A Japan Self-Defense Force Soldiers collects a single round of ammunition during a coalition marksmanship competition at the Djibouti Range Complex, Djibouti, Dec. 11, 2021. U.S. Army B Company, 1-157th Infantry (Mountain), Task Force Iron Gray (TFIG), Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), hosted a variation of the Army's 9-minute Match for Djiboutian, French, Japanese and U.S. service members. CJTF-HOA regularly leverages collaborative training opportunities with allied and partner nations, coalition forces and interagency/intergovernmental organizations to synchronize efforts throughout East Africa.
(U.S. Army Photo by Staff Sgt. Amanda Stock)
A U.S. Soldier and French Soldier exchange contact information during a coalition marksmanship competition at the Djibouti Range Complex, Djibouti, Dec. 11, 2021. U.S. Army B Company, 1-157th Infantry (Mountain), Task Force Iron Gray (TFIG), Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), hosted a variation of the Army's 9-minute Match for Djiboutian, French, Japanese and U.S. service members. CJTF-HOA regularly leverages collaborative training opportunities with allied and partner nations, coalition forces and interagency/intergovernmental organizations to synchronize efforts throughout East Africa.
(U.S. Army Photo by Staff Sgt. Amanda Stock)
A French Soldier moves into a steady firing position during a coalition marksmanship competition at the Djibouti Range Complex, Djibouti, Dec. 11, 2021. U.S. Army B Company, 1-157th Infantry (Mountain), Task Force Iron Gray (TFIG), Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), hosted a variation of the Army's 9-minute Match for Djiboutian, French, Japanese and U.S. service members. CJTF-HOA regularly leverages collaborative training opportunities with allied and partner nations, coalition forces and interagency/intergovernmental organizations to synchronize efforts throughout East Africa.
(U.S. Army Photo by Staff Sgt. Amanda Stock)
U.S. Army Soldiers compete in a coalition marksmanship competition at the Djibouti Range Complex, Djibouti, Dec. 11, 2021. U.S. Army B Company, 1-157th Infantry (Mountain), Task Force Iron Gray (TFIG), Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), hosted a variation of the Army's 9-minute Match for Djiboutian, French, Japanese and U.S. service members. CJTF-HOA regularly leverages collaborative training opportunities with allied and partner nations, coalition forces and interagency/intergovernmental organizations to synchronize efforts throughout East Africa.
(U.S. Army Photo by Staff Sgt. Amanda Stock)
A U.S. Soldier competes in a coalition marksmanship competition at the Djibouti Range Complex, Djibouti, Dec. 11, 2021. U.S. Army B Company, 1-157th Infantry (Mountain), Task Force Iron Gray (TFIG), Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), hosted a variation of the Army's 9-minute Match for Djiboutian, French, Japanese and U.S. service members. CJTF-HOA regularly leverages collaborative training opportunities with allied and partner nations, coalition forces and interagency/intergovernmental organizations to synchronize efforts throughout East Africa.
(U.S. Army Photo by Staff Sgt. Amanda Stock)
A Djiboutian soldier and Japanese Self-Defense Force Soldier run to retrieve ammunition during a coalition marksmanship competition at the Djibouti Range Complex, Djibouti, Dec. 11, 2021. U.S. Army B Company, 1-157th Infantry (Mountain), Task Force Iron Gray (TFIG), Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), hosted a variation of the Army's 9-minute Match for Djiboutian, French, Japanese and U.S. service members. CJTF-HOA regularly leverages collaborative training opportunities with allied and partner nations, coalition forces and interagency/intergovernmental organizations to synchronize efforts throughout East Africa.
(U.S. Army Photo by Staff Sgt. Amanda Stock)
A French Soldier runs to the firing line during a coalition marksmanship competition at the Djibouti Range Complex, Djibouti, Dec. 11, 2021. U.S. Army B Company, 1-157th Infantry (Mountain), Task Force Iron Gray (TFIG), Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), hosted a variation of the Army's 9-minute Match for Djiboutian, French, Japanese and U.S. service members. CJTF-HOA regularly leverages collaborative training opportunities with allied and partner nations, coalition forces and interagency/intergovernmental organizations to synchronize efforts throughout East Africa.
(U.S. Army Photo by Staff Sgt. Amanda Stock)
A Japan Self-Defense Force Soldier fires at a target during a coalition marksmanship competition at the Djibouti Range Complex, Djibouti, Dec. 11, 2021. U.S. Army B Company, 1-157th Infantry (Mountain), Task Force Iron Gray (TFIG), Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), hosted a variation of the Army's 9-minute Match for Djiboutian, French, Japanese and U.S. service members. CJTF-HOA regularly leverages collaborative training opportunities with allied and partner nations, coalition forces and interagency/intergovernmental organizations to synchronize efforts throughout East Africa.
(U.S. Army Photo by Staff Sgt. Amanda Stock)
A Djiboutian soldier crosses the finish line after competing in a coalition marksmanship competition at the Djibouti Range Complex, Djibouti, Dec. 11, 2021. U.S. Army B Company, 1-157th Infantry (Mountain), Task Force Iron Gray (TFIG), Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), hosted a variation of the Army's 9-minute Match for Djiboutian, French, Japanese and U.S. service members. CJTF-HOA regularly leverages collaborative training opportunities with allied and partner nations, coalition forces and interagency/intergovernmental organizations to synchronize efforts throughout East Africa.
(U.S. Army Photo by Staff Sgt. Amanda Stock)
U.S. Soldiers from B Company, 1-157th Infantry (Mountain), Task Force Iron Gray (TFIG), Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), pose for a group photo with Japanese and French soldiers at the conclusion of a coalition rifle marksmanship competition at the Djibouti Range Complex, Djibouti, Dec. 11, 2021. CJTF-HOA hosted a variation of the Army's 9-minute match for Djiboutian, French and Japanese Soldiers. CJTF-HOA regularly trains with and works alongside allied and partner nations, coalition forces and interagency/intergovernmental organizations to achieve a unified effort in East Africa. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Spc. Gauret Stearns)
French soldiers swiftly collect ammunition during a coalition marksmanship competition at the Djibouti Range Complex, Djibouti, Dec. 11, 2021. U.S. Army B Company, 1-157th Infantry (Mountain), Task Force Iron Gray (TFIG), Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), hosted a variation of the Army's 9-minute Match for Djiboutian, French, Japanese and U.S. service members. CJTF-HOA regularly leverages collaborative training opportunities with allied and partner nations, coalition forces and interagency/intergovernmental organizations to synchronize efforts throughout East Africa. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Spc. Gauret Stearns)
A U.S. Army Soldier scores a target during a coalition marksmanship competition at the Djibouti Range Complex, Djibouti, Dec. 11, 2021. U.S. Army B Company, 1-157th Infantry (Mountain), Task Force Iron Gray (TFIG), Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), hosted a variation of the Army's 9-minute Match for Djiboutian, French, Japanese and U.S. service members. CJTF-HOA regularly leverages collaborative training opportunities with allied and partner nations, coalition forces and interagency/intergovernmental organizations to synchronize efforts throughout East Africa. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Spc. Gauret Stearns)
A U.S. Soldier marks a French soldier's target during a coalition marksmanship competition at the Djibouti Range Complex, Djibouti, Dec. 11, 2021. U.S. Army B Company, 1-157th Infantry (Mountain), Task Force Iron Gray (TFIG), Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), hosted a variation of the Army's 9-minute Match for Djiboutian, French, Japanese and U.S. service members. CJTF-HOA regularly leverages collaborative training opportunities with allied and partner nations, coalition forces and interagency/intergovernmental organizations to synchronize efforts throughout East Africa. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Spc. Gauret Stearns)
A Japanese soldier hands a rifle back to a French soldier during a coalition marksmanship competition at the Djibouti Range Complex, Djibouti, Dec. 11, 2021. U.S. Army B Company, 1-157th Infantry (Mountain), Task Force Iron Gray (TFIG), Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), hosted a variation of the Army's 9-minute Match for Djiboutian, French, Japanese and U.S. service members. CJTF-HOA regularly leverages collaborative training opportunities with allied and partner nations, coalition forces and interagency/intergovernmental organizations to synchronize efforts throughout East Africa. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Spc. Gauret Stearns)
French and American soldiers compare weapons at a coalition marksmanship at the Djibouti Range Complex, Djibouti, Dec. 11, 2021. U.S. Army B Company, 1-157th Infantry (Mountain), Task Force Iron Gray (TFIG), Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), hosted a variation of the Army's 9-minute Match for Djiboutian, French, Japanese and U.S. service members. CJTF-HOA regularly leverages collaborative training opportunities with allied and partner nations, coalition forces and interagency/intergovernmental organizations to synchronize efforts throughout East Africa. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Spc. Gauret Stearns)
French Soldiers observe a U.S. Soldier run during a coalition marksmanship competition at the Djibouti Range Complex, Djibouti, Dec. 11, 2021. U.S. Army B Company, 1-157th Infantry (Mountain), Task Force Iron Gray (TFIG), Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), hosted a variation of the Army's 9-minute Match for Djiboutian, French, Japanese and U.S. service members. CJTF-HOA regularly leverages collaborative training opportunities with allied and partner nations, coalition forces and interagency/intergovernmental organizations to synchronize efforts throughout East Africa. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Spc. Gauret Stearns)
Djiboutian soldiers fire their weapons during a coalition marksmanship competition at the Djibouti Range Complex, Djibouti, Dec. 11, 2021. U.S. Army B Company, 1-157th Infantry (Mountain), Task Force Iron Gray (TFIG), Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), hosted a variation of the Army's 9-minute Match for Djiboutian, French, Japanese and U.S. service members. CJTF-HOA regularly leverages collaborative training opportunities with allied and partner nations, coalition forces and interagency/intergovernmental organizations to synchronize efforts throughout East Africa. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Spc. Gauret Stearns)
U.S. Soldiers compete in a coalition marksmanship competition at the Djibouti Range Complex, Djibouti, Dec. 11, 2021. U.S. Army B Company, 1-157th Infantry (Mountain), Task Force Iron Gray (TFIG), Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), hosted a variation of the Army's 9-minute Match for Djiboutian, French, Japanese and U.S. service members. CJTF-HOA regularly leverages collaborative training opportunities with allied and partner nations, coalition forces and interagency/intergovernmental organizations to synchronize efforts throughout East Africa. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Spc. Gauret Stearns)
Japan Self-Defense Force Soldiers wait on the firing line during a coalition marksmanship competition at the Djibouti Range Complex, Djibouti, Dec. 11, 2021. U.S. Army B Company, 1-157th Infantry (Mountain), Task Force Iron Gray (TFIG), Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), hosted a variation of the Army's 9-minute Match for Djiboutian, French, Japanese and U.S. service members. CJTF-HOA regularly leverages collaborative training opportunities with allied and partner nations, coalition forces and interagency/intergovernmental organizations to synchronize efforts throughout East Africa. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Spc. Gauret Stearns)
Coalition competition builds camaraderie in Djibouti
5:02 AM1/12/2022
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).