WEBVTT 00:06.480 --> 00:10.008 - Yes, Southern Accord 2016 is a United Nations 00:10.008 --> 00:14.175 peacekeeping operation in the Democratic Republic of Congo 00:15.014 --> 00:19.052 that we're working on with our south African partners. 00:19.052 --> 00:22.018 So, what we've done is we've brought them in 00:22.018 --> 00:24.809 in order to do a command post exercise 00:24.809 --> 00:27.810 in that scenario in order to help train 00:27.810 --> 00:30.814 their officers and their future senior leaders 00:30.814 --> 00:33.403 in U.N. peacekeeping operations. 00:33.403 --> 00:37.466 We've done that following our three-phase methodology. 00:37.466 --> 00:40.013 Phase One, academics, where we expose them 00:40.013 --> 00:43.180 to the doctrine of the U.N. Peacekeeping operation, 00:43.180 --> 00:46.115 then we put them through a deliberate planning event 00:46.115 --> 00:49.303 in order to plan an operation inside of the D.R.C., 00:49.303 --> 00:52.354 and then, finally, a command post exercise 00:52.354 --> 00:56.021 that then exercises their plan in the D.R.C. 00:56.487 --> 00:58.891 And then, finally, as part of this, 00:58.891 --> 01:01.412 we host a distinguished visitors' day, 01:01.412 --> 01:03.832 where their senior military leadership 01:03.832 --> 01:06.555 comes to Malawi and visits the staff 01:06.555 --> 01:09.177 and views their progress, and, as part of that, 01:09.177 --> 01:11.440 we also hold the regional leaders seminar, 01:11.440 --> 01:14.125 where we're able to, at the senior officer level, 01:14.125 --> 01:17.320 come and talk about the specific challenges 01:17.320 --> 01:19.320 here in southern Africa. 01:20.232 --> 01:21.854 It's gone very well. 01:21.854 --> 01:24.793 We have a very experienced staff that very quickly 01:24.793 --> 01:27.713 was able to come together as a cohesive staff, 01:27.713 --> 01:29.103 despite the fact that they're from 01:29.103 --> 01:31.623 several nations and had not worked together. 01:31.623 --> 01:35.790 So, we're very encouraged at the progress of this staff. 01:35.933 --> 01:38.271 Yes, for the first time, U.S. Army Africa 01:38.271 --> 01:41.322 also hosted, with the Malawi Defense Force, 01:41.322 --> 01:44.635 and the Department of Disaster Management Agency, 01:44.635 --> 01:48.802 a disaster relief exercise conducted in the long way. 01:49.557 --> 01:52.057 The focus of this exercise was 01:52.153 --> 01:54.653 partnership capacity building, 01:55.024 --> 01:58.822 but inside the Malawi government, and the Malawi defenses, 01:58.822 --> 02:01.143 instead of a regional military approach, 02:01.143 --> 02:03.161 this was focused on the civilian agencies 02:03.161 --> 02:05.240 as well as international agencies 02:05.240 --> 02:07.657 that support disaster relief. 02:08.106 --> 02:09.873 Well, it's very important, first of all, 02:09.873 --> 02:12.040 because it helps us create 02:12.569 --> 02:15.902 and maintain partnerships in the region. 02:16.131 --> 02:18.455 And, then, inside of the region what it helps us build 02:18.455 --> 02:21.622 is interoperability across the region, 02:21.824 --> 02:24.889 so all of the countries are able to operate 02:24.889 --> 02:28.018 under the same processes and the same procedures, 02:28.018 --> 02:30.716 which allows them to more effectively integrate 02:30.716 --> 02:33.254 their forces in peacekeeping operations 02:33.254 --> 02:36.171 or in disaster response operations, 02:36.740 --> 02:38.917 and then, ultimately, what that leads to 02:38.917 --> 02:41.763 is an increase in readiness of their militaries 02:41.763 --> 02:45.014 and then, a greater capacity for their militaries 02:45.014 --> 02:49.181 to respond, whether it is to a peacekeeping operation 02:49.417 --> 02:53.584 or a disaster response operation inside their own borders. 02:54.454 --> 02:56.545 Yes, well first of all, what's special about Malawi 02:56.545 --> 03:00.391 is we have a long history of working with the M.D.F. 03:00.391 --> 03:03.493 We've been with them in Epic Guardian 2013, 03:03.493 --> 03:07.660 Southern Accord 2014, as well as Southern Accord 2016, 03:08.410 --> 03:11.620 and then we're also scheduled with them to host 03:11.620 --> 03:15.787 the African Land Forces summit here in Malawi in 2017. 03:16.191 --> 03:18.941 So, we have a very strong history 03:19.319 --> 03:21.329 with the Malawi Defense Force. 03:21.329 --> 03:24.056 What this provides the U.S. soldier, 03:24.056 --> 03:26.541 the U.S. Army soldier, is an opportunity 03:26.541 --> 03:30.708 to work with international officers in a unique environment. 03:32.016 --> 03:34.406 U.N. peacekeeping operations is not an area 03:34.406 --> 03:37.045 that we spend a lot of time training on 03:37.045 --> 03:40.307 inside of our own army, so it gives us a new scenario, 03:40.307 --> 03:43.235 it gives us new partners, as well as it allows us to 03:43.235 --> 03:47.389 come in a very austere environment to practice our craft.