African Partnership Lands at McGuire

Some 40 military personnel from various African countries are visiting JB McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., between Aug. 30 and Sept. 4 to participate in “African Partnership Flight,” a program hosted by the 621st Contingency Response Wing, according to JBMDL officials. The APF was developed by US Air Forces in Europe-Air Forces Africa to serve as the lead security cooperation program. It partners US military and African military personnel to build skills and knowledge about military aviation and cooperation activities. Airmen from the 818th Mobility Support Advisory Squadron will share experiences and ideas with the participating Africans about logistics management and maintenance during the visit. Other USAF units, as well as Army soldiers, also will participate alongside representatives from Angola, Senegal, Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Ghana, and Tunisia. The program will include classroom events, briefings, and facility tours at JBMDL. The APF “is vitally important toward enhancing regional cooperation with partners,” said Col. James Copher, the 621st CRW commander. The 818th MSAS is aligned with US Africa Command and supports Air Mobility Command partnership building tasks, such as the APF.