Innovation, interoperability take focus during Justified Accord 2027 planning event

VICENZA, Italy — When U.S. Army Master Sgt. Chad Spencer was a young infantry Marine deployed overseas, he wanted something simple: a comfortable place to sleep.

It was one of the small things that mattered most after long days in the field — the kind of thing many people take for granted until they don’t have it.

Years later, Spencer carries that memory with him as an Army engineer. Now, when he attends planning events for exercises like Justified Accord, he looks at the mission through the lens of taking care of the next generation of service members.

That mindset helped shape discussions during the Justified Accord 2027 Initial Planning Event that took place June 8-12, where U.S., Kenyan and Tanzanian planners gathered to refine exercise requirements and explore how innovation can improve how multinational forces train, operate and support warfighters in the field.

The planning event, hosted by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF), brought together U.S. military and interagency planners, along with representatives from the Dutch army, the Czech army, Kenya Defence Forces and Tanzania People’s Defence Force, to continue developing the framework for Justified Accord 2027.

Led by SETAF-AF, Justified Accord is U.S. Africa Command’s premier exercise in East Africa. The exercise focuses on strengthening multinational readiness, improving crisis-response capabilities and building interoperability among participating forces.

“Collaboration during JA27- IPE goes far beyond event planning,” said Kenyan Brig. Gen. Samuel Kimani, the lead Kenyan planner for Justified Accord 2027. “It translates the conceptual framework established during the concept decision event into concrete, synchronized activities. This is where our practical commitment to interoperability takes root.”

Throughout the week, planners discussed exercise objectives, training locations, movement requirements, logistical support, public affairs coordination and ways to integrate technology and innovation into the exercise.

Innovation does not always mean creating something new from the ground up, according to Spencer. Sometimes, it means finding a better way to solve a familiar problem.

As an Army engineer, Spencer said that planning events provide an opportunity to look at what service members will need in the field and identify practical solutions early. That can include everything from infrastructure and life support, to how units move, communicate and sustain themselves during an exercise.

“I always think back to being a younger service member in the field,” Spencer said. “That experience is why I do what I do now to make sure troops are taken care of.”

Those discussions are especially important during an exercise like Justified Accord, where forces from multiple nations and U.S. government agencies must operate together across different locations and training environments. By identifying requirements early, planners can better support the military personnel and civilian partners who will execute the exercise on the ground.

“Through the deliberate coordination of movements, exercise locations and logistical requirements, planners ensure participants from all contributing nations can operate seamlessly as a unified force,” Kimani said. “The goal remains constant: to prepare our forces for effective and efficient crisis response by drawing on international best practices, integrating technology and innovation, and fostering mutual respect that endures long after the exercise concludes.”

The initial planning event also allowed U.S., Kenyan and Tanzanian planners to continue building relationships ahead of future planning events. Those relationships are central to the success of Justified Accord, where shared understanding and coordination are just as important as the training itself.

“We’re looking forward to working with our Kenyan and Tanzanian partners during Justified Accord,” said U.S. Army Col. Benjamin Roark, SETAF-AF’s G7 director. “During this initial planning event, we made great strides toward building a successful exercise. Bringing our partners and allies together here in Italy, including senior planners from the Kenya Defence Forces and Tanzania People’s Defence Force, helps ensure we are aligned early in the planning process.”

As planning continues, SETAF-AF and partner nation planners will further refine training objectives, confirm support requirements and continue identifying ways to bring innovation into the exercise.

For Spencer, that work comes back to a simple idea: taking care of the people who will carry out the mission.

The same small details he remembers from his time in the field now inform how he approaches planning for others. Whether this means improved infrastructure, better coordination or new technology, the goal is to ensure participants have what they need to train effectively.

Justified Accord 2027 is scheduled to take place Feb. 19 to March 5, 2027, in Kenya and Tanzania.