The crackling sound that accompanied a thick layer of smoke was refreshingly not part of a training day for the Marines of second platoon, Ground Combat Element, Security Cooperation Task Force Africa Partnership Station 2011, as the juices of several seasoned burgers dripped down onto the glowing coals that lay along the bottom of the grill.
As the music played and the good times rolled, the APS-11 Marines alongside Marines from Marine Security Guard Detachment Dakar enjoyed a social gathering and barbecue at the MSG detachment, a well-earned break from the last three weeks of partnered security cooperation between the GCE and Senegalese Commandos.
“This is what a lot of the Marines needed,” said Cpl. Jonathan Sass, a motor transport operator and Marine Corps Martial Arts Instructor with the GCE. “This has given everyone a nice break to refresh and regroup so we can be ready for the next part of the deployment,” added Sass, a Clearwater, Fla. native.
Games of ping pong, corn hole, Call of Duty, and basketball kept the Marines busy as they waited on the burgers to cook through to perfection.
Though it was the first time for the GCE to meet the MSG Marines, there was much to be said for the bond between fellow Marines throughout the event.
“The great thing about Marines is this-,” said Gunnery Sgt. Michael Connors, platoon sergeant and a Fitchburg, Mass. native. “You can put a bunch of guys who don’t know each other together, but we all share this patch over our heart and because we have that in common, we can have a party like we’ve been neighbors for years.”
In the hodgepodge of military occupational specialties, ranks, units, and experiences, the underlying similarity of ‘Marine’ kept the tempo of the cookout upbeat and full of conversation. Whether by the pool or gathered around an intense corn hole game, the Marines stayed intent on learning from one another and enjoying each other’s company.
“Usually when you think about Marines at an embassy you think of them standing post,” said Sass. “It was cool to see that yes, we’re professional Marines, but we still have a place to call our own and enjoy ourselves even in another country.”
As the tables were broken down and chairs were stacked neatly onto one another, the assurance of a bond between newly acquainted brothers was obvious.
“For the MSG Marines to open up their doors without question and show us the great time and hospitality that they did- that’s what Marines are all about,” said Connors.
Security Cooperation Task Force Africa Partnership Station 2011 is an APS-11 asset that conducts hands-on, partnered engagement designed to strengthen participating nations’ maritime security capacity through multilateral collaboration and cross-border cooperation. The SCTF, based out of Camp Lejeune, N.C., is supported by Marine Corps Forces, Africa as it deploys throughout the Marine Corps’ area of activities in Africa. The task force began its deployment to Ghana in March and is slated to continue its follow-on mission at Gabon in June.