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Photo 1 of 33
Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise Tanzania
Members of the East Africa Response Force (EARF), assigned to Combined Joint Task Force Ð Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), detain a noncompliant intruder role-player during an intruder response scenario at the U.S. Embassy in Tanzania during an Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise Oct. 12, 2023, at Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The EARF is a U.S. Army National Guard infantry company tasked with providing rapid security augmentation, humanitarian aid and disaster response assistance, and military-assisted departure of Department of State personnel at U.S. embassies during crises throughout the African continent. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Ridge Shan)
Photo by: Tech. Sgt. Ridge Shan
Photo 2 of 33
Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise Tanzania
Members of the East Africa Response Force (EARF), assigned to Combined Joint Task Force Ð Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), prepare to board a U.S. Air Force C-130 transport aircraft to provide and practice embassy security augmentation during an Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise at the U.S. Embassy in Tanzania, Oct. 10, 2023, at Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti. The EARF is a U.S. Army National Guard infantry company tasked with providing rapid security augmentation, humanitarian aid and disaster response assistance, and military-assisted departure of Department of State personnel at U.S. embassies during crises throughout the African continent. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Ridge Shan)
Photo by: Tech. Sgt. Ridge Shan
Photo 3 of 33
Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise Tanzania
Members of the East Africa Response Force (EARF), assigned to Combined Joint Task Force Ð Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), detain an intruder role-player during an intruder response scenario at the U.S. Embassy in Tanzania during an Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise Oct. 11, 2023, at Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The EARF is a U.S. Army National Guard infantry company tasked with providing rapid security augmentation, humanitarian aid and disaster response assistance, and military-assisted departure of Department of State personnel at U.S. embassies during crises throughout the African continent. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Ridge Shan)
Photo by: Tech. Sgt. Ridge Shan
Photo 4 of 33
Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise Tanzania
U.S. Army CPT Jacob McDonough, East Africa Response Force (EARF) commander, shakes hands with Dr. Michael A. Battle, Sr., U.S. Ambassador to Tanzania, during an Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise Oct. 11, 2023, at Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The EARF, assigned to Combined Joint Task Force Ð Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), is a U.S. Army National Guard infantry company tasked with providing rapid security augmentation, humanitarian aid and disaster response assistance, and military-assisted departure of Department of State personnel at U.S. embassies during crises throughout the African continent. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Ridge Shan)
Photo by: Tech. Sgt. Ridge Shan
Photo 5 of 33
Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise Tanzania
A member of the East Africa Response Force (EARF), assigned to Combined Joint Task Force Ð Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), mans a security observation point at the U.S. Embassy in Tanzania in order to practice embassy security augmentation during an Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise Oct. 11, 2023, at Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The EARF is a U.S. Army National Guard infantry company tasked with providing rapid security augmentation, humanitarian aid and disaster response assistance, and military-assisted departure of Department of State personnel at U.S. embassies during crises throughout the African continent. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Ridge Shan)
Photo by: Tech. Sgt. Ridge Shan
Photo 6 of 33
Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise Tanzania
Members of the East Africa Response Force (EARF), assigned to Combined Joint Task Force Ð Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), practice emergency medical care on volunteers at the U.S. Embassy in Tanzania during a mass casualty scenario as part of an Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise Oct. 11, 2023, at Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The EARF is a U.S. Army National Guard infantry company tasked with providing rapid security augmentation, humanitarian aid and disaster response assistance, and military-assisted departure of Department of State personnel at U.S. embassies during crises throughout the African continent. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Ridge Shan)
Photo by: Tech. Sgt. Ridge Shan
Photo 7 of 33
Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise Tanzania
Members of the East Africa Response Force (EARF), assigned to Combined Joint Task Force Ð Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), relax on a flightline as they wait to board a U.S. Air Force C-130 to be transported back to Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, following the completion of an Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise at the U.S. Embassy in Tanzania, Oct. 13, 2023, at Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The EARF is a U.S. Army National Guard infantry company tasked with providing rapid security augmentation, humanitarian aid and disaster response assistance, and military-assisted departure of Department of State personnel at U.S. embassies during crises throughout the African continent. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Ridge Shan)
Photo by: Tech. Sgt. Ridge Shan
Photo 8 of 33
Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise Tanzania
Members of the East Africa Response Force (EARF), assigned to Combined Joint Task Force Ð Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), pack rucksacks onto a pallet in preparation for departure from an Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise at the U.S. Embassy in Tanzania, Oct. 13, 2023, at Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The EARF is a U.S. Army National Guard infantry company tasked with providing rapid security augmentation, humanitarian aid and disaster response assistance, and military-assisted departure of Department of State personnel at U.S. embassies during crises throughout the African continent. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Ridge Shan)
Photo by: Tech. Sgt. Ridge Shan
Photo 9 of 33
Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise Tanzania
Members of the East Africa Response Force (EARF), assigned to Combined Joint Task Force Ð Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), confront intruder role-players during an intruder response scenario at the U.S. Embassy in Tanzania during an Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise Oct. 12, 2023, at Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The EARF is a U.S. Army National Guard infantry company tasked with providing rapid security augmentation, humanitarian aid and disaster response assistance, and military-assisted departure of Department of State personnel at U.S. embassies during crises throughout the African continent. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Ridge Shan)
Photo by: Tech. Sgt. Ridge Shan
Photo 10 of 33
Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise Tanzania
Members of the East Africa Response Force (EARF), assigned to Combined Joint Task Force Ð Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), patrol the grounds at the U.S. Embassy in Tanzania in order to practice embassy security augmentation during an Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise Oct. 10, 2023, at Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The EARF is a U.S. Army National Guard infantry company tasked with providing rapid security augmentation, humanitarian aid and disaster response assistance, and military-assisted departure of Department of State personnel at U.S. embassies during crises throughout the African continent. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Ridge Shan)
Photo by: Tech. Sgt. Ridge Shan
Photo 11 of 33
Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise Tanzania
Members of the East Africa Response Force (EARF), in plainclothes in order to blend in with Department of State personnel, man a security observation position at the U.S. Embassy in Tanzania during an Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise Oct. 10, 2023, at Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The EARF, assigned to Combined Joint Task Force Ð Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), is a U.S. Army National Guard infantry company tasked with providing rapid security augmentation, humanitarian aid and disaster response assistance, and military-assisted departure of Department of State personnel at U.S. embassies during crises throughout the African continent. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Ridge Shan)
Photo by: Tech. Sgt. Ridge Shan
Photo 12 of 33
Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise Tanzania
Members of the East Africa Response Force (EARF), assigned to Combined Joint Task Force Ð Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), practice emergency medical care on volunteers at the U.S. Embassy in Tanzania, while being observed for knowledge exchange by members of the Tanzanian PeopleÕs Defense Force, during an Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise Oct. 11, 2023, at Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The EARF is a U.S. Army National Guard infantry company tasked with providing rapid security augmentation, humanitarian aid and disaster response assistance, and military-assisted departure of Department of State personnel at U.S. embassies during crises throughout the African continent. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Ridge Shan)
Photo by: Tech. Sgt. Ridge Shan
Photo 13 of 33
Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise Tanzania
Members of the East Africa Response Force (EARF), in plainclothes in order to blend in with Department of State personnel, man a security observation position at the U.S. Embassy in Tanzania during an Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise Oct. 10, 2023, at Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The EARF, assigned to Combined Joint Task Force Ð Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), is a U.S. Army National Guard infantry company tasked with providing rapid security augmentation, humanitarian aid and disaster response assistance, and military-assisted departure of Department of State personnel at U.S. embassies during crises throughout the African continent. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Ridge Shan)
Photo by: Tech. Sgt. Ridge Shan
Photo 14 of 33
Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise Tanzania
Members of the East Africa Response Force (EARF), assigned to Combined Joint Task Force Ð Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), pack rucksacks onto a pallet in preparation for the departure of a rapid response element to practice embassy security augmentation during an Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise at the U.S. Embassy in Tanzania, Oct. 9, 2023, at Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti. The EARF is a U.S. Army National Guard infantry company tasked with providing rapid security augmentation, humanitarian aid and disaster response assistance, and military-assisted departure of Department of State personnel at U.S. embassies during crises throughout the African continent. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Ridge Shan)
Photo by: Tech. Sgt. Ridge Shan
Photo 15 of 33
Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise Tanzania
Members of the East Africa Response Force (EARF), assigned to Combined Joint Task Force Ð Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), arrive at the U.S. Embassy in Tanzania and begin unloading supplies in order to practice embassy security augmentation during an Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise Oct. 10, 2023, at Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The EARF is a U.S. Army National Guard infantry company tasked with providing rapid security augmentation, humanitarian aid and disaster response assistance, and military-assisted departure of Department of State personnel at U.S. embassies during crises throughout the African continent. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Ridge Shan)
Photo by: Tech. Sgt. Ridge Shan
Photo 16 of 33
Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise Tanzania
Members of the East Africa Response Force (EARF), assigned to Combined Joint Task Force Ð Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), practice emergency tactical first aid medical care on volunteers at the U.S. Embassy in Tanzania during a mass casualty scenario as part of an Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise Oct. 11, 2023, at Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The EARF is a U.S. Army National Guard infantry company tasked with providing rapid security augmentation, humanitarian aid and disaster response assistance, and military-assisted departure of Department of State personnel at U.S. embassies during crises throughout the African continent. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Ridge Shan)
Photo by: Tech. Sgt. Ridge Shan
Photo 17 of 33
Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise Tanzania
Members of Combined Joint Task Force Ð Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), assigned to support the East Africa Response Force (EARF), engage in a knowledge exchange with members of the Tanzanian PeopleÕs Defense Force at the U.S. Embassy in Tanzania during an Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise (EDRE) Oct. 11, 2023, at Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The EARF is a U.S. Army National Guard infantry company tasked with providing rapid security augmentation, humanitarian aid and disaster response assistance, and military-assisted departure of Department of State personnel at U.S. embassies during crises throughout the African continent. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Ridge Shan)
Photo by: Tech. Sgt. Ridge Shan
Photo 18 of 33
Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise Tanzania
A member of the East Africa Response Force (EARF), assigned to Combined Joint Task Force Ð Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), engages in a knowledge exchange with members of the Tanzanian PeopleÕs Defense Force at the U.S. Embassy in Tanzania during an Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise Oct. 11, 2023, at Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The EARF is a U.S. Army National Guard infantry company tasked with providing rapid security augmentation, humanitarian aid and disaster response assistance, and military-assisted departure of Department of State personnel at U.S. embassies during crises throughout the African continent. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Ridge Shan)
Photo by: Tech. Sgt. Ridge Shan
Photo 19 of 33
Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise Tanzania
A member of Combined Joint Task Force Ð Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), shakes hands with a member of the Tanzanian PeopleÕs Defense Force after engaging in a knowledge exchange at the U.S. Embassy in Tanzania during an Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise (EDRE) Oct. 11, 2023, at Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The EDRE maintains readiness for the East Africa Response Force (EARF), which is a U.S. Army National Guard infantry company tasked with providing rapid security augmentation, humanitarian aid and disaster response assistance, and military-assisted departure of Department of State personnel at U.S. embassies during crises throughout the African continent. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Ridge Shan)
Photo by: Tech. Sgt. Ridge Shan
Photo 20 of 33
Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise Tanzania
A member of the East Africa Response Force (EARF), assigned to Combined Joint Task Force Ð Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), moves into a security position at the U.S. Embassy in Tanzania during an Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise Oct. 11, 2023, at Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The EARF is a U.S. Army National Guard infantry company tasked with providing rapid security augmentation, humanitarian aid and disaster response assistance, and military-assisted departure of Department of State personnel at U.S. embassies during crises throughout the African continent. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Ridge Shan)
Photo by: Tech. Sgt. Ridge Shan
Photo 21 of 33
Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise Tanzania
Members of the East Africa Response Force (EARF), assigned to Combined Joint Task Force Ð Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), relax on a flightline as they wait to board a U.S. Air Force C-130 to be transported back to Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, following the completion of an Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise at the U.S. Embassy in Tanzania, Oct. 13, 2023, at Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The EARF is a U.S. Army National Guard infantry company tasked with providing rapid security augmentation, humanitarian aid and disaster response assistance, and military-assisted departure of Department of State personnel at U.S. embassies during crises throughout the African continent. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Ridge Shan)
Photo by: Tech. Sgt. Ridge Shan
Photo 22 of 33
Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise Tanzania
A member of Combined Joint Task Force Ð Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), engages in a knowledge exchange with members of the Tanzanian PeopleÕs Defense Force at the U.S. Embassy in Tanzania during an Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise (EDRE) Oct. 11, 2023, at Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The EDRE maintains readiness for the East Africa Response Force (EARF), which is a U.S. Army National Guard infantry company tasked with providing rapid security augmentation, humanitarian aid and disaster response assistance, and military-assisted departure of Department of State personnel at U.S. embassies during crises throughout the African continent. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Ridge Shan)
Photo by: Tech. Sgt. Ridge Shan
Photo 23 of 33
Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise Tanzania
Dr. Michael A. Battle, Sr., U.S. Ambassador to Tanzania, speaks to members of the East Africa Response Force (EARF), assigned to Combined Joint Task Force Ð Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), at the U.S. embassy in Tanzania during an Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise Oct. 11, 2023, at Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The EARF is a U.S. Army National Guard infantry company tasked with providing rapid security augmentation, humanitarian aid and disaster response assistance, and military-assisted departure of Department of State personnel at U.S. embassies during crises throughout the African continent. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Ridge Shan)
Photo by: Tech. Sgt. Ridge Shan
Photo 24 of 33
Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise Tanzania
Members of the East Africa Response Force (EARF), assigned to Combined Joint Task Force Ð Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), carry a volunteer on a stretcher at the U.S. Embassy in Tanzania during a mass casualty scenario as part of an Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise Oct. 11, 2023, at Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The EARF is a U.S. Army National Guard infantry company tasked with providing rapid security augmentation, humanitarian aid and disaster response assistance, and military-assisted departure of Department of State personnel at U.S. embassies during crises throughout the African continent. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Ridge Shan)
Photo by: Tech. Sgt. Ridge Shan
Photo 25 of 33
Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise Tanzania
Members of the East Africa Response Force (EARF), assigned to Combined Joint Task Force Ð Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), sit aboard a U.S. Air Force C-130 while awaiting transport to the U.S. Embassy in Tanzania in order to practice embassy security augmentation during an Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise Oct. 10, 2023, at Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti. The EARF is a U.S. Army National Guard infantry company tasked with providing rapid security augmentation, humanitarian aid and disaster response assistance, and military-assisted departure of Department of State personnel at U.S. embassies during crises throughout the African continent. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Ridge Shan)
Photo by: Tech. Sgt. Ridge Shan
Photo 26 of 33
Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise Tanzania
Dr. Michael A. Battle, Sr., U.S. Ambassador to Tanzania, speaks to members of the East Africa Response Force (EARF), assigned to Combined Joint Task Force Ð Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), at the U.S. embassy in Tanzania during an Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise Oct. 11, 2023, at Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The EARF is a U.S. Army National Guard infantry company tasked with providing rapid security augmentation, humanitarian aid and disaster response assistance, and military-assisted departure of Department of State personnel at U.S. embassies during crises throughout the African continent. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Ridge Shan)
Photo by: Tech. Sgt. Ridge Shan
Photo 27 of 33
Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise Tanzania
A member of the East Africa Response Force (EARF), in plainclothes in order to blend in with Department of State personnel, mans a security observation position at the U.S. Embassy in Tanzania during an Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise Oct. 10, 2023, at Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The EARF, assigned to Combined Joint Task Force Ð Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), is a U.S. Army National Guard infantry company tasked with providing rapid security augmentation, humanitarian aid and disaster response assistance, and military-assisted departure of Department of State personnel at U.S. embassies during crises throughout the African continent. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Ridge Shan)
Photo by: Tech. Sgt. Ridge Shan
Photo 28 of 33
Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise Tanzania
Members of the East Africa Response Force (EARF), assigned to Combined Joint Task Force Ð Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), provide security for the movement of the rest of their team at the U.S. Embassy in Tanzania during an Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise Oct. 11, 2023, at Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The EARF is a U.S. Army National Guard infantry company tasked with providing rapid security augmentation, humanitarian aid and disaster response assistance, and military-assisted departure of Department of State personnel at U.S. embassies during crises throughout the African continent. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Ridge Shan)
Photo by: Tech. Sgt. Ridge Shan
Photo 29 of 33
Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise Tanzania
Members of the East Africa Response Force (EARF), assigned to Combined Joint Task Force Ð Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), practice emergency tactical first aid medical care on volunteers at the U.S. Embassy in Tanzania during a mass casualty scenario as part of an Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise Oct. 11, 2023, at Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The EARF is a U.S. Army National Guard infantry company tasked with providing rapid security augmentation, humanitarian aid and disaster response assistance, and military-assisted departure of Department of State personnel at U.S. embassies during crises throughout the African continent. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Ridge Shan)
Photo by: Tech. Sgt. Ridge Shan
Photo 30 of 33
Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise Tanzania
A member of Combined Joint Task Force Ð Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), salutes with a member of the Tanzanian PeopleÕs Defense Force after engaging in a knowledge exchange at the U.S. Embassy in Tanzania during an Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise (EDRE) Oct. 11, 2023, at Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The EDRE maintains readiness for the East Africa Response Force (EARF), which is a U.S. Army National Guard infantry company tasked with providing rapid security augmentation, humanitarian aid and disaster response assistance, and military-assisted departure of Department of State personnel at U.S. embassies during crises throughout the African continent. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Ridge Shan)
Photo by: Tech. Sgt. Ridge Shan
Photo 31 of 33
Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise Tanzania
Members of the East Africa Response Force (EARF), assigned to Combined Joint Task Force Ð Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), practice emergency medical care on volunteers at the U.S. Embassy in Tanzania, while being observed for knowledge exchange by members of the Tanzanian PeopleÕs Defense Force, during an Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise Oct. 11, 2023, at Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The EARF is a U.S. Army National Guard infantry company tasked with providing rapid security augmentation, humanitarian aid and disaster response assistance, and military-assisted departure of Department of State personnel at U.S. embassies during crises throughout the African continent. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Ridge Shan)
Photo by: Tech. Sgt. Ridge Shan
Photo 32 of 33
Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise Tanzania
Members of the East Africa Response Force (EARF), assigned to Combined Joint Task Force Ð Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), rest before their grounds patrol shift begins at the U.S. Embassy in Tanzania in order to practice embassy security augmentation during an Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise Oct. 10, 2023, at Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The EARF is a U.S. Army National Guard infantry company tasked with providing rapid security augmentation, humanitarian aid and disaster response assistance, and military-assisted departure of Department of State personnel at U.S. embassies during crises throughout the African continent. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Ridge Shan)
Photo by: Tech. Sgt. Ridge Shan
Photo 33 of 33
Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise Tanzania
Members of the East Africa Response Force (EARF), assigned to Combined Joint Task Force Ð Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), arrive at the U.S. Embassy in Tanzania and begin setting up communications equipment in order to practice embassy security augmentation during an Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise Oct. 10, 2023, at Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The EARF is a U.S. Army National Guard infantry company tasked with providing rapid security augmentation, humanitarian aid and disaster response assistance, and military-assisted departure of Department of State personnel at U.S. embassies during crises throughout the African continent. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Ridge Shan)
Photo by: Tech. Sgt. Ridge Shan
In 2012, the U.S. Embassy in Benghazi was attacked before U.S. forces could respond. To ensure such a tragedy never happens again, the Department of Defense directed Combatant Commands to always be ready for a rapid respond to any crisis situation within their areas of responsibility. Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa fulfills this directive for U.S. Africa Command with regular Emergency Deployment Readiness (EDRE) exercises to ensure the command is prepared for any contingency.
On Oct. 10, 2023, CJTF-HOA performed an EDRE that tested their ability to successfully reach, augment and ultimately evacuate the U.S. Embassy Dar es Salaam, Tanzania in a simulated natural disaster situation.
While most of CJTF-HOA’s readiness exercises deal specifically with the East Africa Response Force (EARF) and CJTF-HOA staff’s ability to rapidly respond to simulated threats to regional U.S. assets, this EDRE involved embassy staff in the training as well. In order to ensure mission success in the exercise, both teams came together ahead of time to plan operations.
“A typical EDRE at CJTF-HOA only lasts up until the point Soldiers, Airmen, and/or Marines load an aircraft with their equipment,” said Maj. Brandon Spradlin, EARF Forward Coordination Element Team Lead. “While we typically involve select members of a US Embassy staff in our EDREs, it is usually through virtual means only. Since a Forward Coordination Element and the EARF were physically present at the embassy during this exercise, it allowed for significantly more involvement between CTJF-HOA and a broader embassy audience.”
The exercise consisted of EARF and CJTF-HOA staff coordinating with the embassy’s Marine Security Guard (MSG) team to augment their security capabilities in case of a natural disaster, as well as testing their capabilities to provide timely humanitarian aid. After a successful integration of teams, the next phase of the EDRE involved a partial military assisted departure. The MSG teams found the EARF’s knowledge and expertise helpful in training for potential crises.
“The EARF provided augmented security to the embassy during a natural disaster scenario in which our infrastructure was degraded and our local security staff, including guards, were unable to come to work,” said Supervisory Special Agent Michael Mancini, Diplomatic Security Service Regional Security Officer. “This demonstrated the practical challenges of an emergency situation and allowed crucial first-hand experience for all parties involved.”
Thanks to the in-depth, training exercise, both teams experienced a more accurate representation of the challenges that arise in a crisis or disaster. This practical, hands-on experience allowed the EARF to identify and fix weaknesses as well as expand on and improve processes.
“One of the biggest realizations we had during the exercise was identifying the need to refine how the EARF communicates with other entities,” said Spradlin. “This exercise provided an invaluable opportunity for us to improve the way we are able to communicate by conducting multiple rehearsals and identifying best practices moving forward.”
For embassy staff, the EDRE provided vital hands-on experience in what it would be like to integrate with CJTF-HOA forces in emergencies. Should such an emergency ever occur, embassy security will be better able to anticipate what they need, what the EARF might need from them and how to incorporate the unique capabilities brought by the EARF.
“The MSGs and I absolutely enjoyed being a part of the first EDRE in Tanzania. Seeing joint forces and different agencies working together towards a common goal, working through unique problems, and creating solutions in real-time, was a reward in itself,” said Staff Sgt. Atewenniio Deer, MSG Detachment Commander. “The MSGs gained valuable experience they will never forget or experience anywhere else in Africa, and we will always be grateful for this opportunity.”
Ultimately, this EDRE prepared CJTF-HOA and U.S. Dept. of State embassies for any crisis that could occur, allowing them to carry on essential duties or even safely evacuate. By integrating efforts and cooperating, CJTF-HOA and embassies can expand interoperability and bolster their combined readiness. Not only does the EDRE build up CJTF-HOA’s readiness, but it also develops trust between CJTF-HOA and the people they are dedicated to protecting.
“I feel like CJTF-HOA went from being an unknown, distant command to a trusted partner. We have a far better understanding of each other's capabilities and how to work together,” said Mancini.
