Marines' Africa Crisis Task Force Gears for Change as It Shrinks | Military.com: The Marine Corps' crisis response task force for Africa will see its air contingent cut in half in 2017 as the service strives to build up aviation readiness at home.
As a result, outgoing task force commander Col. Martin Wetterauer said this month, the unit will be able to take on only one major mission at a time, joint military exercises with other nations will be cut back, and training for pilots deployed with the task force will present a significant challenge.
In a move first announced by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joseph Dunford during congressional testimony in May, Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force Crisis Response-Africa -- created following the 2012 attacks on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya -- is cutting back from 12 MV-22B Ospreys to six and from six C-130 Hercules aircraft to three in the new year.
As that takes place, Wetterauer said during a briefing near Washington, D.C., on Dec. 15, the capacity of the unit will change.
"[The reduction in aircraft] doesn't change our ability to conduct the mission, but it changes the ability to conduct multiple missions," he said.
