Seabee Humanitarian Assisstance (HA) Projects

Monrovia, June 5th, 2008:

One of the most pleasant and rewarding experiences of my time as Chief of the Office of Defense Cooperation in Monrovia was with the U.S. Navy Construction Battalion led by Lt Gareth Montgomery and Chief Detweiler. The Seabees came to Liberia with the Africa Partnership Station and stayed with us for three months. During that time frame they worked on several of our existing HA projects managed by Lieutenant Commander Peters.

During the first week of June, 2008 I finally got a chance to go out and inspect the overall progress of their efforts. One great feature of their deployment was that we were also able to turn this into a military-to-military event as well. The first Armed Forces of Liberia combat engineer course ended just before their arrival and the second class graduated while they were still in Liberia. The upshot is that 40 Liberian army combat engineers participated and played a significant role in the successful completion of each project. The great work that the Seabees and the AFL combat engineers did will make a positive difference in the lives of hundreds who seek health care and many more children who attend the school they renovated.


{June 5th, 2008: the completed Logan Town road. This gravel road was previously a horrible dirt road with massive holes that made it impassable to all but off-road vehicles.}


{June 5th, 2008: Lieutenant Commander Peters and Lieutenant Montgomery in front of the project sign after the completion of the Logan Town road project}


{June 5th, 2008: the finished Clay Ash Clinic project outside Monrovia, Liberia}


{June 5th, 2008: Liberian soldiers and American sailors work together on the Monrovia Demonstration School project in Monrovia, Liberia}

Troop Feeding Discussion at EBK Barracks

Edward Binyah Kesselly Military Barracks, Monrovia, June 2nd, 2008:

As the first Initial Entry Training class neared graduation in early 2007, the Liberian Ministry of National Defense (MOD) --- recognizing its limited resources and the difficulty of sustaining a long-term troop feeding program --- directed that the U.S.-led Security Sector Reform for National Defense program not set a precedent of feeding troops with a dining facility or other means after soldiers completed their initial entry training. Under the U.S.-financed and managed SSR program, U.S. Government contractors had always provided three meals a day, seven days a week while soldiers attended all initial entry training and also whenever soldiers were deployed in the field or away from the garrison. But this decision set the stage for events that were to occur nearly a year later.

After growing dissatisfaction among some of the newer soldiers began to manifest in disciplinary problems in March 2008, the Liberian Ministry of National Defense requested that the U.S. Government now pick up the tab and begin delivering two meals a day to soldiers permanently assigned to EBK Military Barracks. Following complicated and intense diplomatic discussions, the U.S. Government agreed to begin a feeding program and phase it out of existence over a period of 17 months as additional cooking facilities and amenities are constructed and delivered at EBK Military Barracks.

Essentially the U.S. contractors would provide two meals a day from June 2008 until 30 April 2009. From May until the end of November 2008 there will be one meal per day. Beginning in December 2009 the free meal program will end. This gives troops sufficient time to prepare, for amenities to be installed and for the Liberian MOD to implement longevity pay raises and seek an across the board pay raise for all troops. With this information I went to EBK at the beginning of June 2008 to address the entire army so that EVERY AFL soldier would have the facts and clearly understand what benefits they would receive and when those benefits would end. To say the troops were thrilled to hear the details of this temporary program would be short selling their glee over this generous development.


{June 2nd, 2008: Lieutenant Colonel Chris Wyatt discusses the benefits of the new Troop Feeding Program just implemented at EBK Military Barracks, Monrovia, Liberia}

Instructor Training Course Graduations

A key component in building a military capable of self-sustainment in training is to develop qualified instructors. One the problems with doing so in an army with virtually no experience like the new (or "reformed" -- depending on one's view) Armed Forces of Liberia is the wholesale absence of experienced soldiers and the lack of any existing institution around them. To fix this problem we negotiated with both contractors to develop a program of instruction to come up with a qualifying course for "instructors" for the AFL. Essentially, the purpose of the course was to train a cadre of potential instructors in the methodologies of classroom and field instruction.

We held the first class at Camp Ware during a basic training. The next one was completed largely at the Barclay Training Center in Monrovia. The completion of that class raised the number of "instructor qualified) AFL troops from 18 to 52, as at the BTC were were able to double the size of the class (minus two who did not graduate). Subsequent classes will raise the total to over 100 before DynCorp completes all initial entry training before the close of 2008.


{April 4th, 2008: Lieutenant Colonel Chris Wyatt congratulates graduates during the ITC graduation ceremony at Camp Sandee S. Ware, near Careysburg, Liberia}



{May 30th, 2008: Lieutenant Colonel Chris Wyatt addresses graduates during the ITC graduation ceremony at the Barclay Training Center, Monrovia, Liberia}

On May 30th, 2008 I was the guest speaker at the second ITC graduation. I used the I focused on the importance of the skills the soldiers learned in the class and how they can apply them to training within their units. I was reasonably satisfied with the outcome of this course. Although we did not graduate all 36 students, it was nonetheless a successful class. As is now the norm we included junior enlisted, non-commissioned officers and commissioned officers in the class to develop professional trainers across the ranks.

Troop Transfer from Camp Ware

{May 23rd, 2008: New soldiers arrive at EBK Military Barracks and begin in-processing}

Edward Binyah Kesselly Military Barracks, Liberia, May 23rd, 2008:

The graduation of another Infantry Advanced Individual Training (AIT) at Camp Ware meant the transfer of most of the graduates to their permanent operating base at EBK Military Barracks on the Roberts Highway. This graduation in late May 2008 was the penultimate Security Sector Reform (SSR) AIT graduation. Of the 506 graduates on May 23rd, 481 were immediately transferred to EBK. The remainder stayed behind for the Basic Non-Commissioned Officer Course and later on the Officer Candidate School. This was the third basic training class with more than 500 recruits. The final class will follow and graduate from basic training in August and AIT at the end of September 2008.

President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf Addresses the AFL

{From left: Minister of National Defense Brownie Samukai, President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, Major General Abdurrahman the Command Officer in Charge. Pictured on the far right is Deputy Minister of National Defense for Operations Dionysus Sebwe.}


Edward Binyah Kesselly Military Barracks, Liberia, May 23rd, 2008:

President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf paid her first official visit to the newly reformed Armed Forces of Liberia when she spoke to the entire army early on the morning of May 23rd, 2008 at Edward Binyah Kesselly Military Barracks outside Monrovia. She came to address the troops for the first time. Although the visit came more than two years into her term in office, this was the opportune moment. The army just recently increased in size from 1,124 to 1,634 soldiers. She spoke to over a thousand of those soldiers. During her talk to the soldiers she stressed the pride all Liberians feel towards the new soldiers and the sacrifices they have made for their nation. She also took the opportunity to express her personal interest in ongoing renovations to the barracks and ways to improve soldiers’ lot in life. President Johnson-Sirleaf promised to work with the United States to continue training the AFL to ensure they have the necessary tools to do their job.


It was a long anticipated and awaited visit that in the end came on rather short notice. The AFL received notification just two days before the visit. We went through a few different plans as to where to assemble the troops for the visit. Ultimately the band stand adjacent to the dining facility was the site chosen. Troops were all abuzz that Friday morning as her motorcade drew near. After her brief address she took three questions from the soldiers. One could easily see the respect and awe the new Army has for its democratically elected Commander in Chief in the eyes of the nervous soldiers who asked her questions that morning. Given the checkered past of the its predecessor, this new AFL seems to be on firm footing early in its development with respect to its role under civilian leadership. The three soldiers asked thoughtful questions about pay, living conditions and other opportunities for troops. It was a very exciting visit for all concerned.

Africa Commmand's Command Sergeant Major Meets the AFL

{CSM Ripka speaks to the graduates of Intantry Advanced individual Training at Camp Sandee S. Ware, near Careysburg, Liberia (May 23rd, 2008)}

U.S. AFRICOM’s Command Sergeant Major (CSM) Mark S. Ripka recently conducted a week-long visit to the nascent Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL). His well-received visit was deeply beneficial to the new AFL and its officers, NCOs and soldiers.

CSM Ripka spent a full week with the new Liberian army (May 21st-28th, 2008). Over the course of the week he toured all of the AFL’s active military installations including; the Barclay Training Center (BTC), Camp Sandee S. Ware and Edward Binyah Kesselly (EBK) Military Barracks.

At the BTC CSM Ripka met with the 36 officers, NCOs and junior enlisted enrolled in the Instructor Training Course. While speaking informally to the students he answered their questions about service as a career soldier, the role of the NCO and his own experiences over his long and very successful career. Later in the day he toured EBK Military Barracks, the new AFL’s operational base along the Roberts Highway between Monrovia and the international airport.

On Friday May 23rd, CSM Ripka was the guest speaker at the graduation ceremony for 506 AFL soldiers who completed Infantry Advanced Individual Training (AIT) at Camp Ware, near Careysburg, Liberia. His speech focused on core values of soldering; candor, courage, commitment, and competence. He also remarked about the interest and pride in the new army of Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf who for the first time addressed the rest of the AFL earlier in the morning at EBK Military Barracks (an event CSM Ripka also attended). After the graduation CSM Ripka traveled along with the troop convey that transported 481 of the AIT graduates from Camp Ware to their new home at EBK Military Barracks where he also observed reception and assignment operations conducted by AFL officers and NCOs.

On Monday May 26th, CSM Ripka held an officer professional development class at EBK for all of the new army’s officers. He shared his views on the relationship between officers and NCOs in a professional military. He also met with all the NCOs. In that discussion he spoke about the role of the NCO in a professional military. This interaction with Liberian commissioned officers and NCOs was a rare opportunity for soldiers in the new army to learn from an experienced NCO who has reached and succeeded at the highest levels in the military and to further develop themselves professionally.

Marines Visit Monrovia

{4th Marine Logistics Group members receive a briefing at JFK Hospital in Monrovia from Master Sergeant Carlton Lewis the Senior Medical Mentor with the AFL (on the right)}

The 4th Marine Logistics Group visited Liberia in late May (18-21) 2008 to determine how they might contribute to humanitarian assistance projects and investigate opportunities for military-to-military cooperation with the Armed Forces of Liberia. They visited several sites around Monrovia including the Port of Monrovia, humanitarian assistance projects which the Navy Seabees worked on from March to June 2008 as part of the Africa Partnership Station, JFK Hospital in town and EBK Military Barracks along the Roberts Highway outside Monrovia.

The 4th MLG will be the first unit to conduct military-to-military cooperation with the new Armed Forces of Liberia. Marines hope to conduct initial training with mobile training teams as early as August 2008 at EBK. This will mark a significant milestone in the development of this new army, as the AFL is now beginning to reach the stage where cooperation and training with foreign militaries is possible. The initial Marine efforts will be small land intended to test the waters so to speak. This is really about a proof of concept and an effort to get these sorts of activities going now rather than waiting until a couple of years from now when the full 2,000 soldier army is ready for operational status (likely to be in 2010). The initial cooperation will center around two activities at EBK; supply training and civil affairs.