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U.S. Marines and U.S. Embassy Benin officials meet with Benin’s Minister of Interior Placide Azande Aug. 28, to discuss the partner-nation training that will take place between U.S. Marines and sailors and policemen with Benin's National Surveillance Police. Azande met with the Marines and U.S. Embassy Benin Chargé d'affaires Todd Whatley to discuss the country’s security concerns and to express his gratitude for the Marines' willingness to train the National Surveillance Police to secure its border. (Official U.S. Marine Corps photo by Staff Sgt. Bryan A. Peterson)

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Photo by: Staff Sgt. Keonaona Paulo 

COTONOU, Benin - U.S. and Benin officials met Aug. 28 to discuss the partner-nation training that will take place soon.

Benin’s Minister of Interior Placide Azande met with the U.S. Marines and sailors and U.S. Embassy Benin Chargé d'affaires Todd Whatley to discuss the country’s security concerns and to express his gratitude for the training that will take place between the Marines and the Benin National Surveillance Police.

At the request of the government of Benin and in coordination with the U.S. Embassy in Benin, the Marines and sailors with Special-Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force Crisis Response-Africa Detachment A, will begin training Benin’s National Surveillance Police next week to help defend the country’s borders against illicit trafficking.

During the meeting, Azande said his country wants to reassure its citizens that they are “dedicated to the people,” and that having U.S. Marines in Benin will “help us succeed in our mission.”

“Our country can be safe,” said Azande. “With the Marines here teaching us, we can use the tools and teachings they give us in helping Benin secure its borders and, most importantly, protecting our people. We are both delighted and happy that the Marines came all the way down here. This is a great asset for us.”

Whatley echoed Azande’s statements, stating that the U.S. and Benin share common security issues and the U.S. is committed to providing its capabilities to address Benin’s border issues.

“This is a great partnership,” said Whatley. “The Marines down here are an elite Marine unit and, among other things, is the best force for teaching border control to strengthen the professionalism of the police against all ill-intentioned people.”

U.S. Marine Corps 1st Lt. Clifford A. Miles, the detachment’s officer in charge, said his Marines and sailors are excited about the partnership, affirming his team’s commitment to providing the National Surveillance Police the training needed to conduct border security.

During a site assessment earlier in the year, Miles traveled to Benin to talk with Benin’s National Police to learn more about the country’s border issues.

“We have trained the past half year for missions like this,” said Miles. “My Marines and sailors are eager to interact and provide their knowledge to the National Surveillance Police, so they can help protect their country’s borders.”

The team will primarily focus on infantry-related training such as patrolling and offensive maneuvering fundamentals, but will also include medical life-saving skills, physical training and Marine Corps martial arts.

SPMAGTF-CR-AF Det. A is based out of Naval Air Station Sigonella, Italy, where they stage and prepare for theater security cooperation missions into various countries in Africa. This specific iteration is manned by Marines and sailors from 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, permanently based out of Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C., and Coast Guardsmen from various stations across the United States.

The Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF, pronounced ‘mag-taff’) is the Marine Corps’ principle organization for the conduct of all missions across the range of military operations. MAGTFs are balanced, combined-arms forces with organic ground, aviation and sustainment elements. Special-purpose MAGTFs are organized, trained and equipped to accomplish a specific mission for which one of the three standard MAGTF types would be inappropriate or too large to employ.