Gail McCabe, a journalist from the U.S. Army Broadcast network, Soldiers Radio and Television, recently visited the U.S. Office of Security Cooperation (OSC) in Gaborone, Botswana to film the interaction of U.S. Army soldiers with Botswana civilians and members of the Botswana Defence Force (BDF).



McCabe's footage will be incorporated into a 30-minute documentary on U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) that will appear on Soldiers Radio and Television.



Members of the OSC arranged site visits and interviews with senior members of the BDF,and local non-governmental organizations (NGO). McCabe interviewed Brigadier General Dikobe, Assistant Chief of Staff Training and Doctrine at BDF Headquarters on Sir Seretse Khama Barracks (SSKB) in Mogoditshane, where discussions focused on the State Partnership Program relationship between the BDF and the North Carolina National Guard. Dikobe also discussed training and how the BDF benefits from training opportunities for its soldiers under the International Military Education and Training program.



At the BDF Defence Command and Staff College (DCSC) in suburban Gaborone, the college's commandant, Brigadier General Morake, expressed gratitude for U.S. military support and U.S. Africa Command for training and curriculum assistance. The recently established DCSC will soon complete its second academic year and graduate a class of 32 majors. According to Brigadier Morake, the staff college has already received numerous requests from neighbouring African militaries to allow them to send military officers to attend the well-regarded school.



Although the relationship between Army soldiers assigned to the OSC was a key focus of McCabe's visit, she also sought to film their interaction and recent projects with the civil sector. McCabe visited the Botswana-based NGO "Tebelopele" (Setswana for "going forward") in Gaborone and Stepping Stones International in Mochudi. The OSC has provided assistance for both organizations through U.S. AFRICOM's Humanitarian Assistance program. Tebelopele provides voluntary counselling and testing services anonymously and free to anyone who walks through the door. In the course of a four-year relationship, the OSC has funded construction of 13 of Tebelopele's 16 centres around the country. With this assistance, Tebelopele has provided counselling and testing services to more than 600,000 clients in a country of less than 2 million.



Stepping Stones provides after school programs for HIV orphans and vulnerable children. It provides organized activities and counsellors to help keep latch key children engaged, active and off the streets to keep them safe and out of trouble. During her visit there McCabe interviewed administrators, counsellors and numerous children as well as Sergeant Negasi Tesfay, the Humanitarian Assistance Program manager assigned to the OSC. Tesfay oversaw the completion of construction of Stepping Stones new offices, kitchen and multi-purpose building in 2008.



McCabe wrapped up her filming and concluded the visit with an extensive interview with U.S. Ambassador Stephen Nolan at the embassy in Gaborone. Nolan emphasized the positive role Botswana plays within the southern Africa region and throughout Africa as an example of a state that though democratic governance, low corruption and judicious management of its diamond wealth has managed rapid, consistent economic growth throughout its history and achieved and maintained political stability and peace.



Stories from McCabe's visit to Botswana will appear on Soldiers Radio and Television's website and on broadcasts from SRTV as well as the American Forces Network, seen around the globe, wherever U.S. troops serve.