AFRICOM commander to visit

VICTOR MUYAKWABO
Staff Writer | Tuesday August 14, 2012 00:00

 

General Ham's visit comes at a time when the US Army is collaborating with the Botswana Defence Force (BDF) in an exercise code-named Southern Accord 12.

According to a statement from the American Embassy in Gaborone, General Ham will meet with senior government officials and army officers before participating in the closing ceremony of Southern Accord 12. The joint training activities have reportedly enhanced the capabilities of military personnel of both Botswana and the US in various areas, including humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, anti-poaching, aero-medical, peacekeeping and convoy operations.

Speaking at the official opening of Southern Accord 12 recently, the American Ambassador to Botswana, Michelle Gavin, said the exercise had attracted such attention in the US that some senior government officials were interested in coming to Botswana.

General Ham became commander of the Stuttgart, Germany-headquartered US Africa Command on March 9, 2011. According to information from the US Embassy, General Ham was commissioned in the Infantry as a Distinguished Military Graduate in 1976.

His military service has included assignments in Kentucky, Ohio, California, Georgia, Italy and Germany, to name a few. He has also served in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Macedonia and Iraq.  General Ham has held a variety of positions, among them Recruiting Area Commander, Battalion Executive.