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Photo 1 of 9
U.S. Army Southern European Task
U.S. Army Master Sgt. Hernan Briones, a civil affairs planner with U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF), shares a laugh with his Botswana exercise partner, 1st Lt. Maria Gabaikanngwe, a health, environment and quality officer with the Botswana Defence Force, at the final planning event for exercise Southern Accord (SA24) in Gaborone, Botswana, June 19, 2024. SA24, sponsored by U.S. Africa Command and led by SETAF-AF, is a combined, bi-annual joint exercise. It brings together U.S. and Botswana service members to conduct a variety of operations including humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, peacekeeping and aeromedical evacuation. (U.S. Army photo by Maj. Joe Legros)
Photo by: Maj. Joe Legros
Photo 2 of 9
U.S. Army Southern European Task
U.S. Army Capt. Maxwell MacEachern, detachment commander of Bravo Company, 3rd Battalion, 20th Special Forces Group (Airborne), North Carolina National Guard, discusses the usage of a rappel tower with Maj. Patrick Mfaladi, protocol and public affairs officer, Botswana Defence Force, at Thebephatshwa Air Base, Botswana, June 20, 2024. The site will be one of three locations throughout Botswana utilized by exercise participants from Aug. 5-16. SA24, sponsored by U.S. Africa Command and led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF), is a combined, bi-annual joint exercise. It brings together U.S. and Botswana service members to conduct a variety of operations including humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, peacekeeping and aeromedical evacuation. (U.S. Army photo by Maj. Joe Legros)
Photo by: Maj. Joe Legros
Photo 3 of 9
U.S. Army Southern European Task
U.S. Army Capt. Maxwell MacEachern, detachment commander of Bravo Company, 3rd Battalion, 20th Special Forces Group (Airborne), North Carolina National Guard, discusses the usage of a rappel tower with Maj. Patrick Mfaladi, protocol and public affairs officer, Botswana Defence Force, at Thebephatshwa Air Base, Botswana, June 20, 2024. The site will be one of three locations throughout Botswana utilized by exercise participants from Aug. 5-16. SA24, sponsored by U.S. Africa Command and led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF), is a combined, bi-annual joint exercise. It brings together U.S. and Botswana service members to conduct a variety of operations including humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, peacekeeping and aeromedical evacuation. (U.S. Army photo by Maj. Joe Legros)
Photo by: Maj. Joe Legros
Photo 4 of 9
U.S. Army Southern European Task
U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Rodolfo Medina, main operations noncommissioned officer with the 578th Forward Engineer Support Team, 130th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, North Carolina National Guard, conducts final planning for exercise Southern Accord (SA24) with his Botswana partner, Maj. Godwin Machibe, engineer coordinator, Botswana Defence Force, in Gaborone, Botswana, Jun. 19, 2024. The site will be one of three locations throughout Botswana utilized by exercise participants from Aug. 5-16. SA24, sponsored by U.S. Africa Command and led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF), is a combined, bi-annual joint exercise. It brings together U.S. and Botswana service members to conduct a variety of operations including humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, peacekeeping and aeromedical evacuation. (U.S. Army photo by Maj. Joe Legros)
Photo by: Maj. Joe Legros
Photo 5 of 9
U.S. Army Southern European Task
U.S. and Botswana exercise planners conduct the final planning event for exercise Southern Accord 2024 (SA24) in Gaborone, Botswana, June 19, 2024. The site will be one of three locations throughout Botswana utilized by exercise participants from Aug. 5-16. SA24, sponsored by U.S. Africa Command and led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF), is a combined, bi-annual joint exercise. It brings together U.S. and Botswana service members to conduct a variety of operations including humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, peacekeeping and aeromedical evacuation. (U.S. Army photo by Maj. Joe Legros)
Photo by: Maj. Joe Legros
Photo 6 of 9
U.S. Army Southern European Task
U.S. and Botswana exercise planners pose for a photo at the conclusion of the final planning event for exercise Southern Accord 2024 (SA24) in Gaborone, Botswana, June 21, 2024. The site will be one of three locations throughout Botswana utilized by exercise participants from Aug. 5-16. SA24, sponsored by U.S. Africa Command and led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF), is a combined, bi-annual joint exercise. It brings together U.S. and Botswana service members to conduct a variety of operations including humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, peacekeeping and aeromedical evacuation. (U.S. Army photo by Maj. Joe Legros)
Photo by: Maj. Joe Legros
Photo 7 of 9
U.S. Army Southern European Task
U.S. Army Capt. Maxwell MacEachern, detachment commander of Bravo Company, 3rd Battalion, 20th Special Forces Group (Airborne), North Carolina National Guard, briefs U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) and Botswana Defence Force counterparts, during the final planning event for exercise Southern Accord 2024 (SA24) at Thebephatshwa Air Base, Botswana, June 20, 2024. The site will be one of three locations throughout Botswana utilized by exercise participants from Aug. 5-16. SA24, sponsored by U.S. Africa Command and led by SETAF-AF, is a combined, bi-annual joint exercise. It brings together U.S. and Botswana service members to conduct a variety of operations including humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, peacekeeping and aeromedical evacuation. (U.S. Army photo by Maj. Joe Legros)
Photo by: Maj. Joe Legros
Photo 8 of 9
U.S. Army Southern European Task
U.S. and Botswana exercise planners for Southern Accord 2024 (SA24) conducted a site orientation of the Thebephatshwa Air Base which serves as headquarters for the Botswana Air Force in Thebephatshwa, Botswana, June 20, 2024. The site will be one of three locations throughout Botswana utilized by exercise participants from Aug. 5-16. SA24, sponsored by U.S. Africa Command and led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF), is a combined, bi-annual joint exercise. It brings together U.S. and Botswana service members to conduct a variety of operations including humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, peacekeeping and aeromedical evacuation. (U.S. Army photo by Maj. Joe Legros)
Photo by: Maj. Joe Legros
Photo 9 of 9
U.S. Army Southern European Task
U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Rodolfo Medina, main operations noncommissioned officer with the 578th Forward Engineer Support Team, 130th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, North Carolina National Guard, conducts final planning for exercise Southern Accord (SA24) with his Botswana partner, Maj. Godwin Machibe, engineer coordinator, Botswana Defence Force, in Gaborone, Botswana, Jun. 19, 2024. The site will be one of three locations throughout Botswana utilized by exercise participants from Aug. 5-16. SA24, sponsored by U.S. Africa Command and led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF), is a combined, bi-annual joint exercise. It brings together U.S. and Botswana service members to conduct a variety of operations including humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, peacekeeping and aeromedical evacuation. (U.S. Army photo by Maj. Joe Legros)
Photo by: Maj. Joe Legros
GABORONE, Botswana – The U.S. Army and Botswana Defence Force (BDF) successfully concluded the final planning conference for exercise Southern Accord 2024 (SA24). The conference ran from June 18-21, and marked the culmination of preparations for the joint military exercise, which is designed to increase cooperation and interoperability between the two nations.
Representatives from the North Carolina National Guard, which shares a State Partnership Program with the BDF, facilitated a seamless integration for exercise planners from U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF). Together, the participants worked out final details for the first major bilateral exercise held in Botswana since 2012.
“We’re very proud of our partnership with the North Carolina National Guard, sharing military best practices with each other since 2008,” said Col. David Nkete, lead exercise planner with the BDF. “Exercise Southern Accord gives us an opportunity to further strengthen our U.S.-Botswana partnership and enhance our joint readiness.”
SA24 is a bi-annual joint exercise sponsored by U.S. Africa Command and led by SETAF-AF. It brings together U.S. Army personnel and BDF counterparts to conduct a variety of training, to include humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, peacekeeping and aeromedical evacuation. The exercise is designed to enhance multinational military capabilities and interoperability.
“We feel very welcomed by our Botswana military partners here in Gaborone,” said U.S. Army Lt. Col. Jason Porter, deputy chief of exercises (G7), SETAF-AF. “SETAF-AF is grateful to join with the North Carolina National Guard to ensure a successful bilateral training exercise. We look forward to training together with the Botswana Defence Force and increasing our military capabilities.”
This year’s iteration of SA24 will be held from August 5-16, 2024, at three locations in Botswana. From bilateral field training, including a special operations focus, to multiple academic workshops, the exercise features a holistic approach to addressing shared peacekeeping strategies.
One of the pivotal aspects of SA24 is its focus on enhancing gender integration and supporting women, peace, and security (WPS) initiatives.
“SETAF-AF is happy to partner with the BDF on a 5-year WPS strategy,” said U.S. Army Maj. Teisha Barnes, SETAF-AF WPS advocate and civil military cooperation officer (G39). “This is significant because the strategy will be spearheaded by the BDF Gender Integration office which was established in Sept. 2023.”
The collaborative efforts during the final planning conference highlighted the commitment of both the U.S. and Botswana to strengthening their military cooperation. By working together through exercises like SA24, both nations aim to build a resilient and responsive partnership capable of addressing any future crises or peacekeeping challenges.
Together with the 2024 African Chiefs of Defense Conference, where 40 military leaders from across the continent will converge in Gaborone at the end of June, the bilateral endeavors during SA24 solidify the enduring partnership between the U.S. and Botswana, promoting peace and stability in the region.
As the planning phase transitions to execution in just over a month, participants from both the U.S. and Botswana anticipate a productive and impactful exercise.
