Latest news with #U.S.ArmyEuropeandAfrica
American Military News
5 days ago
- Politics
- American Military News
US military urges African allies to increase ‘burden sharing'
Under President Donald Trump's administration, the U.S. military is urging its allies in Africa to increase 'independent operations' and 'burden sharing.' According to The Associated Press, the U.S. military's call for its African allies to be less reliant on the United States and become more independent represents a shift from the U.S. military's traditional emphasis on addressing the underlying causes of insurgencies in African nations. The Associated Press reported that the Trump administration's shift in policy toward America's allies in Africa was emphasized in its recent African Lion joint training exercise, which is the U.S. military's largest joint training exercise in the region. In an interview with The Associated Press, U.S. Marine Corps Gen. Michael Langley, commander of U.S. Africa Command, said, 'We need to be able to get our partners to the level of independent operations.' During the final day of the African Lion joint training exercise last Friday, Langley said, 'There needs to be some burden sharing.' READ MORE: Global military spending increases at highest rate since Cold War: Report The Associated Press reported that while the U.S. government has traditionally been outspoken regarding the links between defense, development, and diplomacy with regard to security in Africa, Langley noted that one of the Department of Defense's priorities under Trump's leadership is to help U.S. allies develop the capability of managing their own security. 'We have our set priorities now — protecting the homeland,' Langley told The Associated Press. In reference to the country's support for Sudan, Langley added, 'And we're also looking for other countries to contribute to some of these global instability areas.' In a statement on U.S. Army Europe and Africa's website, U.S. military officials announced that African Lion 25 was U.S. Africa Command's 'largest, premier, annual exercise, hosted across Morocco, Ghana, Senegal and Tunisia.' 'This joint, all-domain, multi-component, and multinational exercise includes more than 10,000 participants from more than twenty nations, including contingents from NATO,' U.S. Army Europe and Africa added. 'African Lion aims to strengthen interoperability among participants and build readiness to respond to crises and contingencies in Africa and around the world.'
Fox News
01-04-2025
- Fox News
Lithuania deploys dogs in search for final missing US soldier after vehicle sank in swamp
Police working dogs are now involved in the search for the fourth and final missing U.S. soldier whose armored vehicle sank in a swamp in Lithuania last week. Three American soldiers were declared deceased Monday after crews retrieved the M88 Hercules armored recovery vehicle from a peat bog near Pabradė, Lithuania. The vehicle disappeared on March 25 "while conducting a mission to repair and tow an immobilized tactical vehicle," according to U.S. Army Europe and Africa. "Police working dogs from the Lithuanian Armed Forces began work yesterday afternoon and NATO ally Estonia joined the recovery efforts early this morning," U.S. Army Europe and Africa said in a statement Tuesday. "Two Estonian recovery dogs, Tilt and Maik, and their handlers flew from Tallinn, Estonia. They arrived on scene at 2:00 a.m. and began searching at 7:00 a.m. this morning. Handlers have positioned the dogs in a U.S. Navy Rigid Inflatable Boat to locate any trace scents below the surface," it added. U.S. Army Europe and Africa also said "more capabilities continue to flow to the recovery site, including... two specialized drone systems – including one equipped with ground-penetrating radar – are being used to assist in the search." "The names of the deceased are withheld pending confirmation of next of kin," it continued. "An investigation into the circumstances around this incident is ongoing." Secretary of the Army Daniel Driscoll wrote on X Monday that "We will not rest until the fourth and final Soldier is found and brought home. "No words can truly capture the pain of this loss, but my deepest condolences go out to the families, friends, and fellow soldiers mourning their heroes," he said. U.S. Army Europe and Africa announced Monday that the armored vehicle was removed from the swamp "after a six-day-long effort that required tremendous resources from Lithuania, our steadfast ally, and hundreds of service members from the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, Lithuanian Armed Forces and the Polish Armed Forces – along with other elements from the Lithuanian government and civilian agencies – to solve the engineering challenge of recovering the 63-ton-vehicle from an area surrounded by unstable ground conditions."
