The sun rises early here as the Marines of second platoon, Ground Combat Element, Security Cooperation Task Force, Africa Partnership Station 2011, form in a line, water bottle in hand. Though the daily ritual may seem monotonous to some, taking medication in malaria endemic areas could make all the difference in living with or without a potentially terminal disease.

"Malaria is a serious disease that can be easily caught if you don't do everything you can to prevent it," said Seaman Joseph Friend, a hospital corpsman attached to second platoon. "It's important to have everyone line up to take their medication to ensure every Marine stays healthy."

In malaria endemic areas, prevention is paramount to unit effectiveness, especially with a mission like APS-11's. In the partnered military-to-military exchange, the 45-man platoon would be stretched thin in supporting the extensive exchange package, should a malaria casualty occur.

The daily dosage is simple enough, just one capsule of doxycycline per day. The routine is supervised by the platoon corpsmen and a staff non-commissioned officer to ensure 100 percent cooperation in taking the medication. A logbook is signed, and the meds are put away until the next morning.

"Mefloquine Mondays," as they are endearingly called by the marines, require extra attention as the weekly dosage of Mefloquine is compounded onto the daily doxycycline.

Due to the high risk nature of the task force's area of operations, both anti-malarials are taken to create a strong front in breaking down the parasite that causes the disease, should it be transmitted, said Friend.

The parasite, once transmitted through the bite of the female Anopheles mosquito, attacks blood cells and causes symptoms like chills, uncontrollable shaking, nausea, flu-like symptoms, and a lasting fever, to name a few. But for the Marines of second platoon, prevention doesn't stop at medication.

Throughout second platoon's bivouac site, bug repellents sit in the open to keep the bugs away. The uniform is woodland MARPAT with unrolled sleeves, treated with permethrine, an insect repellent. Cans of bug spray can be found in every marine's daypack - even the issued sunscreen is formulated to keep bugs away. Every marine is issued a bug net, essentially a cheesecloth cocoon with room for one.

Additional preventative measures include keeping water bottles closed, and covering water spills with dirt to prevent the attraction of mosquitoes. Trash bags are covered and toilet seats are always closed as extra insurance for keeping insects out.

All of these are important means of prevention, according to the Navy Environmental and Preventative Medicine Unit, who in 2007 concluded that 20 percent of deaths in Senegal are attributed to diseases like malaria, HIV, and tuberculosis.

Between the measures being taken to avoid insect bites and the medication taken to diminish the growth of the parasite, the marines of APS-11 are actively taking on malaria as a primary enemy in the region.

"The best thing you can do out here is to attack that parasite before it attacks you," said Friend.

Africa Partnership Station 2011 is a U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) maritime security engagement program that is designed to strengthen participating nations' maritime security capacity through multilateral collaboration and cross-border cooperation. Marine Corps Forces, Africa is supporting APS-11 with a Security Cooperation Task Force based out of Camp Lejeune, N.C. The SCTF began its deployment in Ghana in March and is slated to continue its follow-on mission at Gabon in June.