Members of U.S. Joint Forces Command (USJFCOM) will conduct Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) 11 Table Top Exercise (TTX) December 6 - 17, 2010 at the Joint Warfighting Center complex in Suffolk, Virginia.

The TTX aims to increase the knowledge and ability of incoming personnel to transition and conduct operations without missing a beat, said Navy Commander Nick Mungas, USJFCOM CJTF-HOA TTX lead planner, adding that approximately 50 warfighters will go through the two-week long TTX.

U.S. Navy Commander Tim Leonard, CJTF-HOA plans officer, discussed the mission of CJTF-HOA.

"Our mission is not always as crystal clear as with other kinetic missions," Leonard said. "Our mission is that CJTF-HOA conducts operations in the combined joint operational area in order to build partner nation capacity, in order to promote regional stability, prevent conflict and protect U.S. and coalition interests."

Leonard added that CJTF-HOA cannot accomplish its mission alone and works closely with other government agencies and all partner nations in East Africa.

Another challenge faced by the CJTF-HOA is the length of rotations, as team members alternate through in either six- or 12-month rotations. According to Mungas, approximately 10 percent of CJTF-HOA rotates out of theater each month.

Leonard said long-term relationships with partner nations are in short supply because of the rapid adjustments.

"Such a valuable and fleeting resource is something we have to develop right away," he said. "There isn't time for the new core staff that we're training right now to have a couple of months to get used to what is going on. They have to come in on day one and be ready to perform."

The TTX team works toward that goal by minimizing the "teaching" given to the incoming staff and letting them learn by taking a hands-on approach.

"After we introduce them to the subject, we want to get them practicing. That's where all the learning is going to happen," Leonard added. "We go ahead and make them practice what we just taught them, on whatever product they have to make or whatever meetings they have to do. We watch them and give them feedback. It's kind of a learn-practice-learn cycle."

For the first time, a USJFCOM team will deploy to Djibouti in the spring to provide more training, especially to the rest of the CJTF-HOA staff that did not attend the TTX. An additional team will assist this effort from Suffolk. Mungas said this stemmed from a request from the current CJTF-HOA commander, Navy Rear Admiral Brian Losey.

"Admiral Losey asked 'how does the rest of the staff get trained?' We started looking at if we could change the program's construct to reach a larger portion of the staff," he said. "U.S. Joint Forces Command worked closely with CJTF-HOA, 2nd Fleet and U.S. Africa Command to figure out a solution that meets his requirements."

He added that the TTX and follow-on training in the spring would not only benefit CJTF-HOA, but the United States as a whole.

"Africa is becoming more significant in terms of strategic location and national security. CJTF-HOA is a very unique organization in a very unique location with a very important mission in the strategic role for the U.S," Mungas explained. "Anything we can do to support their effort, we are willing to do."