A delegation of senior leaders from Ghana's defense service components visited U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) headquarters as part of a senior leadership engagement that offered an in-depth look at the command's mission and activities, October 10, 2010.

The group of four enlisted leaders from the Ghanaian Forces, Army, Air Force and Navy and were hosted by AFRICOM Command Sergeant Major Mark Ripka.

During their visit to the command, the group met with the deputy to the commander for civil-military activities, Ambassador J. Anthony Holmes, and other senior staff members to discuss the command and learn about training and enlisted development.

One of the points the delegation was most impressed by was the high authority and trust given to enlisted forces, such as the sergeant major serving as the non-commissioned officer (NCO) academy commandant at 17th Air Force, where they visited earlier in the week.

"It was very wonderful and we are very pleased," Ghanaian Defense Forces Sergeant Major Daniel Adu Yaw said.

Yaw said he would also like to create family support programs like those of the U.S. military that the group witnessed during their tour. Ghana's military conducts various peacekeeping missions and international deployments where he noted the support programs would help ease the worries of soldiers and improve their ability to focus on the mission.

In addition to U.S. Africa Command Headquarters and Ramstein Air Base's 17th Air Force, the delegates also visited the Joint Multinational Training Command's Grafenwoehr Training Area to learn about various readiness training provided at the center.

Ghanaian Master Chief of the Navy Thaddeus Homatekor said the conduct of the NCOs they met at the center and throughout their tour exemplified the professionalism and success of the U.S. military.

Along with holding senior leadership engagements with African partners like Ghana, Ripka also hosts a Web page specifically created to assist enlisted members. The Warrant Officer/NCO site provides professional reading, development curricula, doctrinal training publications, and various tactical aide memoires, as well as relevant news articles and stories from the Armed Forces/Defense Forces of African Partner Nations and the United States.

Delegation members included:

Ghanaian Defense Forces Sergeant Major Daniel Adu Yaw
Ghanaian Master Chief of the Navy Thaddeus Homatekor,
Ghanaian Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Samual Adetsu
Ghanaian Sergeant Major of the Army Dickson Owusu