 From Soldiers Radio and Television, this is the Army Today, a daily feature from around the globe. The art of airdrop is multifaceted. In the world of the military, the first step belongs to the rigors. You want the heaviest product or your supplies in the middle of the container? Yes. But it'll fall just perfect. The actual falling is in the Republic of Mali, a landscape best described as austere. Dropping the goods is the Mali Air Force, with aircraft like the Tetra, a French ultralight, a significant part of their air fleet. Attaining a perfect fall is challenging. For the 249th quartermaster company out of Austin, Texas, this is what Exercise Atlas Accord is all about. Exercise will be that this small group is the one that actually goes out and teaches or shows or our actual ones doing it. Atlas Accord is a U.S. Army Africa-executed exercise with a goal of building capacity within Africa's militaries, helping them develop where and how they want. And we're there to help them where they want help, not necessarily to push our particular system on them. The scenario is based on preparation for a crisis situation. Here in Mali, recent history includes famine and sporadic rebel attacks. For the Mali Defense Forces, being able to provide humanitarian relief or combat equipment via airdrop is value added. The exercise is two weeks dedicated to packing together African self-sufficiency and international relationship building. Strategic goals rigged together at Atlas Accord. Gilmy Cave, Mali. That's the Army Today.