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    US, Burkina Faso wrap-up Western Accord 2016 planning event

    US, Burkina Faso wrap-up Western Accord 2016 planning event

    Courtesy Photo | Maj. Sean Burnett, S-3 for the 9th Brigade Engineer Battalion, points out some key...... read more read more

    OUAGADOUGOU, BURKINA FASO

    03.31.2016

    Courtesy Story

    U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa

    The Western Accord is a series of exercises designed to develop the capacity
    of the ECOWAS Standby Force's rapid deployment capability to plan, deploy,
    employ and sustain forces in support of peacekeeping operations.

    "Western Accord 2016 will be a noteworthy opportunity to build peacekeeping
    capability in West Africa and enhance military cooperation between all the
    partner nations," said Patrick Hughes, USARAF WA 2016 Planner.

    With so many different countries involved in this year's exercise and a
    plethora of languages and dialects spoken, it was imperative that French and
    English interpreters are used. This was particularly handy when annotating the
    minutes from the event and the signing of the Western Accord 2016 Exercise
    Support Arrangement between USARAF and the Ministry of Defence of Burkina
    Faso.

    The ESA is a mutually agreed upon arrangement between USARAF and the Ministry
    of Defence of Burkina Faso in which they recognize the success of WA 2016 is
    contingent upon shared support and cooperation.

    Brig. Gen. Kenneth H. Moore, Jr., USARAF deputy commanding general and Col.
    Maj. Yaya Sere, chief planning officer and chief of operations for the General
    Staff of the Burkina Faso Armed Forces sat side-by-side reading over the
    arrangement before signing both copies and shaking hands.

    "It has been a pleasure working with our Burkina Faso partners over the past
    week and I look forward to a very successful Western Accord exercise here in
    May," said Moore.

    The final planning event this week was the last opportunity for the BFAF,
    USARAF, and partner nation's planners to meet and coordinate the support
    requirements for the event before the culminating exercise in May.

    "Thanks to the hard work, professionalism and hospitality of our strategic
    partner, the Burkina Faso Armed Forces, we now stand ready to successfully
    conduct the exercise together," said Hughes. "This comes during an important
    transitionary period for Burkina Faso as a nation and at a time when this
    region faces threats to security from within and outside its borders," Moore
    said.

    NEWS INFO

    Date Taken: 03.31.2016
    Date Posted: 04.04.2016 02:57
    Story ID: 193942
    Location: OUAGADOUGOU, BF

    Web Views: 45
    Downloads: 2

    PUBLIC DOMAIN