ADF

Logisticians Rely on Training and Core Principles to Keep Operations Running ADF STAFF The life of the logistician is not a glamorous one. Sometimes called “sustainers” or “loggies” or simply “the guys in the rear with the gear,” their job is to keep operations running smoothly. In fact, logistics officers say that if they’re doing their jobs correctly, no one will notice them. But to the trained eye, it is clear that what they do takes a lot of skill. They are, in many ways, the unsung heroes of successful military missions. They plan and carry out the movement and…

A Conversation with Brig. Gen. David Baburam, Former Head of AU Mission Support ADF STAFF Retired Brig. Gen. David Baburam served in the Kenya Defence Forces for 36 years. During his career he was commander of the Ordnance Corps, commandant of a military hospital and taught at the defense staff college. He spent four years at the African Union as head of the Mission Support Unit, which handles logistics for AU peacekeeping missions. He spoke to ADF by phone from his home in Nairobi. His comments have been edited to fit this format. ADF: Logistics are always one of the greatest…

As the African Union Sifts Through Lessons and Challenges, New Logistics Approaches Are Born More than two years after Ebola began its deadly march through Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, killing more than 11,300 people, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced what seemed like a miracle: The epidemic was over. January 14, 2016, marked 42 days since the last Ebola cases in Liberia had tested negative. Liberia’s last two patients — the father and younger brother of a 15-year-old victim — were discharged from a hospital on December 3, 2015. However, the good news did not last. On January 15, Sierra Leone…

Story and photos by REUTERS With music equipment laid out on an ironing board, disc jockey Evans Mireku Kissi waves his drumsticks as he plays his tunes to a small audience on an Accra street. The crowd in the Ghanaian capital watches as he mixes beats and dances around his stand during the show. Aside from the music, his quirky outfit — shirt and tie tucked into shorts under a waistcoat, thigh-high socks, brogues and a bonnet — also attracts attention. Kissi, also known as Steloo, is part of a group of artists, musicians and designers in Accra whose unconventional…

The country sees air power as a crucial force as it charts a path to middle-income status ADF STAFF The year 2016 may be a turning point for the Zambia Air Force. The Air Force will finish taking delivery of six SF-260TW training aircraft, made by the Italian company Alenia-Aermacchi. The Air Force has ordered six Chinese-made L-15 Falcon fighter jets, at a cost of about $100 million. It also is taking delivery of an Italian-made C-27J transport plane and an undisclosed number of Russian Mi-17 helicopters. At the end of 2015, Zambian President Edgar Lungu vowed to help modernize the…

Supplying Complex Peacekeeping Missions Is Complicated by Remoteness and Infrastructure Deficits Any international peacekeeping mission will present a long list of logistical challenges. Mission settings are inevitably established in areas reeling from recent conflict, often rooted in age-old ethnic or political struggles. Responding United Nations and African Union forces always are composed of international contingents. Sometimes dozens of countries from all over the world converge in a region, each bringing hundreds of Soldiers, police officers, supplies, weapons and vehicles. Once in theater, forces must travel long distances, set up enormous camps and build field hospitals. Reliable supply chains require speed, efficiency…

The African Union Has a Logistics Plan to Quickly Put Troops Where They’re Needed Most The African Union was created in 2001 with great hope, but also a heavy burden of responsibility. Member states were still reeling from the failure to rapidly intervene in the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, and they hoped that an African Standby Force (ASF) could offer a solution. The AU developed the idea for the ASF in 2003 and founded it on two principles: Never again would African countries allow mass atrocities to occur on the continent without swiftly interceding. Interventions would be led by African…

Contractors can be a real asset to today’s armed forces. But military oversight must continue after the contract is signed. ADF STAFF Photos by THE ASSOCIATED PRESS The core responsibilities of militaries all over the world include protecting civilians, rescue work during natural disasters and securing borders. But these same militaries must expend time and energy on the mundane tasks any large organization must deal with, such as payrolls, vehicle maintenance and laundry services. That’s where contractors can help. They can take on the non-core functions of a military, leaving Soldiers to focus on training and peacekeeping. Jobs such as…

Technology Saves Money and Protects Soldiers and Equipment Consider the typical tank used in combat. Tanks are a key component of modern ground warfare, but their use comes at a price. They are expensive to buy and expensive to operate. They guzzle fuel. Their tracks wear out. Tanks can be unreliable and difficult to repair. And tank training is destructive. “If you use a tank for a week in the field, I think you know what the result is,” said a military training specialist from Saab, the Swedish aerospace and defense company. “A tank levels everything in its path.” That’s…

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE Malawi’s Zomba Prison Project band has the distinction of being nominated for a prestigious Grammy Award. Its 20-track record I Have No Everything Here was nominated in the Best World Music Album category for 2016. Beninese singer Angelique Kidjo won the award, her third Grammy, and the second consecutive one in the World Music category. Musical talent at the Zomba maximum-security prison was discovered in 2013 when U.S. producer Ian Brennan spent two weeks working with 60 inmates and guards to make the album. Six hours of recordings were edited down into the final selection of songs, featuring…