The Army National Guard and reserves assigned to the U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) have been working with African partner nations over the last year to build long-term relationships. In exercises like Justified Accord in Kenya, the National Guard leverages the language skills and cultural knowledge that some of the immigrants and naturalized citizens in their ranks bring to the table.
Spc. Dalya Wambui with the Massachusetts Army National Guard’s 772nd Military Police Company is one such soldier who is originally from Kenya and now serves with her unit in her country of origin. "Not only do I speak their language, but I’m also one of them," she said.
"One of the Kenyan Defence Forces Soldiers told me, ‘You’re building a bridge between two worlds.’ That made me feel like our work was truly meaningful," Wambui explained. During the Justified Accord exercise, her unit worked alongside Kenyan defense forces.
Another example of an immigrant soldier leveraging his special skills to meet the needs of the mission is Spc. Djibril Diop with the Maryland Army National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 175th Infantry Regiment. Originally from Senegal, he returned to his country of origin with his unit for the African Lion exercise in 2024.
African Lion is hosted by Ghana, Morocco, Senegal, and Tunisia and brings together over 8,100 participants from 27 nations, making it the largest exercise that SETAF-AF participates in.
"It feels amazing to return to my home country while representing the Maryland National Guard and the U.S. Army," Diop said, as his local knowledge helped the U.S. Army build common knowledge and mutual respect with partner forces.