Major General William Garrett. Army photo.
by DAVID AXE
How big is Africa? Let Major General William Garrett, the commander of U.S. Army forces for the continent, sum it up. “Africa is the second largest, second most populous, and one of the most diverse continents on Earth,” Garrett wrote in a forthcoming article for Military Review. “The billionth African will be born in 2010, and by 2050, there may be two Africans for every European.”
To handle American land security activities with the continent, the U.S. Army has just 300 permanent staff. The tiny U.S. force, based in Italy, reflects the Pentagon’s overwhelming focus on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, but also what Garrett called the “indirect” U.S. approach to African security. In a phone conversation this week, he stressed his program for bringing African officers to the U.S. or Europe for training.
“Take an officer from, say, Rwanda, bring him here for an immersion experience,” Garrett said. “The influence is the American experience he’s been exposed to, in terms of democracy and good governance.”
This “professional military education” initiative ” is one of the things I’m eager to embrace,” Garrett added. “That’s where you’ll make your money.”
That said, Garrett admitted that he sometimes feels alone. “Africa’s not high on America’s priority list these days. Sometimes I feel like the Lone Ranger trying to get people to bring resources to bear out here.”
I had pointed out in an earlier interview that U.S. Army Africa and Africa Command in general are notably absent from the wars in Democratic Republic of Congo and Sudan, conflicts Garrett said are “currently the world’s two deadliest.” “The human side of you comes out,” Garrett lamented. “You want to help.”
Related:
U.S. Army Africa Boss: “The U.S. Army is Responding to the Challenge in Africa … “
U.S. Army in Africa: Dodging the Continent’s Worst Wars
World Politics Review: Chad, Sudan Mull Security Pact
Chad Bombs Rebels as Peacekeepers Deploy
Related posts:
- U.S. Army Africa Boss: “The U.S. Army is Responding to the Challenge in Africa … “
- U.S. Army in Africa: Dodging the Continent’s Worst Wars
- Chad and Sudan’s Fragile Peace
- Chad Cops’ Shoot-to-Kill Order
- Chad and Sudan Sign Peace Deal
- Chadian Prez Heads East amid Thawing Relations
- Avoiding African Partnership Pitfalls
[...] U.S. Army Africa Boss: ‘I Feel Like The Lone Ranger…’ [...]
[...] U.S. Army Africa: Big Mission, Tiny Staff U.S. Army Africa Boss: “The U.S. Army is Responding to the Challenge in Africa … “ U.S. Army [...]
[...] asked Major General William Garrett, commander of U.S. Army Africa, how his force avoids inadvertently boosting the wrong people. “AFRICOM and U.S. Army Africa [...]