TRANSCRIPT: Exercise Africa Endeavor Kicks Off in Gabon

U.S. AFRICOM Public Affairs

The militaries of 25 African nations will test their abilities to communicate with each other over the next two weeks during Exercise African Endeavor 2009 (AE09), which began September 25, 2009, in Gabon.

This exercise, facilitated by U.S. Africa Command, allows the participating nations' militaries to test their information technology equipment to communicate with each other via e-mail, Internet and radio.

During a press conference September 25, 2009, Gabonese Navy Contre Amiral (Rear Admiral) Herve Nambo, Gabonese Africa Endeavor 09 exercise director, said: "This exercises teaches us how to communicate with each other when, for example, we participate in operations outside of the country or region. For instance, during peacekeeping operations we may have forces from ten or more countries in the area. Each nation will have its own communications equipment that may or may not be completely compatible with that of other participating nations. So, we learn, during these exercises, how to be able to talk via radio or send data and be successfully received by another country whatever the kind of equipment they may use. That is what interoperability means."

Also partipating in the press conference were U.S. Navy Commander Britt Talbert, Africa Command's AE09 exercise director and U.S. Navy Commander Sarah Dachos, Director of the Office of Security Cooperation, US Embassy Libreville. The press conference allowed the exercise directors to provide press with an overview of the combined joint communications interoperability exercise.

http://www.africom.mil/getArticle.asp?art=3501