Col. Eric Leckel, commander of the Wisconsin Army National Guard’s 157th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade (MEB), told approximately 280 deploying Soldiers as well as their families and friends about the historic nature of their upcoming mission at a formal sendoff ceremony Sept. 30 at the Miller High Life Theater in downtown Milwaukee.
“This is one of the most unique, diverse and challenging missions a unit will ever have the opportunity to partake in,” Leckel said. “Each and every one of the Soldiers of the 157th MEB will be a critical piece within the only standing force on the continent of Africa.”
That would be Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), an operation of the U.S. African Command (AFRICOM). The combined joint task force’s mission is to promote regional security and stability, dissuade conflict, and protect United States’ and coalition interests in that region.
Leckel said his troops — the 157th MEB headquarters company and the 357th Signal Company — would have the opportunity to contribute at a strategic level to the overall U.S. global security objective.
