Out of This World

Video by Sgt. 1st Class Solomon Navarro

B-Roll: US paratroopers face harsh conditions, conduct dry-fire weapons drills at African Lion 2025

U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa

May 5, 2025 | 1:00

U.S. Paratroopers with Dog Company, 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade, conduct dry-fire crew-served weapons drills with the M2A1 heavy machine gun, M240B machine gun, MK19 automatic grenade launcher, and TOW missile system during African Lion 2025 (AL25) at Range 6, Centre d’Entraînement Tactique 2 (CET2), Dodji, Senegal, May 6, 2025. Despite an intense dust storm and wind gusts reaching 30 knots, which ultimately forced the cancellation of the live-fire event, the unit maintained readiness through dry-fire rehearsals and weapons system validation under austere conditions. AL25, the largest annual military exercise in Africa, brings together over 50 nations, including seven NATO allies and 10,000 troops to conduct realistic, dynamic and collaborative training in an austere environment that intersects multiple geographic and functional combatant commands. Led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) on behalf of the U.S. Africa Command, AL25 takes place from April 14 to May 23, 2025, across Ghana, Morocco, Senegal, and Tunisia. This large-scale exercise will enhance our ability to work together in complex, multi-domain operations—preparing forces to deploy, fight and win. (U.S. Army video by Sgt. 1st Class Solomon Navarro)