Armed Forces of Liberia
The Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL) are the armed forces of the Republic of Liberia. Tracing its origins to a militia that was formed by the first black colonists in what is now Liberia, it was founded as the Liberian Frontier Force in 1908, and retitled in 1956. For almost all of its history, the AFL has received considerable materiel and training assistance from the United States. For most of the 1941–89 period, training was largely provided by U.S. advisers, though this assistance has not prevented the same generally low levels of effectiveness common to most of the armed forces in the developing world.
| Armed Forces of Liberia | |
|---|---|
A Liberian color guard marches on Armed Forces Day in 2010. | |
| Motto | "Building a Force For Good" (unofficial) |
| Founded | 1908 |
| Current form | 2006 |
| Service branches | 23rd Infantry Brigade Air Wing National Coast Guard |
| Headquarters | Monrovia |
| Leadership | |
| Commander-in-Chief | President Joseph Boakai |
| Minister of National Defense | Daniel Ziankahn |
| Chief of Staff | Major General Prince C. Johnson III |
| Deputy Chief of Staff | Brigadier General Geraldine George |
| Force Command Sergeant Major | Sergeant Major Cooper Manqueh |
| Personnel | |
| Active personnel | 2,100 (establishment) 1,800 or less (actual after desertions) |
| Expenditures | |
| Budget | US$12.9 million (FY 2013–14) |
| Percent of GDP | 0.74% |
| Industry | |
| Domestic suppliers | United States |
| Related articles | |
| Ranks | Military ranks of Liberia |
For most of the Cold War, the AFL saw little action, apart from a reinforced company group which was sent to ONUC in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the 1960s. This changed with the advent of the First Liberian Civil War in 1989. The AFL became entangled in the conflict, which lasted from 1989 to 1996–97, and then the Second Liberian Civil War, which lasted from 1999 to 2003.
As of 2014, the AFL consists of an infantry brigade, an air wing, and the coast guard. For several years after the war, a Nigerian Army officer served as head of the armed forces.
11 February is Armed Forces Day, having been proclaimed in 2011.