Africa Command and the Militarization of U.S. Foreign Policy

Africa is worthy of increased attention and U.S. national policy is adjusting to meet the continent's rising strategic value. Rife with disease, war, and desperate poverty, Africa presents unique security challenges that threaten both the U.S. core value of preserving human dignity and America's strategic priority of combating global terror. The President's African policy establishes a goal of ensuring an African continent that knows liberty, peace, stability, and increasing prosperity. In pursuit of this goal, the U.S. finds itself in the unique position to leverage a momentous shift in military focus which aims to mitigate conditions that lead to conflict by working with allies and partners to shape the international environment by promoting stability and security. USAFRICOM is the embodiment of this opportunity. However, there are those who argue USAFRICOM represents the militarization of U.S. foreign policy. Here perception is trumping reality as U.S. efforts do little to alleviate the perception of policy militarization. Yet, the U.S. can recover by implementing an integrated 3D security engagement policy. To do less would not only ensure the U.S. wastes an opportunity to realize what is arguably a genuine revolution in military affairs; it would also fall short of its stated national objectives.