Status Updates From Tomorrow's Battlefield: U.S...

From Iraq to Afghanistan, American-style nation-building has crumbled, exposing the limits of American power [...] at a time when [the people of South Sudan] are most in need, the United States is talking about limits on aid, about backing away from the country it fostered, its prime example of nation-building-in-action in the heart of Africa.

In 2013, according to AFRICOM commander General David Rodriguez, the US military carried out a total of 546 "activities" on the continent - a catchall term for everything the military does in Africa. In other words, it averages about one and a half missions a day. This represents a 217% increase in operations, programs, and exercises since the command was established in 2008.