U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa/U.S. 6th Fleet’s Post

#DYK that Women, Peace and Security (WPS) was a feature of the recently completed exercise #CutlassExpress24? In Djibouti, Kenya, and the Seychelles, US Navy & NAVAF WPS facilitators Carrie Compton and Lt. Cmdr. Kristell Faustino, along with Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa (CTJF-HOA) WPS facilitator Sgt. 1st Class James Huggins, led a series of familiarization briefs and discussions with partner nation participants about the role of women in national and international peace processes and security efforts. “I think WPS is really important, it's made me understand the importance of having women in those positions…and the actual outcomes that women can influence or change – making peace for example,” said Seychellois WPS participant Emmanuelle Hoareau, a legal advisor who provides assistance to the Regional Coordination Operations Center located in the Seychelles. “It's important for me to realize that and do something and make a difference in that regard.” After these classroom trainings and group discussions, Compton, Faustino and Huggins led a robust program of injects and scenario-based assessments and evaluations throughout Cutlass Express 2024, testing participants’ knowledge of the WPS program and their application of WPS principles into exercise evolutions. “We incorporated WPS-themed injects into one scenario each day in each primary exercise location for us to assess, so this exercise has been the most successful for NAVAF WPS, with significant involvement of WPS equities throughout the entire process," said Compton. “This concept is still establishing a baseline, but Cutlass Express 2024 will allow us to create a better baseline of information to start building more value in subsequent iterations.” These scenarios involved countering human trafficking and weapons smuggling. Partner nation personnel took charge of individual events, bolstering their ability to lead a team in WPS fundamentals while also enhancing their own understanding of things like visit, board, search and seizure (VBSS), search techniques and hostage identification and rescue. “This training has been very beneficial and we have learned a lot about WPS, maritime security, and the importance of women in important defense and military positions,” said Nasteho Mouhoumed, a WPS participant from the Djiboutian Coast Guard. “Practicing together during Cutlass Express ensures we have a standardized understanding of the program and how we can use this program in our own countries.” For more: https://lnkd.in/dm9mZN29 U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) | United States Department of Defense | U.S. Department of State

Women make waves in East Africa’s Cutlass Express 2024

Women make waves in East Africa’s Cutlass Express 2024

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