Military Review English Edition May-June 2016 | Page 53

AFRICOM QUEEN

(Photo courtesy of U.S. Navy)

Angola’s Fuzileiros da Marinha de Guerra (marines) prepare to clear buildings after disembarking a boat during room-clearing training,
7 October 2015, in Lobito, Angola. U.S. Marines and U.K. Royal Marine Commandos trained the Fuzileiros da Marinha de Guerra as part
of the Africa Partnership Station, which is a U.S Naval Forces Africa initiative to increase the maritime safety and security capacity of African
partners through collaboration and regional cooperation.

succinct mission: “United States Africa Command, in
concert with interagency and international partners,
builds defense capabilities, responds to crisis, and
deters and defeats transnational threats in order to
advance U.S. national interests and promote regional
security, stability, and prosperity.”2 The establishment
of USAFRICOM reflects America’s need to engage
MILITARY REVIEW  May-June 2016

Africa in a sustained shaping fashion rather than in a
reactive crisis mode.
In a report for the Institute of Land Warfare’s
National Security Watch, analyst Milady Ortiz describes the security situation that led to the creation of
USAFRICOM: “The post-9/11 environment and prioritization of counterterrorism for U.S. national security,
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