Armed Forces of Liberia

The Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL) are the armed forces of the Republic of Liberia. The force traces its origins to a militia formed by early Americo-Liberian settlers in the 19th century. It was formally established as the Liberian Frontier Force in 1908 and renamed in 1956. For much of its history, the AFL has received significant materiel and training assistance from the United States. Between 1941 and 1989, this support was largely provided by U.S. advisers. However, a RAND Corporation assessment found that U.S.-supported training initiatives during the 1980s did not produce measurable improvements in the AFL’s overall training and professionalism.