U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Brian Cashman, far right, Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa commanding general, met with various personnel during a Battlefield Circulation visit May 1-2, 2025, at Cooperative Security Location, Kismayo, Somalia. Cashman routinely visits forward-deployed troops to meet with key leaders, check on the morale and welfare of service members and ensure overall mission readiness throughout the CJTF-HOA area of responsibility. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Allison Payne)

The air was heavy that day - not just from the summer heat, but from the weight of loss that clung to everyone in the room. Families sat close together, shoulders brushing, as if physical proximity could offer some small measure of comfort. Outside the chapel, the faint hum of military vehicles was a distant reminder of the larger conflict at hand. Inside, however, time felt suspended. It was just us, the grieving, and the silence.

CAMP LEMONNIER, Djibouti — Gen. Michael Langley, commander of U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), attended the East Africa Security Forum (EASF), the Marine Corps Ball, and spent Thanksgiving with deployed service members at Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, during the last week of November 2024.