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US and Nigeria begin preparations for 2018 summit
African Land Forces Summit 2018 lead planner, Lt. Col. Hector Montemayor (left) and Lt. Col. Husaini Toro, 176th Guards Battalion commander discuss site options for the summit’s military demonstration in Abuja. ALFS is a weeklong seminar designed to give African land force’s chiefs an opportunity to discuss and develop solutions for improving security and stability in their home country. (Photo by Capt. James Sheehan)
Photo by: Capt. James Sheehan
Photo 2 of 12
US and Nigeria begin preparations for 2018 summit
African Land Forces Summit 2018 lead planner, Lt. Col. Hector Montemayor (left) and Lt. Col. Husaini Toro, 176th Guards Battalion commander walk together at the proposed site for the summit’s military demonstration in Abuja. ALFS is a weeklong seminar designed to give African land force’s chiefs an opportunity to discuss and develop solutions for improving security and stability in their home country. (Photo by Capt. James Sheehan)
Photo by: Capt. James Sheehan
Photo 3 of 12
US and Nigeria begin preparations for 2018 summit
Armed Forces Nigeria and U.S. Army Africa’s African Land Forces Summit planning team work together on plans and preparations for next years African Land Forces Summit. ALFS is a weeklong seminar designed to give African land force’s chiefs an opportunity to discuss and develop solutions for improving security and stability in their home country. (Photo by Capt. James Sheehan)
Photo by: Capt. James Sheehan
Photo 4 of 12
US and Nigeria begin preparations for 2018 summit
Armed Forces Nigeria and U.S. Army Africa’s African Land Forces Summit pose for a group photo in AFN’s headquarters in Abuja after introductions and discussion on plans and preparations for next years African Land Forces Summit. ALFS is a weeklong seminar designed to give African land force’s chiefs an opportunity to discuss and develop solutions for improving security and stability in their home country. (Photo by Capt. James Sheehan)
Photo by: Capt. James Sheehan
Photo 5 of 12
US and Nigeria begin preparations for 2018 summit
Armed Forces Nigeria and U.S. Army Africa’s African Land Forces Summit planning team work together on plans and preparations for next years African Land Forces Summit. ALFS is a weeklong seminar designed to give African land force’s chiefs an opportunity to discuss and develop solutions for improving security and stability in their home country. (Photo by Capt. James Sheehan)
Photo by: Capt. James Sheehan
Photo 6 of 12
US and Nigeria begin preparations for 2018 summit
Armed Forces Nigeria Col. Chetus and U.S. Army Africa Mr. Bert Gillott met in Abuja to discuss protocol plans for the next year’s African Land Forces Summit. ALFS is a weeklong seminar designed to give African land force’s chiefs an opportunity to discuss and develop solutions for improving security and stability in their home country. (Photo by Capt. James Sheehan)
Photo by: Capt. James Sheehan
Photo 7 of 12
US and Nigeria begin preparations for 2018 summit
Armed Forces Nigeria and U.S. Army Africa’s African Land Forces Summit planning team work together on plans and preparations for next years African Land Forces Summit. ALFS is a weeklong seminar designed to give African land force’s chiefs an opportunity to discuss and develop solutions for improving security and stability in their home country. (Photo by Capt. James Sheehan)
Photo by: Capt. James Sheehan
Photo 8 of 12
US and Nigeria begin preparations for 2018 summit
U.S. Army Africa’s medical planner Dawn Childs (left), Maj. Jason Auchincloss, Armed Forces Nigeria Lt. Col. Oyebanji and Lt. Col. Ishaku met in Abuja to discuss the medical plan for the upcoming African Land Forces Summit. ALFS is a weeklong seminar designed to give African land force’s chiefs an opportunity to discuss and develop solutions for improving security and stability in their home country. (Photo by Capt. James Sheehan)
Photo by: Capt. James Sheehan
Photo 9 of 12
US and Nigeria begin preparations for 2018 summit
African Land Forces Summit 2018 lead planner, Lt. Col. Hector Montemayor (left) and Lt. Col. Husaini Toro, 176th Guards Battalion commander walk together at the proposed site for the summit’s military demonstration in Abuja. ALFS is a weeklong seminar designed to give African land force’s chiefs an opportunity to discuss and develop solutions for improving security and stability in their home country. (Photo by Capt. James Sheehan)
Photo by: Capt. James Sheehan
Photo 10 of 12
US and Nigeria begin preparations for 2018 summit
Armed Forces Nigeria and U.S. Army Africa’s African Land Forces Summit planning team work together on plans and preparations for next years African Land Forces Summit. ALFS is a weeklong seminar designed to give African land force’s chiefs an opportunity to discuss and develop solutions for improving security and stability in their home country. (Photo by Capt. James Sheehan)
Photo by: Capt. James Sheehan
Photo 11 of 12
US and Nigeria begin preparations for 2018 summit
Armed Forces Nigeria Col. Ahmad met with U.S. Army Africa Michael “M.T.” Elliott and Maj. Yolanda Sangiovanni in Abuja to discuss security operations for the upcoming African Land Forces Summit. ALFS is a weeklong seminar designed to give African land force’s chiefs an opportunity to discuss and develop solutions for improving security and stability in their home country. (Photo by Capt. James Sheehan)
Photo by: Capt. James Sheehan
Photo 12 of 12
US and Nigeria begin preparations for 2018 summit
Armed Forces Nigeria and U.S. Army Africa’s African Land Forces Summit planning team work together on plans and preparations for next years African Land Forces Summit. ALFS is a weeklong seminar designed to give African land force’s chiefs an opportunity to discuss and develop solutions for improving security and stability in their home country. (Photo by Capt. James Sheehan)
Photo by: Capt. James Sheehan
Abuja, Nigeria – U.S. Army Africa teamed up with Armed Forces Nigeria (AFN) to begin plans and preparations for 2018’s African Land Forces Summit here, Oct. 2-6.
Armed Forces Nigeria will host the ALFS’s 6th iteration in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, in Spring 2018. ALFS brings together land forces chiefs from all across the continent. The summit gives the chiefs an opportunity to discuss and develop solutions for improving regional security and stability in their home country.
“We take conferences seriously. We want to be good hosts,” said AFN’s Director of Training, Brig. Gen. Alli Keffi. “We are going to give it our very best, we will pull out all the stops.”
USARAF personnel sometimes refer to the ALFS as USARAF’s ‘Superbowl’ or the unit’s largest event of the year. The summit gives U.S. Army Africa an opportunity to work closely with the host country, directly enhancing a bi-lateral partnership.
“We are off to a great start. Our Nigerian partners have been outstanding hosts and you can sense their eagerness,” said ALFS’s lead planner, U.S. Army Lt. Col. Hector Montemayor. “If this planning event is any indication of how the summit will go, then we are in great hands.”
U.S. Army Africa’s ALFS planning team in Abuja included the lead planner, deputy, protocol, security, contracting, public affairs, communications and senior enlisted officers. Each element met their AFN counterpart to demonstrate partnership and work on details for an event estimated to host approximately 400 persons.
“Planning an event of this magnitude takes hours and hours with multiple experts in their field. We meet every week and visit the host country at least four times before execution. We meet our host-nation counterparts and get their input until we come up with a mutual decision,” said Mr. Bert Gillott, U.S. Army Africa protocol officer. “Part of our responsibility is to go over every minute detail to ensure nothing is left to chance.”
“There are many components in the planning process. Every country attending deserves proper protocol,” Gillott said. “Flags and flag poles, inviting the band, identifying an emcee, gift exchange, table cards, table and chair setup, and the list goes on.”
The USARAF ALFS planning team also met with AFN’s 176th Guards Battalion, responsible for the ALFS military demonstration. The demonstration gives AFN an opportunity to showcase their capabilities and skills in front of an international audience. AFN’s demonstration may include air-assault repelling and ‘fast-roping’ from rotary aircraft as well as a motorcycle battalion in motion.
“We are still deciding on exactly how we are going proceed but I promise, it will be the best demonstration yet,” said Lt. Col. Husaini Toro, 176th Guards Battalion commander, referring to previous ALFSs.
The ALFS planning team also visited Abuja’s airport, hospitals and conference centers to determine the best locations to support Africa’s largest land-based military conference.
The initial planning event concluded with a combined AFN and USARAF brief to the Director of AFN’s Resource Center, Brig. Gen. O.N. Ugo.
“We must put in our best to ensure success,” said Ugo. “We must continue to talk to each other. We must continue to plan.”
The planning team will visit Nigeria two more times to confirm mutual decisions with their host-country counterparts before the summit commences next year.
