Maryland National Guard conducts historic promotion in Tunisia during African Lion 2024
Story by Dr. Julie Shively
BEN GHILOUF, Tunisia – When U.S. Army 1st Lt. Ana Camacho Tibaquira deployed to Tunisia for exercise African Lion 2024 (AL24) with the Maryland National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 175th Infantry Regiment (1-175th IN), she assumed that her promotion to captain would simply be a rank swap. U.S. Army Maj. Sean Gramm, battalion executive officer and Sgt. 1st Class Regina Rizzo, personnel non-commissioned officer in charge, had another plan in mind.
On the evening of April 30, Battalion Commander Lt. Col. Alexi Franklin, and others from the staff, gathered with Camacho Tibaquira on the distinguished visitors stage that overlooks the exercise area in Ben Ghilouf. There, Camacho Tibaquira made history by becoming the first 1-175th IN member to be promoted in Tunisia.
Surprised with the distinction, Camacho Tabaquira said, “It’s great to know that the leadership sees the value of upward movement.”
Camacho Tibaquira immigrated to the United States from Columbia at age 13. She joined the Maryland National Guard in 2020 after graduating from Mt. St. Mary’s University on an ROTC scholarship. This is not the first international mission Comacha has experienced in the Guard.
She deployed to Kuwait in 2021 with the 1100th Theater Aviation Sustainment Maintenance Group (1108th TASMG) as a human resources officer. The opportunity to travel while continuing to reside in Maryland is what drew Camacho Tibaquira to join the Maryland National Guard.
“It’s exciting that I went from deploying with Army Aviation to now supporting the infantry,” she said.
Headquarters and Headquarters Company (HHC), as well as Charlie and Delta Companies of the 1-175th IN traveled to Tunisia on April 17 as part of an overseas deployment for training in support of U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF)-led exercise AL24.
This is the seventh year that Tunisia has hosted this multinational joint exercise, but the first time that a unit from the Maryland National Guard has participated. The unit will remain in Tunisia until May 11, completing their annual training alongside the Tunisian Armed Forces and other partner nations.
In addition, Maryland Soldiers are working with other National Guard units, reservists and U.S. Marines. As HHC, Charlie and Delta Companies redeploy on May 11, the unit’s Bravo Company will deploy to Ghana in support of AL24 in that country. Finally, Alpha Company will deploy to Senegal on May 17 for the last phase of the exercise.
About SETAF-AF
SETAF-AF provides U.S. Africa Command and U.S. Army Europe & Africa a dedicated headquarters to synchronize Army activities in Africa and scalable crisis-response options in Africa and Europe.