3/23 deployed to Morocco and the Republic of Benin, West Africa, during May and June (2009) for annual training. They participated in Exercise African Lion and Shared Accord 2009. The mission of the Marine Corps, under command of Marine Forces Africa (United States Africa Command), was to provide security for humanitarian operations and train side-by-side with their Moroccan counterparts, the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces, and the Republic of Benin Armed Forces. Exercise African Lion is an annually scheduled, joint, combined U.S.-Moroccan exercise. It brings together nearly 2,000 U.S. service members from locations throughout Europe and North America with more than 900 members of the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces. It is the largest exercise within the U.S. Africa Command area of responsibility, and is designed to promote interoperability and mutual understanding of each nation's military tactics, techniques and procedures.