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Lieutenant Colonel C. William Fox, Jr., a physician who has had extensive experience in U.S. activities in Africa over the past two decades, has personally supervised operations that have considerable potential as models for future regional involvement. In this publication, he offers a rationale and vision for future DoD activities in Africa. His account also serves to remind us that substantial strategic benefits can accrue to the United States even from small, tailored teams deployed under creative, energetic leaders.
Although the United States may not have vital interests in Africa, the entire world (including the United States) does have an interest in regional stability, economic development, and unfettered commercial and military access throughout Africa. But most important is disease monitoring and prevention since tropical Africa is one of the "hot zones" from which devastatingly lethal diseases can emerge with little or no warning. For this reason, the author offers rationale for future DoD activities in Africa. He reminds us that substantial benefits can be received even from small, tailored teams if employed under creative, energetic leaders.
Although the United States may not have vital interests in Africa, the entire world (including the United States) does have an interest in regional stability, economic development, and unfettered commercial and military access throughout Africa. But most important is disease monitoring and prevention since tropical Africa is one of the "hot zones" from which devastatingly lethal diseases can emerge with little or no warning. For this reason, the author offers rationale for future DoD activities in Africa. He reminds us that substantial benefits can be received even from small, tailored teams if employed under creative, energetic leaders.
Health problems in the Sub-Saharan African regions could defeat peace efforts and/or reconstruction efforts. This is particularly true in the underdeveloped areas. Several factors are considered: possible pathological effects of tropical climate, communicable disease control, water and food supply, waste disposal, control of mass psychological reactions to death and devastation logistics, and coordinating procedures with other arms and services, and with governmental and private agencies. The situation as examined is non-nuclear, and deals primarily with immediate post conflict problems.
As a recent British immigrant the author was exempt from the compulsory two-year call-up for National Service that all white South African males faced when they turned 18. Despite this he volunteered for National Service in July 1984 and then volunteered to serve in the South African Medical Service. Following basic training he was posted to SAMS' Combat Medical Operation Company (Ops Company) for six months of advanced specialist training. In the lecture room and later in civilian hospitals he learned the arts of stabilising patients, stopping bleeding, maintaining airways, suturing wounds, administering drips and performing minor lifesaving medical procedures. On 1 March 1985 he was sent to SWA/Namibia, where he saw service in Angola until the SADF withdrew its troops a month later. From there he was posted to 53-Battalion's company base at Etale. It was garrisoned by Owambo troops of the SWATF's 101-Battalion and white National Servicemen. He writes about border patrols conducted on foot and in Buffel mine protected fighting vehicles, seeking out SWAPO's armed guerrillas who had infiltrated from Angola and the constant anticipation of ambush by an elusive foe.He tells of the stabilisation and casevac of casualties by helicopter.In truth white National Service units achieved little success in the border war against an underrated enemy. As one senior officer put it: 'In my view SWAPO, despite inferior weaponry, was ahead of us in most respects. We took a boy who had just matriculated, gave him a gun, two or three months of basic training - and threw him into the middle of a country that he didn't know, people he didn't understand and an enemy he had never seen. No wonder he didn't do very well. Nevertheless, the young conscripts bore a terrible load, for which they received little gratitude.' So this is not the story of elite and glamorous fighting units like the Reconnaissance Commandos, Koevoet, 32-Battalion, or the Parachute Battalions and the successes they achieved, but of young, white, conscripted National Serviceman, often straight from school, who were thrown headfirst into a guerrilla war in a country outside of South Africa and far from home. Many National Servicemen, including 37 Ops Medics, died fighting in the Border War. Fifteen were awarded the Honoris Crux (two of the silver grade) for bravery - four posthumously.
Four articles include: U.S. national interests in Sub-Saharan Africa; a military model for conflict resolution in Sub-Saharan Africa; phantom warriors: disease as a threat to U.S. national security; and military downsizing in the developing world: process, problems, and possibilities. Also includes a 24-page report, "U.S. Security Strategy for Sub-Saharan Africa" (1995).