The Military Doesn't Advertise It, But U.S. Troops Are All Over Africa
The U.S. military has some 20 missions across the continent. Most are for training African armies, not for combat. But there are risks as U.S. troops venture into the field.
This story was originally published on Oct. 20, 2017, and is being republished with minor changes to update.
When U.S. troops were ambushed in Niger last October, the widespread reaction was surprise: The U.S. has military forces in Niger? What are they doing there?
Yet in many ways, the Niger operation typifies U.S. military missions underway in roughly 20 African countries, mostly in the northern half of the continent. They tend to be small, they are carried out
