U.S. service members taking part in Exercise Western Accord volunteered to help the local community's agricultural growth in Keur Demba Kebe, Senegal, July 17, 2012, by planting a live fence around a field to protect crops of a local farmer.



"The civil affairs team wanted to delve into the population in a sustainable manor that would help the community," said Major Kara Zummo, the civil affairs team leader attached to 11th Marine Regiment.



The civil affairs mission helps engage the local population with military commanders to build the capacity of local governments, promote stability throughout the region and build partnerships and trust among West African partners.



A variety of live fencing species were planted around the perimeter of the shared-cropping farm. Euphorbia Turicala was planted on one side of the field while the other side was planted with Acacia Nilotica. The Euphorbia grows in a low dense hedge and contains poisonous latex that will deter animals from entering the field. Acacia is a thorny species that can be pruned into hedges to protect the field.



"This is really great, because the owner has been wanting to get an enclosure in here," said Modou Mbaaye, the nephew of the owner of the field. "We haven't had the means to put a fence in until you all showed up and donated the supplies and time."



What would have taken the local residents a year to accomplish, took the service members hours.



A large part of the civil affairs mission is to give back to communities and they accomplished that mission, said Corporal David Wyble, a civil affairs Marine with 11th Marines.



The civil affairs group also played a large role with the humanitarian civil aide clinic that was part of the exercise.



"Civil affairs is designed to work with the local populace and the military in the area," said Zummo. "We also exercise populace resource control to control the [visitors] coming in and out of the clinic."



The experience at the farm allowed them to get even closer to the local residents.



"The citizens of Senegal are very unique citizens and it made me feel good to be actually out there working with them one-on-one," said Wyble. "It extended our reach of Western Accord into the population."



U.S. service members, primarily reservists from the Marines, Army, Navy, and Air Force took part in WA-12 -- a multi-lateral exercise with Senegalese and several Western African nations. The exercise focused on various types of military training to include: live-fire training, peacekeeping operations, intelligence capacity building, command post, and disaster response training.



In addition, a medical humanitarian assistance project and exercise-related construction ran concurrent with the training. The exercise is coordinated by U.S. Marine Forces Africa and ran from June 26 - July 24.



More than 600 U.S. service members and approximately 600 members of the Armed Forces of Senegal, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Gambia and France participated. These nations are part of the Economic Community of West African States; a united front of African nations that have banded together for economic benefit.



See also: Crisis Event Plays Out as U.S. Military Reservists Train West African Forces