CJTF-HOA – As Justified Accord 2025 (JA25) concluded on Feb. 15, 2025, service members from the Tanzania People’s Defense Force chanted “America and Tanzania forever”.

This was the mutual feeling that reverberated throughout the entire week-long exercise that included U.S. Army soldiers with the East Africa Response Force (EARF) and U.S. Marines of Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 164 (REIN), assigned to Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF), the Nebraska National Guard, and the Tanzania People’s Defense Force (TPDF) service members.

The last day culminated with a field training exercise (FTX) and a closing ceremony at the Msata Military Training Base in Msata, Tanzania.

With exercises like JA25, service members endure long days and rigorous training; naturally, many walk away fatigued and exhausted. However, for the service members from the U.S. and Tanzania at JA25, it was a completely different experience.

“The approach we took was relationship based. Our team really enjoyed exchanging aspects of each other’s culture,” said U.S. Army Capt. Omar Aybar, EARF commander. “The sincere mutual respect between the two nations enabled every team to engage in cultural and tactical exchanges, ultimately contributing to the mission’s success.”

Aybar said his team’s interactions with the TPDF was profoundly unique, especially for some on his team, this being their first deployment.

“All of the team adapted to the TPDF culture in a span of hours after arriving in Tanzania. After each day’s training had ended, we went and shared food together, learned a cultural dance the TPDF taught us, and built friendships that will last for years to come,” said Aybar.

He attributes the success of JA25 to the mutual respect each nation exhibited during the exercise and said, for many, these exchanges built bonds where everyone felt like they had known each other for years.

As an example, during meal times, every soldier saved a seat to their left and right for the TPDF to simply enjoy each other’s company and share stories of family and friends back home.

This partnership also led to several knowledge exchanges throughout the exercise such as learning about each other’s weapon systems to the TPDF teaching tactics geared toward the East African terrain.

The FTX incorporated the previous four-day training with the combined, joint teams, and included tactical combat casualty care, weapons fundamentals, squad attack drills, improvised explosive device familiarization, troop leading procedures, and hot and cold load for patient evacuation.

“The TPDF and EARF leaders came together in the beginning of JA25 and made a deliberate decision to have every squad be a united mix of Tanzania and U.S. service members,” said Aybar.

According to Aybar, after the FTX, a TPDF leader said they were going to advocate for more training days for JA26 because, for both nations, many walked away with not only world-class training, but with lasting friendships.

Also, during the closing ceremony, a TPDF soldier approached Aybar saying the exercise was the highlight of his military career, referring to both the training and the friendships that were forged.

After the closing ceremony TPDF Maj. Gen. Selemani Mzee who represented Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) General Jacob Nkunda, spoke about the importance of the partnership during an interview.

“The primary goal of these exercises is to ensure that our soldiers have a common understanding and are equipped to address challenges that require military operations to resolve. We expect this collaboration to continue in training our soldiers,” said Mzee.

Aybar noted that his proudest moment was witnessing both nations bonding over how much they respected one another.

“They’re great human beings and great warriors,” Aybar said about the TPDF. “I am proud of how soldiers from both nations were able to build this partnership through this amazing experience.”

CJTF-HOA plays a central role in building security partnerships across East Africa, and its participation in JA25 reinforces its mission of strengthening regional stability through military cooperation, training and capacity-building initiatives. The collaboration and expertise shared between U.S., Tanzanian, and other partner forces represents the collective ability to address security challenges and improve military readiness in the region.

JA25 is the premier U.S. Africa Command (USAFRICOM) exercise in East Africa, designed to enhance multinational combat readiness, strengthen crisis response capabilities and empower allies and partners in the region. Led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) and hosted by Kenya, Djibouti and Tanzania, JA25 integrates high-intensity training scenarios that sharpen warfighting skills, increase operational reach and enhance the ability to execute complex joint and multinational operations.