Master Sgt. Joshua Heaton, Georgia Army National Guard,

Master Sgt. Joshua Heaton, Georgia Army National Guard, and Scott McWhorter, Southern European Task Force, Africa, survey a small arms firing range in Morocco Jan. 20, 2021. Heaton and McWhorter joined two dozen U.S. military planners in Morocco to establish plans for the African Lion 21 exercise, scheduled for June. African Lion, U.S. Africa Command's largest exercise, has increased interoperability among U.S. partners and allies since 2003. Plans for AL21 involve more than 10,000 troops from the United States, Morocco, Tunisia, Senegal and elsewhere. The global COVID-19 pandemic curtailed the previous year's exercise. Plans for AL21 include COVID-19 mitigations and flexible options to ensure maximum participation and value for participating countries. (U.S. Army photo by Maj. Cain S. Claxton)