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Marines, sailors and coast guardsmen assigned to Special-Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force Crisis Response-Africa and members of the Compagnie Fusilier de Marin Commandos pose for a picture after a graduation ceremony in St. Louis, Senegal, July 9, 2015. More than 30 members of the Fusilier Marins graduated a nearly six-week long maritime security force assistance training course, where the U.S. service members taught the Senegalese small-boat operations and light infantry skills.

Photo by Cpl. Lucas Hopkins

From sea to shore; U.S. Marines, Senegalese conclude exercise

13 Jul 2015 | Cpl. Lucas Hopkins The Official United States Marine Corps Public Website

Approximately 15 U.S. Marines, sailors and coast guardsmen assigned to Special-Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force Crisis Response-Africa conducted a final exercise with more than 25 Compagnie Fusilier de Marin Commandos in St. Louis, Senegal, July 8.

The Fusilier Marins conduct amphibious assaults and river patrols within Senegal and are deployed to other areas around Africa. They rounded out the six-week training by executing a small-boat raid on a simulated enemy compound to destroy an ammunition supply point.

“On their deployments, most of their operations are small boat raids, just like our final exercise,” said Marine Capt. Joseph Burger, the team’s officer-in-charge. “We did the best we could to simulate a realistic environment where there is some stress induced.”

During the exercise, the U.S. service members took a step back from the trainer role used for most of the course, allowing the Fusilier Marins to showcase what they had learned over the previous six weeks. Several of the Marines took defensive positions, playing the role of the opposing force on the beach, giving the Senegalese a chance to conduct a more realistic simulated assault.

“[The Fusilier Marins] have been able to effectively take what they’ve learned and apply it to their mission,” said Marine Lance Cpl. William Haughey, a rifleman with SPMAGTF-CR-AF. “They stormed the beach, maneuvered with precision and executed the attack as quietly and stealthily as they could.”

On the following day, the U.S. service members and Fusiler Marins drew the evolution to a close by holding a graduation ceremony. Throughout the evolution, the service members taught and trained their Senegalese partners on small-boat operations and maintenance as well as light infantry tactics, including patrolling, combat marksmanship, and sea-to-land raids and assaults.

“I saw a full commitment from the Marines. They came here and gave us as much as they could,” said Senegalese 1st Lt. Goumalo Sall, a company commander with the Compagnie Fusilier de Marin Commandos. “Since their arrival, I’ve watched my soldiers get better and better.”

The training helped prepare the Fusilier Marins for upcoming deployments to the Casamance region of Senegal and other locations throughout Africa to help provide peace and stability.

“We’re going to continue to build their capacity to promote stability in the region and the interoperability between the two groups,” said Burger.

As the graduating Fusilier Marins prepare to bring the additional infantry and small-boat skills learned to their real-world operations, the U.S. and Senegal service members look forward for potential future engagements.

“We are building good relationships,” said Sall. “I’m looking forward to future training sessions.”

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