NAIROBI, Kenya -- NAIROBI, Kenya -- In a significant display of international cooperation, senior special operations forces (SOF) leaders from more than 40 nations convened for the Silent Warrior 2025 symposium in December. The conference aimed to collaboratively address the continent's complex and shifting security landscape. Jointly hosted by the Kenyan Special Operations Forces Command (KENSOF) and U.S. Special Operations Command Africa (USSOCAFRICA), this year's event emphasized a united dedication. The core theme centered on responding to mutual threats by empowering and building African-led security solutions.
The expertise of the six LEAP Scholars who participated in Silent Warrior 2025 proved to be a critical factor in its success.
“The LEAP Scholars did a great job at supporting SW25,” said Lt. Col. Cesar Feliciano, Chief of Engagements J5, Special Operations Command Africa (SOCAF). “Their language skills, cultural insight, and proactive attitude were instrumental in helping the SOCAF Command maximize the impact of engagements during their largest and most significant military-to-military event of the year. They demonstrated exceptional readiness, assisting in all situations, and their willingness to bring value in every capacity truly showcased their professionalism and dedication.”
One reason for the LEAP Scholars’ effectiveness was their willingness to take on whatever role was needed to ensure the mission was accomplished.
“The largest role the LEAP scholars played in Silent Warrior was facilitating bilateral meetings between the U.S. and an African nation,” said Capt. Ciarra Douglas, Director, Wing Inspections, 352 SOW, RAF Mildenhall, United Kingdom. “While the plenary sessions and breakouts had professional simultaneous interpretation in French, Arabic and Portuguese, the bilateral meetings did not. One particularly impactful moment for me was using my French to facilitate a 45-minute meeting between the U.S. SOCAF Commander and the Cameroonian Special Operations Delegation.”
“I was there to provide real-time Arabic language support to the SOCAFRICA commander and senior staff,” said Lt. Col. Kevin Beaty, Iran/Iraq/Syria (I2S) Division Directorate for Strategy, Plans, and Policy (J-5), Joint Staff, The Pentagon. “Meanwhile, as the senior LEAP officer, I stepped in as the de facto team commander by coordinating and streamlining operational planning and tactical requirements with SOCAFRICA leadership. This enabled better utilization of the LEAP scholars’ world-class linguistic support throughout the entire event, especially during a medical emergency involving a senior African general.”
“My main role involved working with other LEAP Scholars to provide French interpretation to help facilitate discussion between US Special Ops Africa team and other French speaking conference attendees,” said Maj. Peter Barnes, a Dermatologist at the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center. “We also provided logistical support at the conference, including attending pre-conference meetings, helping with the run-throughs, and welcoming guests as they arrived at the conference, often in their native language.”
The versatility of LEAP Scholars allows them to thrive in missions working with joint services and partner nations.
“Joint operations are at the core of what LEAP means,” said Beaty. “We’re able to cross linguistic borders and eliminate cultural silos to accelerate mission success. LEAP scholars thrive in a joint world with partners and allies, and we were at the forefront of Silent Warrior 2025. Additionally, our LEAP scholars came from a wide variety of career fields, ranging from Security Forces to Dermatology. So, we were able to support each other and advise on a wide array of topics as the mission required.”
“It was a really great opportunity to work with personnel from every branch of the U.S. military but also partner nations,” said Douglas. “SOCAF is an organization that faces lots of complex challenges, as the continent of Africa is vast and incredibly diverse. Watching how SOCAF leaders worked to address these challenges and worked to have African Nations connect with each other demonstrated the best of U.S. expertise and problem solving.
“It was a fulfilling experience working with service members from US Army, Navy and Marines as well as civilians but the highlight for me was meeting and interacting with military members and delegates from African and partner nations,” said Barnes. “I was struck by the humility and collegiality of these military members and enjoyed learning about their various military and life experiences.”
That feeling of mutual respect wasn’t just a byproduct of the conference; it was the bedrock upon which tangible success was built. The LEAP Scholars were not only facilitating conversation; they were also enabling mission-critical outcomes. Their value was demonstrated not just in scheduled meetings, but in their ability to respond to events and leverage their unique professional backgrounds to forge connections that would have otherwise been impossible.
“The important thing to remember is that we walked in and were instantly viewed as critical enablers,” said Beaty. “This was based on the amazing LEAP scholars who had participated in previous iterations of this event. They had set the bar high, and we were standing on their shoulders. Our LEAP team added value from the moment we landed. Each member brought unique skillsets to the table. In addition to his French skills, Maj. Barnes was able to support an unexpected key leader engagement (KLE) involving Ukrainian partners because he also had expertise in that language. Capt. Douglas, as an experienced SOF aviator, was the key link for high-level French language engagements. Capt. Alves was the sole source for Portuguese support for all the partners in the event. Every other LEAP scholar had at least one other person on the team to share the linguistic load. 1st Lt. Chahir leveraged his Arabic expertise to defuse a logistical problem with an Arab general and improved the success of direct engagements by SOCAFRICA commander and defense partners. In addition to supporting multiple KLEs and bilateral events, 1st Lt. Diallo facilitated live translation in a high-stress and unconventional situation. She responded to a medical emergency involving a French-speaking African general. 1st Lt Diallo accompanied him in the ambulance to the Nairobi hospital, where she enabled real-time diagnosis and medical treatment by translating between the general and the host nation’s medical staff. Her decisive actions facilitated the general’s rapid recovery and return to mission, which resulted in strengthened bilateral relations between the United States and a key African partner. Based on her efforts, she was personally coined by the SOCAFRICA Commander.”
The actions of Diallo and her fellow LEAP Scholars are a vivid illustration of the program’s purpose. They prove that a LEAP Scholar’s worth isn’t measured on paper, but in their ability to navigate complex human and geopolitical landscapes under pressure. This is a capability that no technology can replicate and one that is vital to national security.
“LEAP scholars provide a unique set of skills that cannot be matched,” said Beaty. “We are more than a DLPT (Defense Language Proficiency Test) score or service as a biological Google translator. As displayed by the LEAP team in Silent Warrior 2025, we are critical enablers for national security and the U.S. relationship with our partners and allies. Therefore, the LEAP system and scholars warrant deliberate investments and focused development. LEAP scholars provide the true “A.I.” (Actual Interactions) needed at the table, especially when it’s a no-fail mission like protecting our nation.”