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Lt. Col. Matthew Kreiter, commander of the Sixth 54 Security
Forces Assistance Battalion, said the battalion is a military
unit that’s specifically trained to engage with foreign military
partners. The team from Illinois will help advise the Djibouti
military.
“It’s been an ongoing mission for some time now, as they are a
strong partner of the U.S. The intent there is really just to
strengthen our footprint as well as our partners’ capabilities
over there in Africa,” Kreiter said.
The battalion is based at Rock Island Arsenal. Kreiter said the
people in this unit have already been in command or leadership
roles.
“Having come from those leadership positions, it gives them a
real opportunity to kind of exploit their capabilities and help
further their career,” Kreiter said.
The deployment to Djibouti is expected to last about six months.
A mission like this can help National Guard recruiting efforts,
Kreiter said.
“It absolutely does. Soldiers want to be engaged in challenging
situations and have the opportunity to interact with partner
forces and really showcase their capabilities,” Kreiter
explained.
The Sixth Battalion 54th Security Force Assistance Brigade has
sent soldiers to three different continents this summer.
Kreiter recently returned from a mission in Romania while
another group from the battalion deployed in the Philippines.
Kreiter said the units help build militaries in those countries.
“Specifically, we’re a logistics-advising unit, so we’re really
focusing on the logistics advising, improving sustainment for
our partner forces,” Kreiter said.
The security assistance missions are funded by the U.S.
Department of Defense.
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