Two American European-based units that operate in Africa
have merged in an effort to streamline the US Marine Corps missions on the vast
continent. The Corps has combined SPMAGTF-Africa, a unit based in Italy that
conducts training with military partners in African countries like Uganda and
Senegal, with its Spain-based unit that responds to crises across Africa. The
two units now fall under SPMAGTF-Crisis Response-Africa. Merging the two
SPMAGTFs operating in Africa puts the two missions under more direction of one
colonel.
Detachment B, which will be based in Romania but support
SPMAGTF-Crisis Response-Africa will serve as a force protection company that is
prepared to reinforce embassies or recover downed pilots and personnel. Detachment
A will fill the mission previously held by SPMAGTF-Africa. Those troops, which
include infantry, aviation and support Marines, will regularly deploy to Africa
for theater security cooperation operations.
About 265 Marines and sailors will be based at Naval Air
Station Sigonella, Italy, where SPMAGTF-Africa was previously based. About 850
Marines and sailors will be based in Morón, Spain, where the crisis response
force for Africa has been based since it was created in 2013.
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