President Bush Visits Monrovia, February 21st, 2008

Reflections on the Armed Forces of Liberia; 10 years on...

When the President of the United States visits a foreign country, it is a significant emotional experience not only for the host nation, but for our diplomatic missions as well. American embassies spend a great deal of time preparing for even brief visits. Weeks or months of planning go into each visit. And regardless of who is president, the entire country team works to make the visit a success. While stationed in Monrovia as the Chief of the Office of Defense Cooperation (ODC) in February 2008, I participated in President Bush's visit to Liberia. It was whistle stop tour at the end of a brief stop on the continent, during which he visited Benin, Tanzania, Rwanda, Ghana and finally, Liberia.

While reviled by European and American elites and abused without end by American media elites, he was (and, frankly, remains) wildly popular in much of Africa. This is attributable to numerous programs his administration either initiated or expanded, as well as interventions. Regardless of how Berlin, Peoria or Boston felt about him, on that day in Monrovia he was more than a rock star. Hundreds of thousands of Liberians lined the sides of Monrovia's streets to get a glimpse of his motorcade and roar their enthusiasm. It all might have been very different, as just a few years earlier the Bush Administration was very slow to act or intervene to end the Liberian civil war. It was only after Liberians dumped bodies in front of the embassy that Army troops and Marines went ashore to protect the embassy. Many Liberians were bitterly disappointed it took so much to get American involved in that mess.

By 2008, any lingering harsh feelings were long gone, or at least well hidden. I'll never forget the cheering crowds, the warm welcome, the thousands who tried to be part of history at the University of Liberia and later at his only public speaking event in the Barclay Training Center (BTC). On his arrival at the BTC, I personally greeted the president and had a brief conversation with him before he went to address all embassy employees, American and Liberian. Then came the pass in review as the new Armed Forces of Liberia showed their stuff, marching past both presidents at a well executed ceremony.

During his remarks, President Bush showed off a wry sense of humor when he told the assembled crowd "I feel pretty much at home here. In Liberia, you fly the Lone Star flag." As the former governor of the Lone Star Republic (Texas), his remark put the crowd at ease. It was a grand event for the AFL, the Government of Liberia and for President Bush. After so much turmoil in Iraq, no doubt this visit provided some degree of relief for the White House. In truth, there was much to chalk of as successful in Liberia. In spite of chronic funding shortfalls and countless unanticipated obstacles and problems, by the end of February 2008, there was a long list of milestones achieved in the Security Sector Reform for National Defense program for the Armed Forces of Liberia. Chief among them:

• Demobilization the Armed Forces of Liberia (13,770 troops)
•  Demobilized the Ministry of Defense; retrained new 110 candidates through a 17 week course; Ministry of Defense hired 91 graduates
•  Recruiting and vetting of over 14,000 AFL applicants
•  Facilities construction: three military bases rehabilitated (BTC, Camp Ware, EBK); training base constructed at Camp Ware (VOA) with rifle ranges, obstacle course, barracks
•  Graduated 1,090 basic training recruits
•  Conducted three Infantry Advanced Individual Training (AIT) with 1086 graduates
•  Three Basic Non-Commissioned Officers Course (BNCOC) with 250 graduates
•  Three Officer Candidate School (OCS) courses with 49 graduates
•  Specialized training courses:

1.  Military Police (2 classes; 32 soldiers)
2. Unit Supply Specialist (20 soldiers)
3. Combat Medics (19 soldiers)
4. Combat Engineers (25 soldiers)
5. Human Resources Specialist Course (11 soldiers)
6. Core Instructor Course (18 soldiers)
7. Drivers Training Course (12 soldiers),

•  Commissioned the first 27 officers in the new AFL
•  Recruited, vetted, trained and equipped 40 member AFL Band
•  Activated the first three infantry companies of the new AFL (A, B, C Companies)

The pace of training picked up as President Bush departed and we made a final push to complete initial entry training and specialty training for the balance of the expected 2,000 soldier new AFL. By the time I departed in September we had surpassed the training objectives.

Colonel Chris Wyatt, September 9th, 2017