DAKAR, Senegal – October 15, 2015 —
U.S. Marines are exercising a cooperative security location and training with Senegalese military partners in Dakar, Senegal.
While in Dakar, the Marines are also working with local Senegalese military, learning each other’s procedures and strengthening partnership between the two forces. The training took place aboard Dakar-Ouakam Air Base and Bel-Air military base focusing on force protection techniques, tactics and procedures.
“What the CSL offers, is the ability to forward-stage our forces to respond to any type of crisis,” said Capt. Lorenzo Armijo, an operations officer with SPMAGTF-CR-AF. “That crisis can range in the scope of military operations, from embassy reinforcement to providing humanitarian assistance. By having the CSL, it provides us the ability to prepare and execute any mission we are tasked with.”
It has been a unique experience training with the Senegalese military, said Armijo. The Senegalese are a very professional force, willing to learn and adapt. Our ability to integrate with them made both the Senegalese military and U.S. Marines better.
The CSL in Dakar, capable of hosting about 200 Marines, is located aboard Dakar-Ouakam Air Base, and meets all the operational, logistical and maintenance requirements necessary to sustain SPMAGTF-CR-AF with its aircraft, aviators, maintainers, infantrymen, medical personnel, logistics assets and supporting units.
The Marines, with Special-Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force Crisis Response-Africa based out of Morón, Spain, are a self-sustaining crisis response force prepared for the protection of American personnel and facilities on the African continent, when directed by U.S. Africa Command. Deploying to and operating from a CSL provides access and proximity for U.S. forces.