When Ugandan Brigadier General Silver Kayemba arrived at U.S. Army Africa headquarters on April 27, 2010, he was met by familiar faces.

Kayemba, the chief of training and operations for the Ugandan People's Defense Force (UPDF), was a key player during Natural Fire 10, a humanitarian assistance and disaster relief exercise co-led by the UPDF and U.S. Army Africa, held in Uganda in October 2009.

"This visit strengthens our relationship with the U.S. Armed Forces, particularly with U.S. Army Africa," Kayemba said. "We are looking forward to even closer cooperation in the future."

One of the first people Kayemba met was Major General William B. Garrett III, commander of U.S. Army Africa.

"As part of our engagement strategy, U.S. Army Africa invites senior military leaders from partner land forces to see how our command operates," Garrett said. "We create opportunities to discuss the way forward, as the U.S. Army continues to work with Ugandan land forces to strengthen their capacity to support security missions in Africa."

U.S. Army Africa leaders briefed Kayemba on the command's mission, its ongoing partnerships with African land forces to foster securing, stability and peace on the African continent. During his two-day visit, Kayemba also toured Caserma Ederle, stopping first at training simulators used by Soldiers prior to deploying.

In 2006, Kayemba visited several military sites in the United States, to include the Pentagon, National Defense University, and a U.S. Marine Corps base. As a junior officer then, Kayemba also attended the basic transportation officer course in the United States.

During Natural Fire, Kayemba served as exercise deputy director and worked closely with Garrett.

"We've been reviewing lessons learned from Natural Fire," Kayemba said. "We are going to benefit from what I've seen here and I look forward to working with U.S. Army Africa in future."

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