WASHINGTON –
Interim Commanding General of the District of Columbia National Guard U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Sherrie McCandless, Adjutant General U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Aaron Dean, and other senior leaders in the D.C. National Guard participated virtually in the 2021 African Land Forces Summit, May 19, 2021.
The purpose of the annual event, organized this year by the Southern European Task Force Africa, is to strengthen relationships with U.S. and African partners. Established in 2010, the summit brings together land force chiefs from across Africa to discuss key security issues of common interest and facilitate interoperability and collective efforts.
The theme of this year’s summit was “Maintaining Security in a Degraded Environment.” Though the event was held virtually given COVID-19 considerations, the format gave land forces chiefs, senior enlisted leaders as well as other participants the opportunity to gather in smaller regional focus groups to discuss the security impacts of a global pandemic and possible solutions.
The event included introductions and comments from the 40th Chief of Staff of the Army and commanders of U.S. Africa Command, U.S. Army Europe and Africa as well as U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa. Representatives from Algeria, Burkina Faso, Chad, Egypt, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Senegal, Tunisia and Madagascar participated in this year’s summit.