Conservative Oklahoma Senator Jim Inhofe (R) was among the first to praise the Pentagon’s decision to deploy the SFAB to Africa, something he said he’s been calling for several years now. And, just as the Pentagon did in its statement, Senator Inhofe also singled out China in his press release as a key reason why the U.S. military needs to remain engaged in Africa:

“The SFAB’s capabilities are well suited for many of AFRICOM’s important missions to train and advise our partners on the continent. At the same time, the growing security threats in Africa – from terrorism to China and Russia – require additional capabilities that special operations and other troops currently serving there provide.“