By 1st Lt. Tucker Chase, U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa

DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania – U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Angela Ling spearheaded the first-ever Tanzanian medical readiness exercise during Justified Accord 26. She transformed a state partnership into real-world operational readiness.

The exercise took place at Lugalo General Military Hospital in Dar es Salaam and Msata Military Training Base, March 2-12, 2026. The event leverages the Nebraska-Tanzania State Partnership Program by having U.S. and Tanzanian medical professionals train side by side to provide care and strengthen long-term collaboration.

Ling, assigned to the 155th Medical Group, 155th Air Refueling Wing, Nebraska Air National Guard, orchestrated this historic mission. She sourced distinct medical specialties from U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force units across the Nebraska National Guard and active-duty forces to build a cohesive joint team. The exercise structure reflects the needs identified by Tanzanian partners rather than relying on a predetermined U.S. team.

“We collaborate with the host nation about the types of specialties they prefer,” Ling said. “It’s not just what Nebraska has available, it’s what they need and desire, and then how do we improve readiness by fulfilling their needs”

Ling’s passion for global health began during her 2009 deployment to Afghanistan. Locals called her “Mama Ling” while she treated children at the hospital. She commissioned in 2007 and served 12 years on active duty as a registered nurse and nurse practitioner.

She transitioned to the Nebraska National Guard in 2019 to provide geographic stability for her family. The COVID-19 pandemic reshaped her responsibilities and introduced her to large-scale operational planning. By September 2020, she ran all COVID-19 operations for Nebraska at the governor’s request.

She oversaw testing, vaccinations and alternate care facilities, cementing her evolution from a clinical provider to an operational planner.

“In the National Guard, I have been able to do more things than I ever could have imagined,” Ling said.

Ling also holds a leadership position at the University of Nebraska Medical Center Global Center for Health Security. She manages disaster health response grants and leverages that institutional knowledge when designing medical engagements in resource-constrained environments. Since 2022, she has participated in multiple engagements across Rwanda and Tanzania, serving as lead planner for the first medical readiness exercises in both countries.

The Tanzania exercise introduced new technology designed to better measure the impact of medical readiness operations. JA26 marked the first time the Medical Currency Application for Readiness Tracking 2.0, a cloud-enabled medical tracking platform developed by the U.S. Air Force, has been employed in an Army-led military exercise — and the first time that capability has operated in Africa. The modular system allows providers to log encounters, procedures, diagnoses and clinical hours through a mobile interface.

International exercises often require months or years of coordination and trust-building between partner nations. Ling explained that interoperability and host-nation requirements drive the mission despite logistical complexities. The resulting joint medical team integrates capabilities that match Tanzanian priorities.

Establishing this initial medical engagement in Tanzania promotes shared responsibility and enables African partners to lead regional security efforts. The SPP builds relationships that outlast a two-week training rotation. Constant communication builds the trust required for rapid crisis response.

“The relationship takes more than one engagement,” Ling said. “It builds over multiple visits as you get to know and trust each other.”

For Ling, the Tanzania exercise is an early demonstration of what the Nebraska-Tanzania partnership can achieve. It highlights the growing role National Guard planners play in strengthening global military cooperation. Individual planners, clinicians and National Guardsmen transform strategic agreements into real-world readiness.

“This fills my cup,” Ling said. “Having the opportunity to plan these missions brings me a lot of joy.”

Justified Accord is U.S. Africa Command’s largest exercise in East Africa. Led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) and hosted this year in Djibouti, Kenya and Tanzania, JA26 increased multinational interoperability in support of humanitarian assistance and crisis response, prepared regional partners for United Nations and African Union missions and built readiness for the U.S. joint force.