Combatant Commands Research Guide

Your essential starting point for understanding AFRICOM and its mission.

What is AFRICOM?  U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) is the U.S. military's geographic combatant command for Africa, based in Stuttgart.

AFRICOM Mission - Overview of regional operations.

AFRICOM Posture Statement - Annual update from AFRICOM leadership to Congress on strategy and activities.

History and Formation – Evolution of AFRICOM and its unique mission.

DoD Spotlight: U.S. Africa Command - Recent news stories and resources from the Department of Defense.

Africa Center for Strategic Studies

DoD-affiliated research center with high-quality, readable policy briefs.

Infographics | Research Publications | Security Topics

Top books and government reports with direct relevance to U.S. military strategy in Africa.

Books (Selected & Annotated)

Background Information & Key Government Reports

Visualize AFRICOM’s area of responsibility and regional missions.

Enter your search terms and click Search to find an e-book:

Below are links to e-books containing information on AFRICOM:

Use the Library Online Catalog to search for printed book titles, which may also be available electronically.

Security Studies on JSTOR is an excellent resource to find research reports from different policy institutes in the field of security studies.  Keyword is the default search in JSTOR with the option to refine results by publication year, content type and subject.  Advanced Search allows more precise searching. 

Below are some reports from this collection:

A variety of quality, open access reports are also available from government and private research organizations.  Important sources include:

• Congressional Research Service (CRS)
• RAND Corporation - explore featured reports on Africa and Six Geographic Areas

Below is a selected list of reports from different research institutions:

U.S. Army War College special 3-part anniversary series written by featured policy experts in 2017:

Enter a journal title to check full-text availability and coverage in all library collections:

Recommended journal articles for current analysis and deeper exploration:

Journals to Explore:

🔗 Peacekeeping & Regional Security Coalitions

Understand the broader security ecosystem in Africa, these organizations and missions play direct roles in regional security, conflict response, and counterterrorism, often working in coordination with AFRICOM or influencing its engagements.

🔗 Regional Political & Economic Bodies

While primarily focused on economic integration and political cooperation, these regional bodies often engage in peace, security, and stabilization initiatives that intersect with AFRICOM's strategic objectives.

Use for advanced keyword searches in databases.