mission Rehearsal Exercise this week at the Joint Warfighting Center in Suffolk, Va. using realistic scenarios to train personnel to conduct joint operations within the Horn of Africa.

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By Robert Pursell
USJFCOM Public Affairs

(SUFFOLK, Va. – Jan. 14, 2008) -- U.S. Joint Forces Command (USJFCOM) continued its annual Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) Mission Rehearsal Exercise (MRX) here today at the Joint Warfighting Center (JWFC).

The MRX, also supported by U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM), will train personnel to conduct joint operations within the Horn of Africa using realistic scenarios. Most of the scenarios are taken from real life situations and are recommended by personnel already stationed in the region.

USJFCOM's Director of Joint Training Army Maj. Gen. Jason Kamiya said there are three pillars of the operation and environment in the Horn of Africa which the MRX is based on.

"The three pillars of the operation and the environment in Africa are defense, diplomacy and development," he said. "I think if I was to characterize the major emphasis of focus throughout the training regiment, it’s been to familiarize the CJTF with what each of these three communities can do and it’s interrelationship with each. So I believe that the CJTF is right there at the nexus with these three elements of national power."

The mission of the CJTF-HOA is to prevent conflict, promote regional stability and protect coalition interests in east Africa and Yemen through humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, consequence management, and civic action programs.

Navy Rear Adm. Phil Greene, the CJTF-HOA commander, explained the CJTF focus.

"The focus is developing partnerships and forging relationships with our African friends," he said. "We’re there because they want us there and we’re in the business of helping them solve African challenges. In the end it’s about Africans solving African problems and how we contribute to their efforts and capacity and capability to do that."

Greene explained how this exercise can help to achieve that focus.

"As we go through this exercise, there are processes that we use. We have business rules that we want to re-enforce. It’s the planning processes that are associated with how we’re going to deliver our product line which is the engagement, the cooperation, the civil affairs, and the military to military training piece. All of that is focused to some kind of an output. Individually, the events that we engage with the Africans on are focused on partnership development and forging relationships."

Over 250 participants including Standing Navy Joint Command Element (SNJCE) Command Staff and individual augmentees, subject matter experts from USCENTCOM and several interagency organizations, are on hand for in the event. Multinational participation includes representation from Djibouti, Republic of Mauritius, United Kingdom and France.

Kamiya said USJFCOM directed the MRX. The command issued academics to prepare participants with information on the Horn of Africa about U.S. Embassy operations, the culture, and ethnic diversity, as well as staff-functional training on operations. In May, USJFCOM will look at the CJTF for follow-on assistance and gather any lessons learned.

Greene said the key to CJTF – HOA’s success so far in the MRX, has been the efforts of USJFCOM’s training expertise and experience in preparing joint task force staffs around the military.

"We’ve benefited greatly from these observer-trainers and the experience they bring to the game," he said.

Once the MRX wraps up, senior leadership will conduct an after action review to summarize everything the happened over the course of the exercise. Greene said the hope is that efforts of the exercise will help to increase security, improve stability and enable sovereignty in the HOA.

"By doing that we’ll make them contributors to the security environment and we’ll hopefully assist and facilitate their own economic and social development that helps to improve the lives of the people that are there."