Here is another great example of the expansion of the US military’s AFRICOM operations:

The 786th Air Expeditionary Squadron this week is wrapping up a 13-day mission in Africa to transport Rwandan troops and supplies into and out of Darfur.

The 50-man unit includes airmen from the 86th Contingency Response Group at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, and two aircrews from Charleston Air Force Base, S.C.

Based at Kigali International Airport in the capital city, the squadron has assisted the African Union in seven peacekeeping missions to the war-torn region in western Sudan since 2004.

This time around, the squadron and its C-17 rotated 2,200 Rwandan troops.

“We’ve got a small team of people who can do a lot,” said Capt. Erin Dorrance, spokeswoman for the 786th.

When they’re not working, the airmen enjoy interacting with the locals in Kigali — a city bustling with tourists, many who are there to see the silverback mountain gorillas, she said. [Stars & Stripes]

The importance of this operation is not so much the transporting of troops from point A to B, but the relationships being developed with working with the Rwandan military.  US military personnel working with Rwandan soldiers will break down any suspicions or stereotypes the Rwandan soldiers may have had about the American military and will make future operations working with the Rwandan military that much easier. 

Imagine if the US military had a strong working relationship with the Rwandan military before the genocide of the 1990s occurred?  Many lives may have been able to be saved.  The new Africa Command is trying to build as many relationships in Africa as possible in order to avoid future Rwandan genocides and this operation is just one of the many first steps in this endeavor taking place.