Some current troubles in Mali were not helped by past U.S. military training programs there before the military coup, Ham acknowledged.

"We didn't spend probably ... the requisite time focusing on values, ethics and a military ethos that says when you put on a uniform of your nation then you accept the responsibility to defend and protect that nation, to abide by the legitimate civilian authority that has been established, to conduct yourselves according to the rule of law and too see yourselves really as servants of the people of the nation," Ham said.

"I believe we focused exclusively on tactical and technical. So, we have learned from that," he added.