Excellent Article on African Partnership Station

David Axe is to the Navy, Coast Guard, and Air Force what Phillip Carter has become covering the Army and Marines, and since David already lives in Washington, we encourage the Washington Post to offer David a job and complete the circle of military coverage. Between Phillip Carter and David Axe, it would be very difficult for any other news organization to employ two other bloggers who get it strategically and understand it all tactically in regards to all the military services.

David's article today in World Politics Review is an excellent piece on the African Partnership Station, and is the first I've seen outside the military that ties in the strategic vision and the tactical day to day in what the Navy is trying to accomplish with its soft power strategy.

Last week the U.S. Navy amphibious ship Fort McHenry quietly slipped into Naples harbor in Italy, home of the U.S. Sixth Fleet, ending a six-month deployment to the West African coast. The 16,000-ton vessel's mission, though largely unheralded, signaled a sea change in the Navy's strategy.

During its October-to-April cruise, Fort McHenry visited 19 ports in 10 countries, from Liberia to Senegal, supporting scientists, aid workers and military trainers from the U.S. and allied militaries -- and delivering half a million meals to starving families. The Pentagon calls the vessel's mix of training, diplomacy, science and humanitarian assistance the "Africa Partnership Station," and aims to make it a regular affair.

It's all part of Defense Secretary Robert Gates' increasing emphasis on addressing underlying societal ills before they fester into full-blown conflicts. Instead of bombing, shooting and capturing bad guys, "ultimate success or failure will increasingly depend more on shaping the behavior of others -- friends and adversaries, and most importantly, the people in between," Gates said in an April 21 speech in Alabama.

We recommend reading in full. We also note David has the inside information at the end of the article on what to expect for the East African Partnership Station, another unique deployment that you Coast Guard folks might find very interesting.