Friendship Airborne Operation
A U.S. Army Soldier assigned to the 19th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Utah Army National Guard, sits on the tarmac of an airport in Grier Labouihi, Morocco, waiting to board a Moroccan C-130 during an airborne operation during African Lion 22, June 19, 2022. African Lion 22 is U.S. Africa Command's largest, premier, joint, combined annual exercise hosted by Morocco, Ghana, Senegal, and Tunisia, June 6 - 30. More than 7,500 participants from 28 nations and NATO train together with a focus on enhancing readiness for U.S. and partner-nation forces. AL22 is a joint all-domain, multi-component, and multinational exercise, employing a full array of mission capabilities with the goal to strengthen interoperability among participants and set the theater for strategic access. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Spc. Mackenzie Willden)