AUGUST 12, 2025 – U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) Civil Affairs Team (CAT) Kenya conducted civil reconnaissance and engagements as part of ongoing efforts to enhance educational infrastructure and promote long-term stability in Lamu County at Bora Imani Primary School near Camp Simba, Kenya, July 11.
Four Soldiers comprise CAT Kenya: U.S. Army Capt. Justin DiCarlo, team leader; Staff Sgt. Jonathan Ghegan, team sergeant; Staff Sgt. Bryan Curtin, civil affairs noncommissioned officer; and Spc. Austin Powell, civil affairs specialist. They recognize and address civil vulnerabilities surrounding Camp Simba. Their mission directly supports the base commander while aligning with broader U.S. Army strategic objectives to counter violent extremist organizations (VEO) and empower regional partners.
“Our job is to interact with the civil populace surrounding the base on behalf of the base’s installation commander, identifying and mitigating sources of instability in the civil populace that could affect the base,” DiCarlo said.
DiCarlo noted that basic infrastructure such as water, sewage, transportation and electricity remains fragile in the region, creating potential areas of instability.
During its Bora Imani visit, the team introduced themselves to school leadership and engaged with representatives from World Vision, a nongovernmental organization involved in constructing a new classroom on-site. Their meeting reinforced positive relations with the school and provided World Vision and CAT Kenya with insights into barriers to student retention, including inadequate infrastructure and hygiene resources.
“The schools in this area of operations [AO], Bora Imani in particular, want more classrooms because they want to house more kids – they just don’t have the facilities to do so,” Curtin said.
Curtain emphasized that expanding educational infrastructure and increasing parental support are critical steps in reducing youth vulnerability to VEO recruitment, crime and drug use.
Education remains the centerpiece of the team’s community resiliency efforts. The ongoing civil affairs Youth Initiative, now in its third year, focuses on primary and secondary schools within a 10-kilometer radius of Camp Simba. The team regularly visits 16 schools to engage with administrators and students, assess community needs, provide supplies and collaborate on solutions.
“Education in our area of operations is our center of gravity because the uninvolved, uneducated youth in this area are most susceptible to violent extremist organization recruitment,” Ghegan said, “We’ve been doing this for about two, almost three years now, and it’s probably the most effective thing we do. It goes almost as far as kinetic action when it comes to countering VEO influence in this AO.”
The team’s coordination with local partners and World Vision amplifies its impact. Its presence in Lamu County and its experience in building educational infrastructure offer the community opportunities for continued collaboration. Coordinated efforts between the team and World Vision support civil network development, allowing both organizations to reinforce each other’s mission.
“Working with the legitimate Lamu County government to bring about long-term sustainable solutions, as opposed to short-term, unilaterally by us, makes for long-term stability in support of U.S. objectives,” DiCarlo said.
He added that these partnerships also strengthen the county government’s ability to support its own population.
CAT Kenya’s efforts support broader SETAF-AF objectives to maintain counter-VEO momentum in Africa by strengthening local networks. Going forward, it will continue coordinating with World Vision and school administrators to prioritize infrastructure needs and develop long-term strategies that reduce vulnerability among Kenya’s youth.
About SETAF-AF
SETAF-AF prepares Army forces, executes crisis response, enables strategic competition and strengthens partners to achieve U.S. Army Europe and Africa and U.S. Africa Command campaign objectives.
By 1st Lt. Tucker Chase