America should base AFRICOM on Crete island, which was once hosted significant American military forces.
While CENTCOM and SOUTHCOM are based in the continental United States, this ship decision should affect the basing decision:
The U.S. Navy muscled up in the eastern Mediterranean Sea this week, announcing that it will homeport a major vessel at Souda Bay in Greece for the first time in at least 40 years.
The USS Hershel “Woody” Williams “provides a new capability in the theater,” U.S. 6th Fleet commander, Vice Adm. Gene Black, said in a statement Friday.
The ship, an expeditionary sea base designed to carry Marines and special operations troops to hot spots or train with partners, is assigned to U.S. Africa Command but will also be available to support other commands.
That ship is earmarked for AFRICOM missions:
This power projection platform will allow for missions along the vast African littorals. I assume Army forces could deploy in the vessel as well during its extended deployment.
I'm honestly shocked the Navy allocated an actual purpose-build hull to AFRICOM. My worries about AFRICOM's priority led me to advocate in Military Review for a modularized auxiliary cruiser that I dubbed The AFRICOM Queen.
But I wanted the capability and not my suggested means to be the priority. So I celebrate the capability. I can only hope that my proposal shamed the Navy into allocating a purpose-built hull. But I of course cannot know that.
If the deployment is a success but the Navy wants its ESB for a higher priority theater, AFRICOM could justify building The AFRICOM Queen.
Given that she has been assigned to a Greek home port, it seems to me that Crete would be a good home for the AFRICOM headquarters.
It is also nice indirect support for Greece against Turkey without putting a thumb in Turkey's eye because the ship is dedicated to Africa missions.
