BIZERTE, Tunisia - When most people think of forensics, they picture crime scenes, fingerprints, bloodstain patterns and investigators working to solve crimes after they happen. They don't usually consider how forensic analysis can help stop threats before they ever reach the United States.

During Exercise African Lion 2026, forensic experts assigned to the Joint Theater Forensics Analysis Center worked alongside Tunisian Armed Forces to identify patterns, share intelligence and prevent threats from reaching U.S. borders.

"We protect our home front by making sure the bad guys don't come to the U.S.," said Greg Sanson, JTFAC liaison officer for U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF).

Throughout the exercise, JTFAC and the Forensics Exploitation Directorate, part of the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division, collaborated with Tunisian partners, sharing forensic techniques and building lasting relationships. The exchange of knowledge ensures both forces operate with a shared understanding while strengthening long-term cooperation.

By building those partnerships, U.S. forces gain trusted allies who help identify and track threats early. When experts collect forensic data - whether that is fingerprints, DNA or digital information - they enter it into databases and share it across networks. This process helps identify individuals overseas and flag them before they can enter the United States.

"When we put somebody on a watch list, it goes to the Department of Homeland Security," Sanson said.

Forensic teams also play a critical role in understanding transnational threat networks. Trafficking people, weapons and drugs often spans multiple regions, making pattern recognition essential. By identifying how individuals and networks operate across borders, analysts can disrupt threats before they spread to Europe or the United States.

In addition to fingerprints and ballistics, modern forensic teams analyze emerging technologies such as unmanned aerial systems. A device's construction can often reveal unique identifiers tied to specific individuals or groups. This understanding also helps analysts and investigators determine the origins of "exploitable material," which refers to any physical, chemical or biological traces left at a scene that experts can study to identify perpetrators, link crimes or reconstruct events.

"Just by how something is built, you can often tell who made it," said Amanda Atkins, an FXD forensic scientist.

Sharing that information allows partner nations to identify threats earlier and take collective action. This collaboration also helps Tunisia strengthen its own forensic capabilities, contributing to long-term, partner-led regional security.

African Lion also provides an opportunity for U.S. personnel to test their readiness. Teams train to rapidly deploy, integrate into partner-nation laboratories and operate in unfamiliar environments, ensuring they are prepared to respond wherever needed.

For some JTFAC members, their assignment in Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, is the latest in a long line of deployments to overseas-based forensic labs. Although allies and partners exchange exploitable material throughout the year, African Lion provides the opportunity to work side by side in a lab to compare and refine best practices.

As threats continue to evolve, forensic analysis remains a critical tool, not only for solving crimes but also for preventing them and maintaining national security.

About African Lion

African Lion 2026 is U.S. Africa Command's largest annual joint exercise, designed to strengthen collective security capabilities of the U.S., African nations and global allies. Co-led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) from April 20 to May 8, 2026, and hosted in Ghana, Morocco, Senegal and Tunisia, AL26 involves over 5,600 personnel from more than 40 nations, using innovation to drive partner-led regional security.

African Lion content can be found on the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (DVIDS).

About SETAF-AF

SETAF-AF prepares Army forces, executes crisis response, enables strategic competition and strengthens partners to achieve U.S. Army Europe and Africa and U.S. Africa Command campaign objectives.

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