Beni Mellal – The US Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) and the Moroccan Royal Armed Forces (FAR) conducted a joint chemical, biological, radioactive, and nuclear (CBRN) response demonstration during the African Lion 2024 (AL24) exercise in Agadir, as reported on the official US Army website.
AL24, marking its 20th anniversary, is US Africa Command’s premier joint exercise led by SETAF-AF. The exercise, which kicked off on April 19 and will run through May 31 across Ghana, Morocco, Senegal, and Tunisia, involves over 8,100 participants from 27 nations and NATO contingents.
The exercise aims to enhance readiness and interoperability between the US and partner nation forces while strengthening ties between the US military, African armed forces, and NATO allies.
During the exercise, US Army Soldiers from the 53rd Ordnance Company (EOD), 3rd EOD Battalion, and 71st Ordnance Group (EOD) collaborated with FAR on CBRN and explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) procedures.
The demonstration involved rehearsals with a robot picking up an improvised explosive device and moving it into place, followed by the FAR working to destroy and render the area safe.
Spc. Maitlan Cherry, an EOD specialist with the 53rd Ordnance Company from Oceanside, California, noted in the press release the shared knowledge between the two forces, stating, “What I’ve seen so far training with the Moroccan Armed Forces is we both share the same basic knowledge in EOD.”
Moroccan Royal Armed Forces Major General Mohammed Benlouali, Morocco Southern Zone commanding general, and US Army Brigade General Daniel Cederman, SETAF-AF deputy commanding general, oversaw the CBRN response demonstration.
US Army Staff Sergeant David Sanderson, the regional cooperative engagement deputy for the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA), commended the FAR’s performance, stating, “The FAR excelled and exceeded all expectations. This really puts a good light on cooperation between the U.S. and Morocco.”
The exercise not only focuses on enhancing military capabilities but also on fostering relationships between participating nations. Spc. Cherry emphasized the importance of engaging with partner forces in the statement. “We should all be excited to participate in this exercise because it’s about relationship-building with your partner force. I would strongly encourage anyone to engage with a partner force, talk to them, and learn from them.”
For some US soldiers, AL24 marks their first experience in a combined, joint exercise.
Staff Sergeant Connor Brown, a team leader with the 53rd Ordnance Company from Houston, Texas, expressed his excitement about participating in the exercise, stating, “this is my first time being part of the African Lion exercise. It’s always exciting to go to another country. Maybe they do things differently than you do, so it’s good to learn from that.”
African Lion 24 serves as a platform for military personnel from various nations to learn from each other, improve their skills in handling complex situations such as CBRN incidents, and strengthen the partnerships between participating countries. The exercise employs a full array of mission capabilities to set the stage for strategic access and enhance the overall readiness of the combined, joint forces.
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