ISIOLO, KENYA. (February 13, 2023): In this photo by Sgt. 1st Class Steven Eaton, U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Isaac Bocanegra, a team leader with the 720th Ordnance Company (Explosives Ordnance Disposal), observes a soldier from the Kenyan Defense Forces using a ground search metal detector during counter-improvised explosive device training while participating in exercise Justified Accord 23.

Led by the Southern European Task Force Africa, the maneuver brings together U.S. Forces and Kenyan Defense Forces to build readiness, prepare regional partners for United Nations and African Union mandated missions, and to increase multinational interoperability between armies.

More than 20 countries from 3 continents conducted command post exercises, field training, live fire, and maritime operations. Partner nations also held special operations and cyber courses and several humanitarian and civic assistance projects are also planned. Kenya will host activities primarily in Nairobi and Isiolo, with additional events planned in Uganda, Rwanda, Botswana, and Djibouti.

Headquartered in Vicenza, Italy, the U.S. Army Southern European Task Force Africa is comprised of the 173rd Airborne Brigade, the 207th Military Intelligence Brigade, the 414th Contracting Command, and the 509th Signal Battalion offering commanders a diverse range of capabilities.

The U.S. military has worked closely with Kenyan forces for years. Kenya was a member of the African Union Mission in Somalia and now works there in the new African Union Transition Mission. U.S. personnel served as advisers to the mission in Somalia and helped with logistics and communications for the peacekeeping force.

The American presence in Kenya started in 1980 at the height of the Cold War with an agreement for the use of its air force and naval facilities. Today, American forces in Kenya are focused on countering the terrorist group Al Shabaab based in neighboring Somalia.