US Africa Command, Combatant Command, AOR/GEO/Unified

Definition/Scope: Africa Command was created on February 6, 2007. The decision was the culmination of a 10-year thought process within the Department of Defense (DoD) acknowledging the emerging strategic importance of Africa, and recognizing that peace and stability on the continent impacts not only Africans, but the interests of the U.S. and international community as well. Mission: AFRICOM, in concert with other U.S. government agencies and international partners, conducts sustained security engagement through military-to-military programs, military-sponsored activities, and other military operations as directed to promote a stable and secure African environment in support of U.S. foreign policy. AFRICOM will be headquartered at Kelley Barracks in Stuttgart, Germany, for the foreseeable future. The command inherits a small but meaningful U.S. military presence already existing in numerous African nations, to include Camp Lemonier in Djibouti, as well as Defense Department personnel assigned to U.S. Embassies and diplomatic missions to coordinate Defense Department programs supporting U.S. diplomacy. Any additional presence on the continent will take place only in full diplomatic consultation and agreement with potential host nations. AFRICOM is a Unified Combatant Command and Geographic Combatant Command and it is responsible for 53 African nations.

Use:

AFRICOM

Acronym:

AFRICOM
USAFRICOM
USARAF

Broader Terms:

Army Service Component Command
DoD Commands
Geographic Combatant Commands
joint force
Unified Command Plan
unified commands
unified commands (Army components)

Narrower Terms:

3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne)
African Contingency Operations Training and Assistance
Al-Shabaab
Armed Islamic Group
Defense Logistics Agency Europe and Africa
Groupement Islamique Arme
Moroccan Islamic Combatant Group
USARAF

Related Terms:

CENTCOM
EUCOM
NORTHCOM
PACOM
SOUTHCOM