U.S. Army National Guard battalion, 1-102nd Infantry Regiment (Mountain), Task Force Iron Gray, cased the unit's regimental colors to signify handing responsibility for the Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa’s security forces mission over to the 1-116th Infantry Regiment, Task Force Red Dragon, during a transfer of authority ceremony at Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, Jan. 8, 2022.

In December 2021, U.S. Army Soldiers and Chabelley villagers worked hand-in-hand moving large rocks, digging trenches and replacing a damaged coupling. Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) engineers, including Soldiers from the 712th Engineer Support Company (712th ESC), helped village residents fix a leak in their only source of drinking water.

The silence is broken with the distinct cry of a horn cutting through the morning air. As if commanded by the sound, Djiboutian, French, Japanese and American Soldiers all leap from the starting line, sprinting across the arid desert. This dash across the Djiboutian desert was part of a rifle marksmanship competition held on Dec. 11, 2021, and hosted by Soldiers from B Company, 1-157th Infantry Regiment (Mountain), Task Force Iron Gray (TFIG), Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA).

U.S. Army Soldiers with Task Force Iron Gray, Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), and the 404th Civil Affairs Battalion (Airborne), Civil Affairs East Africa, and U.S. Airmen with the 475th Expeditionary Air Base Squadron, visited the school Nov. 2, 2021, to donate the supplies, repair the school’s water system, and engage with students.

Five U.S. Army Mountain Warfare School instructors with the Vermont Army National Guard travelled to Djibouti to teach a five-day Joint Expeditionary Mountain Warfare Course to service members from France’s 5th Overseas Interarms Regiment (5e RIAOM) at the Arta Range Complex, Dec. 12-16, 2021.

On Dec. 3, 2021, U.S. and Spanish forces conducted exercise Bull Shark, a water rescue training that strengthened their combined ability to operate as highly-effective teams and demonstrated their current operational capabilities. During the exercise, several personnel were stranded off the coast of Djibouti in the Gulf of Aden, calling the Warfighter Recovery Network into action.

The PRCC at Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, in support of Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), conducts personnel recovery and casualty evacuation for U.S. and joint partners in East Africa. To test their response time and demonstrate their capabilities, the PRCC conducted a full casualty evacuation exercise from start to finish. More importantly, the exercise served to examine their system for deficiencies.

CAMP LEMONNIER, Djibouti – The saying; ‘There’s no place like home’ doesn’t mean the same to everyone. Airman 1st Class Michael Matthews was born in Kenya, but had to flee at the age of five with his nine other siblings. Twenty years later, he returned as a C-130 Hercules crew chief in the U.S. Air Force.

U.S. service members assigned to Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) honor World War II veteran Arthur Lewis during a burial honors ceremony at the New European Cemetery in Djibouti City, Djibouti, Oct. 28, 2021. The cemetery is the final resting place for World War II veteran Arthur Lewis, who died in 1959 while at sea aboard the S.S. Steel Vendor in the Gulf of Tadjoura. Due to the nature and location of his death, the U.S. Merchant Marine was buried in Djibouti without rightfully earned military honors. CJTF-HOA, in coordination with Djiboutian leadership, cleaned up the cemetery, installed the new headstone to identify his grave and conducted a dedication ceremony complete with military honors.

For several months, U.S. Army Soldiers from Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), have trained alongside Kenya Defence Forces to improve Soldier skills while building partner capacity necessary to counter violent extremists and address other security and stability threats in the region.

After three months of guided conversation, 25 participants completed the latest U.S.-led English Discussion Group (EDG), and attended a culmination celebration at the National Institute of Public Administration training center in Djibouti, Oct. 13, 2021. The conversations are designed to increase the participants' confidence and competency in the English language to help them in their professional lives.

More than 30 women serving with Armed Forces Djibouti, Gendamerie, Republican Guard, National Police and Djiboutian Coast Guard joined U.S., Japanese, Italian, Spanish and Kenyan leaders for Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa's inaugural Women in Security Symposium in Djibouti City, Djibouti, Sept. 22, 2021.

U.S. and French service members fill the back of light medium tactical vehicle assigned to Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa as they embark into the desert at dawn to execute blackout operations as part of the French Desert Commando Course (FDCC) at the Djiboutian Range Complex, Djibouti, Sept. 13, 2021. During FDCC, U.S. forces serve under a French battalion commander and are evaluated on mountain confidence, knot tying, night obstacle courses, aquatic obstacle courses and battle maneuver tactics. The U.S. and French regularly exchange expertise, ideas and tactics to become a more integrated combined force with the ability to respond to crises or threats in East Africa. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Andrew Kobialka)

U.S. Air Force Special Tactics Airmen from the Expeditionary Special Tactics Squadron Africa conduct joint training exercises with 475th Expeditionary Air Base Squadron (EABS) medical personnel at Camp Simba, Kenya, Aug. 24, 2021. The 475th EABS medics received tactical vehicle training and practiced life-saving tactical combat casualty care techniques. Special Tactics Airmen and medics respond to medical emergencies worldwide, including deployed environments where immediate treatment and evacuation of patients is critical for survivability.

Air transportation specialists with the 475th Expeditionary Air Base Squadron (EABS) load cargo onto a C-130 Hercules on the flight line at Camp Simba, Kenya, Aug. 22, 2021. Air transportation specialists with the 475th EABS coordinated shipment of food, medical supplies and equipment between Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, and Camp Simba. Air transportation specialists manage military aircraft cargo and passengers, ensuring bases worldwide are equipped with necessary resources to continue mission operations.

U.S. loadmasters assigned to Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, remove a HEMOCOOL Freezer System containing Moderna COVID-19 vaccines from a C-130 Hercules cargo aircraft on the flight line at Camp Simba, Kenya, Aug. 19, 2021. The HEMOCOOL Freezer System maintained the temperature of the vaccines between 2 degrees Celsius and 8 degrees Celsius for preservation. COVID-19 vaccines were provided as a joint effort between the Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa, U.S. Naval Forces Africa and U.S. European Command and U.S. Africa Command under the direction of the U.S. Africa Command. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Dwane R. Young)