Skip to main content (Press Enter).
 News
    
        Photos

    Week in Photos

    Air Force TV

    Commentaries

    Features

    Art

    About Us
    
        Air Force Senior Leaders
    
        SECAF

    CSAF

    CMSAF

    Biographies

    Fact Sheets

    SECAF Reading List

    CSAF Leadership Library
    
        CSAF Leadership Library 2022

    CSAF Leadership Library 2021

    CSAF Reading List Pre-2020 Archive
    
        2018 CSAF Reading List

    2017 CSAF Reading List

    2016 CSAF Reading List

    CSAF Leadership Library 2023

    CMSAF Leadership Library

    50 Years of the CMSAF

    Adjunct Professors

    Air Force Strategic Documents

    Arctic Strategy

    Empowered Airmen

    State Licensure Portability

    Careers

    AF Federal Advisory Committees

    AF 75th Anniversary

    Policy Updates

    AF Content Management

    Contact Us

    AF Sites
    
        Site RegistrationU.S. Air Force LogoAir Force

        Policy UpdatesNewsroomReoptimizationBIOGRAPHIESAF Senior Leaders      U.S. Air Force special tactics Airman with the 22nd Special Tactics Squadron observes the final demonstration of the African Partnership Flight Kenya 2019 program at Larisoro Air Strip, Kenya, August 25, 2019.US Air Forces Africa builds partnerships through APF Kenya
                        
                        
                        A U.S. Air Force special tactics Airman with the 22nd Special Tactics Squadron observes the final demonstration of the African Partnership Flight Kenya 2019 program at Larisoro Air Strip, Kenya, Aug. 25, 2019. The culminating event, Linda Rhino 2, incorporated multiple skills covered during the week-long program, including combat search and rescue, aeromedical evacuation and personnel recovery command and control. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Renae Pittman)
                
                Photo Details /
                        Download Hi-Res
        


        U.S. Air Force Maj. Anibal Aguirre, U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa personnel recovery coordination cell director, observes the final demonstration of African Partnership Flight Kenya 2019, Larisoro Air Strip, Kenya, August 24, 2019.US Air Forces Africa builds partnerships through APF Kenya
                        
                        
                        U.S. Air Force Maj. Anibal Aguirre, U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa personnel recovery coordination cell director, left, observes the final demonstration of African Partnership Flight Kenya 2019, Larisoro Air Strip, Kenya, Aug. 24, 2019. This year's APF Kenya brought together five nations to exchange best practices on personnel recovery tactics, techniques and procedures. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Renae Pittman)
                
                Photo Details /
                        Download Hi-Res
        


        U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Jared Todd, 818th Mobility Support Advisory Squadron Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape air advisor, demonstrates signaling techniques during African Partnership Flight Kenya 2019 at Laikipia Air Base, Kenya, August 22, 2019.US Air Forces Africa builds partnerships through APF Kenya
                        
                        
                        U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Jared Todd, 818th Mobility Support Advisory Squadron survival, evasion, resistance and escape air advisor, demonstrates signaling techniques during African Partnership Flight Kenya 2019 at Laikipia Air Base, Kenya, Aug. 22, 2019. The APF program is a military-to-military familiarization program amongst African nations to increase interoperability. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Renae Pittman)
                
                Photo Details /
                        Download Hi-Res

US Air Forces Africa builds partnerships through APF KenyaPublished Aug. 28, 2019
                    
                    By Master Sgt. Renae Pittman
                    
                    
                    U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa Public Affairs
            **LAIKIPIA AIR BASE, Kenya --**Approximately 120 Air Force delegates from the U.S., Kenya, Burundi, Tanzania and Uganda came together for a week to share personnel recovery topics for this iteration of African Partnership Flight Kenya 2019 held at Laikipia Air Base, Aug. 20-24.
“The African Partnership Flight is U.S. Air Forces Africa’s premier security cooperation program with African partner nations intended to foster military collaboration and strong, long-lasting relationships with and between African partner nations,” said Maj. Erik Anker, U.S. Air Forces Africa lead planner.
This five-day event covered critical skills for successful personnel recovery operations.
“We covered a host of topics related to personnel recovery, including personnel recovery command and control, combat search and rescue, tactical combat casualty care and survival and evasion,” Anker said.
This APF was co-hosted by the Kenya Air Force with instructors coming from both militaries who are subject matter experts in their given field.
“This partnership has brought a wealth of skills within the KAF to enhance the security, coordination and integration within the East African air forces,” said KAF Brigadier John Omenda, Laikipia Air Base commander.
The U.S. instructors came from multiple commands throughout the U.S. Air Force to help facilitate knowledge sharing and best practice exchanges among Eastern African militaries.
“I hope the East African nations will be able to take the information they’ve learned here and not only make their own personnel recovery programs better, but build a program where we can count on one another and ensure all of our isolated personnel come back to their families and countries,” said Tech. Sgt. Jared Todd, 818th Mobility Support Advisory Squadron survival, evasion, resistance and escape air advisor.
Participants completed four days of instruction with classrooms, demonstrations and field exercises designed to increase capabilities and standardize processes and procedures.
“This information is very important to me as a helicopter pilot,” said Maj. Naomi Karungin, Uganda Peoples Defense Air Force, helicopter pilot. “I now have a better understanding of how to recover isolated persons. I am glad that I can take this information back to my unit and teach my fellow pilots.”
In addition to U.S. Air Forces Africa working to build stronger partnerships in the region, the Massachusetts Air National Guard had representatives help guide discussions as part of the State Partnership Program, which began in 2016.
“Programs like this are important because, under field conditions, you have limited availability, and we want to maximize the survivability of our partners by giving them the tools needed to maximize their survivability,” said Massachusetts Air National Guard Col. Melinda Sutton, 102nd Medical Group commander.
The event culminated in an exercise led by the Kenya Air Force named “Linda Rhino 2” where they utilized all of the skills practiced during the week. The exercise was observed by several air chiefs from across Africa.
“What I saw today in the exercise, was brilliant...it's all about readiness,” said Brig. Gen. James R. Kriesel, Combined Joint Task Force—Horn of Africa deputy commanding general. “We, together, get paid to be responsive, resilient and as lethal as required against terrorist organizations and near peer competitors.”
The final thought for the conference emphasized teamwork.
“We cannot do this alone,” Omenda said. “We need each other. We need teams. You need experienced people to learn from, especially from people who have done it in real-life situations.”APF Kenya 



Kenya 



partnerships 



africom 



AFAF 



U.S. Air Forces Africa 



Eastern Africa

Related Links
        DVIDS Multimedia page Featured News
        Senior Leader Priorities
                DAF leaders talk budget, reoptimizing the force
                    
                    DAF leaders speak at National Character and Leadership Symposium
                    
                    DAF members recognized during BEYA STEM awards
                    
                    DAF senior enlisted advisors discuss Airmen, Guardians in the fight
                    
                    SecAF Kendall AFA Warfare Symposium Q&A: Reoptimizing for Great Power CompetitionInnovation
                AFWERX director discusses role of tech startups, quick innovation in Great Power Competition
                    
                    DAF delivers lethality at the speed of data during Project Convergence Capstone 4
                    
                    DAF welcomes industry partners to HQ development program
                    
                    DAF announces Spark Tank 2024 finalists
                    
                    Chief Digital, Artificial Intelligence Office to host hackathon in HawaiiMAJCOM News
                Safety enterprise announces new mission, vision, goals in 2024 strategic plan
                    
                    Air Combat Command welcomes new commander
                    
                    USAFE-AFAFRICA commander discusses Integrated Air, Missile Defense during Munich Security Conference
                    
                    Flosi to AFMC family: Embrace change, make every day count
                    
                    AMC rises to increasing global tension
 Quick Links
AccessibilityContact UsEqual OpportunityFOIA | Privacy | Section 508Information QualityInspector GeneralJAG Court-Martial DocketLink DisclaimerNo FEAR ActOpen GovernmentOSI Tip LinePlain LanguageQuestionsResilienceRSSSite MapVeterans Crisis LineCareers
Join the Air ForceAir Force BenefitsAir Force CareersAir Force ReserveAir National GuardCivilian ServiceConnect
            Get Social with Us
            
            Official United States Air Force Website
    Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil