ABOARD THE U.S.S. NASHVILLE -- In 2007, the U.S. Navy amphibious ship Fort McHenry sailed on a six-month cruise down the West African coast. Her mission: to deliver training and humanitarian aid to new and emerging U.S. allies, in a bid to foster good will and security in a troubled and rapidly growing region. The Navy called the mission "Africa Partnership Station," and aimed to make it a regular affair.
Two years later, U.S.S. Nashville, a ship similar to Fort McHenry, sailed a similar route, calling at the countries of Senegal, Ghana, Cameroon, Nigeria, Gabon and Sao Tome and Principe, expanding and refining the Africa Partnership Station concept. Since January, Nashville's 500-person crew has delivered tons of humanitarian aid, provided free medical care to hundreds of patients, helped rebuild schools and, perhaps most importantly, trained thousands of African sailors and coast guardsmen to better look after their waters.
Nashville's successful cruise, observed by World Politics Review during a five-day visit to the ship, has helped establish Africa Partnership Station as the centerpiece of a new national "smart-power" strategy for preventing conflict.