Flintlock Underway in Mali

STUTTGART, Germany — A two-week joint military exercise intended to help prepare for future peacekeeping and humanitarian missions will start Monday in Mali, according to U.S. Africa Command.

The exercise, dubbed Flintlock, is the latest in a series of exercises conducted between Malian and U.S. military forces and partner nations throughout Africa.

The focus of the mission is to strengthen military and regional relationships, according to AFRICOM.

While in Mali, Malian and U.S. military personnel will conduct

• Medical Civic Action Programs
• Veterinary Civic Action Programs aimed at providing services to rural communities in Mali.
• American military aircraft such as the C-130 Hercules and the CV-22 Osprey also will be involved in the exercise.

Flintlock, which runs until Nov. 20, is an ongoing series of military exercises conducted under the Trans-Sahara Counterterrorism Partnership program and involves the U.S. State Department, U.S. Agency for International Development and the Defense Department.

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