Total Force supports AFRICIAN LION 16

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Krystal Ardrey
  • AFRICAN LION 16 Public Affairs
More than 30 U.S. Air Force active duty Airmen, Reservists and Air Guardsmen from across 12 different bases traveled to the Kingdom of Morocco to participate in the U.S. Marine Corps Forces Europe and Africa and Kingdom of Morocco-led,  combined and joint exercise AFRICIAN LION 16.

The annual exercise brought together more than 700 service members from 11 different countries to participate in a Combined Joint Task Force command post exercise and peace support operations field training.

"Basically we are coming together as different nations and learning how to work together," said Senior Airman Kellen Harris, 911th Airlift Wing security force member. "Everything that we are learning is relevant and it will definitely be applied outside of this training."

Exercises like this one serve to improve interoperability between countries and lay a foundation for future joint and combined activities.   The U.S. Air Force support for exercise AFRICIAN LION 16 is largely made up of Total Force Airmen who integrated with not only active duty Airmen, but allied and partner nations as well. 

During the exercise, the Security Forces Airmen lived alongside other U.S. forces, Moroccan Royal Armed Forces, Royal Netherlands soldiers and Spanish Legion soldiers in the field.

"All these guys are volunteers to come and so far they are enjoying it," said Senior Master Sgt. Klint Krieger, with the 403rd Security Forces Squadron. "We're security forces so these conditions are not that far off from us, you know, living in tents and stuff."

They not only lived together but fully integrated in work every day.

"If you are the senior person in your platoon, weather you are Army or Air Force or whatever you will take that job," said Krieger. "So you've got Airmen leading Marines and Marines leading Airmen. It's been good so far."

Like most exercises these Airmen will bring this experience back to their home units.

"At home we do a lot in terms of training support to be able to step up when active duty calls us," said Maj. Sriram "Fuse" Krishnan, 414th Fighter Group exercise Joint Task Force air component liaison officer. "This exercise really gets us out of our normal day to day operations. If a large scale operation did kick off in some of these theaters, the guard and reserve would play a huge part in that so we want to be able to train like we are going to fight."

Training is not the only thing these Airmen will be bringing back with them. They will also return with an increased understanding of operating with other nations and, for many, a new appreciation for their foreign brothers and sisters in arms.

"I would say the biggest gain is just being able to get to know the people from other countries," said Harris. "I would say getting to know Moroccans, getting to know their culture and things that they do. Being able to spend time with them outside of training and being able just to get to know them better, eat some of their traditional meals but also realizing that all these groups out here, they are people just like us. This is my first time being able to work with people from different ethnicities and that has been the most rewarding part."

Air Guardsmen and Reservists provide critical support throughout Africa by deploying and participating in exercises like AFRICAN LION 16. The Air Force is able to maintain a global presence thanks to the efforts of our Total Force.