Northwest reservist a ‘Cowboy in Africa’

When U.S. Navy Reserve Petty Officer 2nd Class Frank Gifford, from Boise Idaho deployed to the Horn of Africa with U.S. Army Civil Affairs Team 402, he discovered that the job he was sent to do was only part of the adventure.

Gifford’s Navy rating is an Information Technology Specialist (IT), but he’s also an experienced cowhand, and that’s something the Ugandans don’t see much of around those parts. As it turns out, those skills came in handy during his Individual Augmentee (IA) assignment.

Gifford discovered soon after his arrival that the local population does not have the skills to deal with cattle efficiently. 

“They never get close to the cattle, both because of the size of the animals, and their horns” Gifford explained. “The cattle use the horns to fend off predators, so they are pretty good at using their horns as weapons.”

Gifford, who had plenty of experience working on a farm, went into action to help corral the cattle.

“The locals were rather stunned by the crazy ‘mzungo’ that would get into the coral with the livestock and push them into the vaccinating shoot,” Gifford said (Mzungo is a slang term in the Kiswahili language which applies to Caucasian people in general).

“The corrals here are not of the best quality either, which makes handling the cattle difficult; growing up on a farm really has come in valuable here,” Gifford added.

The overall goal of U.S. military units in the Horn of Africa is to conduct combined joint operations to prevent conflict, to promote regional stability, and protect coalition interest in order to prevail against extremism in the region. Army Civil Affairs team 402 operates in Uganda with a mission to help in the stabilization of the country after 20 years of war against the “Lord’s Resistant Army” (LRA). 

The Ugandan government is attempting to relocate all the displaced persons that fled their homes because of the war. Petty Officer Gifford’s cattle wrangling abilities are helpful in completing part of that mission, referred to as Veterinarian Civil Action Programs (VETCAP).

Other aspects of that mission include vaccinating the local livestock against several types of parasites, worms, ticks, fleas and diseases. Livestock treated include cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, donkeys, ducks, chickens, and dogs. The 402nd to date has helped vaccinate 15,000 animals. 

Gifford found the conditions in which he was working to be a bit challenging, but found the spirit of the people uplifting. He said he feels that what he is doing with the Army Civil Affairs team is making a difference.

“The life of the Ugandans can be tough, especially outside of the cities,” he said. “Here in the bush there is no city water, no fire department, limited medical services, a small police force and the electricity goes off a couple times a week and sometimes it doesn’t come back on for days. What makes it work is that the Ugandan people are willing to help each other in time of need.”

Gifford said VETCAP teams have to work quickly and efficiently because the unit has to be back on the base prior to sunset for security reasons.  However he has found the level of cooperation to be impressive.

“When a fire broke out at the local restaurant, everyone dropped everything they were doing to assist with getting the fire under control,” said Gifford. “Even the language barrier between the Ugandans and the Civil Affairs team did not hamper the fire fighting efforts.

“I was fortunate enough to witness the awesome experience of humanity at its finest. When it mattered most, several distinct groups of people, regardless of differences in creed, race, religion, language or nationality, came together to work effectively and efficiently to extinguish the flames that threatened to destroy a person’s way of life.”

The Civil Affairs team is also conducting water well (borehole) assessments, constructing schools, and other activities to help the local population become more self-sufficient. This included repairing boreholes that were destroyed by the LRA, and drilling new wells in areas that have no access to water. The unit also does assessments for school repairs and builds new schools.

This is much needed assistance to the Ugandan government, which is focusing on improving education as a key factor to help move Uganda from a country of poverty to a country of prosperity.

“The tour here in Africa has been a great personal and professional experience,” said Gifford.