SFAB Soldiers provide humanitarian aid and assistance following explosion in Ghana

Courtesy Photo | Emergency supplies are unloaded for distribution after a vehicle explosion rocked a small community in the Apiate community near Bogoso, Ghana, on January 21, 2022. U.S. Army Soldiers assigned to the 2d Security Forces Assistance Brigade out of Fort Bragg, N.C., assisted an ongoing relief mission spearheaded by the U.S. Embassy Ghana and Ghana’s National Disaster Management Office. According to a report from the U.S. Embassy Ghana, the U.S. Department of Defense’s Overseas Humanitarian, Disaster Assistance, and Civic Aid program funded the supplies, including clothing, medical supplies, drinking water, blankets and mattresses, personal hygiene items, and food and cooking utensils. (U.S. Army courtesy photo)  

BOGOSO, GHANA

02.18.2022

Story by Staff Sgt. Amanda Fry 

U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa

APIATE, WESTERN REGION, Ghana – After a vehicle explosion rocked a small community in the Apiate community near Bogoso, Ghana, on January 21, 2022, U.S. Army Soldiers training with Ghana Armed Forces nearby drove the short distance to deliver aid and humanitarian support.
Soldiers of the 2nd Security Force Assistance Brigade out of Fort Bragg, N.C., provided humanitarian relief to people of the Apiate community, which was left reeling when a mining truck carrying explosives collided with a motorcycle. According to reports, at least 17 people were killed and hundreds injured or displaced. About 500 buildings were destroyed, according to the Ghana National Disaster Management organization, resulting in widespread emergency response to provide rescue efforts and aide to the community.
1st Lt. Christopher Wilson, a team leader for 2d SFAB in Accra, said that the mission, while not part of SFAB’s routine role in the region, was an experience he and his Soldiers will not soon forget. The unit, which typically assists in training operations in the area, shifted focus during the emergency situation. The Soldiers, in Ghana on an ongoing advise-and-assist mission, distributed emergency supplies and moral support to the residents of the affected community.
“Humanitarian relief is definitely not part of our ordinary ‘train, advise, assist’ mission-set,” Wilson said. “It was extraordinary in every sense of the word.”
SFAB Soldiers assisted an ongoing relief mission spearheaded by the U.S. Embassy Ghana and Ghana’s National Disaster Management Office. According to a report from the U.S. Embassy Ghana, the U.S. Department of Defense’s Overseas Humanitarian, Disaster Assistance, and Civic Aid program funded the supplies, including clothing, medical supplies, drinking water, blankets and mattresses, personal hygiene items, and food and cooking utensils.
Wilson said that the opportunity to travel to the emergency relief site and offer assistance gave the Soldiers a chance to give back to the Ghanaian people, and assist them in a time of need. He said that the ability to provide relief was a meaningful step in the ongoing partnership with the country.
“It was undoubtedly the most fulfilling mission of my time in service,” Wilson said. “It demonstrates our commitment to our partners and how much we cherish the relationship between our countries. By providing disaster relief, we demonstrate that we are not only invested in assisting the military, but also seeking opportunities to assist the country as a whole.”

• Date Taken: 02.18.2022
• Date Posted: 02.19.2022 09:22
• Story ID: 414912
• Location: BOGOSO, GH