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Combined Joint Task Force - Horn
French Army Col. Sébastian Botheron, commander of the 5th Overseas Interarms Regiment (5th RIAOM), pins a desert commando badge on a Virginia Army National Guard Soldier assigned to Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) during a French Desert Commando Course graduation ceremony at the 5th RIAOM, Djibouti, June 1, 2022. Members of the CJTF-HOA regularly train and work alongside allies, partners, and government organizations to achieve a unified effort to improve safety, security and prosperity in East Africa. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Blake Wiles)
Photo by: Senior Airman Blake Wiles
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Combined Joint Task Force - Horn
Virginia Army National Guard Soldiers assigned to Task Force Red Dragon, Combined Joint Force – Horn of Africa, and other CJTF-HOA members perform swimming drills during a pre-assessment to prepare them for the French Desert Commando Course (FDCC), Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, April 7, 2022. During the FDCC, U.S. forces serve under a French battalion commander and are evaluated on mountain confidence, knot tying, night obstacle courses, aquatic obstacle courses, battle maneuver tactics as well as physical challenges. For seven years, since 2015, the French Armed Forces stationed out of Djibouti have invited U.S. service members with CJTF-HOA to participate in the competition. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Blake Wiles)
Photo by: Senior Airman Blake Wiles
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Combined Joint Task Force - Horn
Members of the Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa perform timed push-ups during a pre-assessment to prepare them for the French Desert Commando Course (FDCC), Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, April 7, 2022. Since 2015, the French Forces stationed in Djibouti (FFDJ) have invited U.S. service members with CJTF-HOA to participate in the course. During the FDCC, the members are evaluated on mountain confidence, knot tying, night obstacle courses, aquatic obstacle courses, and battle maneuver tactics as well as presented with physical challenges. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Blake Wiles)
Photo by: Senior Airman Blake Wiles
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Combined Joint Task Force - Horn
U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Roy Wollgast, an 82nd Expeditionary Rescue Squadron survival, evasion, resistance and escape specialist, completes a swim obstacle course during a French Desert Commando Course (FDCC) pre-assessment at 5th Overseas Interarms Regiment base, Djibouti, April 19, 2022. Since 2015, the French Forces stationed in Djibouti (FFDJ) have invited U.S. service members with the Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa and Camp Lemonnier to participate in the course. During the FDCC, participants are evaluated on mountain confidence, knot tying, night obstacle courses, aquatic obstacle courses, and battle maneuver tactics as well as physical challenges. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Blake Wiles)
Photo by: Senior Airman Blake Wiles
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Combined Joint Task Force - Horn
U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Roy Wollgast, an 82nd Expeditionary Rescue Squadron survival, evasion, resistance, and escape specialist, scans the mountain during the French Desert Commando Course (FDCC) at Arta Range, Djibouti, April 24, 2022. Since 2015, the French Forces stationed in Djibouti (FFDJ) have invited U.S. service members with CJTF-HOA and Camp Lemonnier to participate in the course. During the FDCC, participants are evaluated on mountain confidence, knot tying, night obstacle courses, aquatic obstacle courses, battle maneuver tactics, and various physical challenges. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Blake Wiles)
Photo by: Senior Airman Blake Wiles
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Combined Joint Task Force - Horn
U.S. service members with the Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) participate in the French Desert Commando Course (FDCC) at Arta Range, Djibouti, April 27, 2022. Since 2015, the French Forces stationed in Djibouti (FFDJ) have invited U.S. service members with CJTF-HOA or deployed to Camp Lemonnier to participate in the course. Members of the CJTF HOA regularly train and work alongside allies, partners, and government organizations to achieve a unified effort to improve safety, security and prosperity in East Africa. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Blake Wiles)
Photo by: Senior Airman Blake Wiles
Photo 7 of 10
Combined Joint Task Force - Horn
U.S. service members with the Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) participate in the French Desert Commando Course (FDCC) at Arta Range, Djibouti, April 27, 2022. Since 2015, the French Forces stationed in Djibouti (FFDJ) have invited U.S. service members with CJTF-HOA or deployed to Camp Lemonnier to participate in the course. Members of the CJTF HOA regularly train and work alongside allies, partners, and government organizations to achieve a unified effort to improve safety, security and prosperity in East Africa. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Blake Wiles)
Photo by: Senior Airman Blake Wiles
Photo 8 of 10
Combined Joint Task Force - Horn
U.S. service members with the Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) participate in the French Desert Commando Course (FDCC) at Arta Range, Djibouti, April 26, 2022. Since 2015, the French Forces stationed in Djibouti (FFDJ) have invited U.S. service members with CJTF-HOA or deployed to Camp Lemonnier to participate in the course. Members of the CJTF HOA regularly train and work alongside allies, partners, and government organizations to achieve a unified effort to improve safety, security and prosperity in East Africa. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Blake Wiles)
Photo by: Senior Airman Blake Wiles
Photo 9 of 10
Combined Joint Task Force - Horn
U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Roy Wollgast, an 82nd Expeditionary Rescue Squadron survival, evasion, resistance, and escape specialist, performs combative techniques during the French Desert Commando Course (FDCC) at Arta Range, Djibouti, April 26, 2022. Since 2015, the French Forces stationed in Djibouti (FFDJ) have invited U.S. service members with the Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa and Camp Lemonnier to participate in the course. During the FDCC, participants are evaluated on mountain confidence, knot tying, night obstacle courses, aquatic obstacle courses, battle maneuver tactics, and various physical challenges. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Blake Wiles)
Photo by: Senior Airman Blake Wiles
Photo 10 of 10
Combined Joint Task Force - Horn
U.S. service members with the Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) participate in the French Desert Commando Course (FDCC) at Arta Range, Djibouti, April 24, 2022. Since 2015, the French Forces stationed in Djibouti (FFDJ) have invited U.S. service members with CJTF-HOA or deployed to Camp Lemonnier to participate in the course. Members of the CJTF HOA regularly train and work alongside allies, partners, and government organizations to achieve a unified effort to improve safety, security and prosperity in East Africa. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Blake Wiles)
Photo by: Senior Airman Blake Wiles
CAMP LEMONNIER, DJIBOUTI – French Armed Forces stationed in Djibouti (FFDJ) alongside U.S. service members with Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) completed the four phases of the French Desert Commando Course (FDCC) in a variety of locations across Djibouti from April 5 - May 11, 2022.
The course is a long-enduring icon of the French Armed Forces. The tough and austere environment of Djibouti provides the perfect training ground to raise the physical and mental capabilities of service members who complete the rigorous training. For the French Soldiers, this is just the Desert phase of the training; jungle, forest and combat phases also have to be completed.
Established by the French in 1974 in Djibouti, the FDCC became a staple expectation and accomplishment for French Soldiers. Since 2015, select service members from CJTF-HOA have been invited to participate in the rigorous course.
The nature of the course immediately intrigued two survival, evasion, resistance and escape (SERE) specialists. Tech. Sgts. Matthew O’Brien and Roy Wollgast, assigned to the 82nd Expeditionary Rescue Squadron, volunteered to take on the challenge.
“I heard the course was pretty heinous, so I immediately wanted to participate,” said Wollgast.
The course is broken into three main phases: the French pre-assessment, the commando phase, and the combat phase. Before the official course, CJTF-HOA conducts a pre-assessment to identify the 35 most physically and mentally fit service members to compete in the FDCC.
On the evening of April 5, U.S. service members conducted a ranger physical fitness test consisting of timed push-ups and sit-ups, a rope climb, and a five-mile run.
Originally from the Alaska Air National Guard, O’Brien and Wollgast are no stranger to preparing for selection in extreme temperatures. Alaska, however, is the polar opposite of the extremely hot and humid temperatures in the Horn of Africa. To prepare for the FDCC, they needed to physically acclimate to the environment in Djibouti.
Virginia Army National Guard Soldiers assigned to Task Force Red Dragon (TFRD), the security forces asset for CJTF-HOA, led the U.S. participation from Camp Lemonnier.
“I was impressed with the effort that the red dragon folks were putting in,” said Wollgast. “I was honestly a bit intimidated wondering if I got a slot for the next portion at the French Base.”
The next phase of selection, the French pre-assessment, started on April 19 at the French 5th Overseas Interarms Regiment Base (5th RIAOM), Djibouti, with an advanced water obstacle course and another timed five-mile run.
“I really enjoyed the water obstacle course because it was a team event,” said Wollgast. “Being able to coordinate different pool strategies and feeling the extra pressure of my team relying on me pushed me to do better.”
The participants split into teams of five and had to work together in order to complete the aquatic obstacle course. Once complete, the French instructors displayed their small arms weapons systems to U.S. service members in order to familiarize them with their history and current equipment.
“The opportunity to train alongside other units is something that I always appreciate,” said O’Brien.
The commando phase of the course includes mountain confidence, knot tying, night obstacle courses, battle maneuver tactics, and various other challenges. Due to the nature of their job, O’Brien and Wollgast have experience training in a desert environment and were able to help others during the course.
“We have a desert survival phase in our training and it was very applicable to this environment,” said O’Brien. “We were able to take care of ourselves and Soldiers around us. We made sure they drank water, ate enough calories, and stayed out of the sun as much as possible.”
The highlight of the commando phase was the mountain obstacle course where service members completed various mountain obstacles including rope swings, crawling on a high rope atop the mountain and rock climbing.
“Just get to the other side,” said O’Brien, referring to reaching the end of the mountain obstacles.
The final phase of the course, the combat phase, started on May 5 and was a five-day culminating exercise focused on infantry tactics and battle movements. The days were long and the nights were spent in a foxhole performing fire watch.
“The French have been operating here for a long time,” said O’Brien. “There’s a lot that we can learn from them especially in this austere environment.”
The combat phase focused on dismounted small unit tactics in a desert environment.
“The FDCC is valuable training,” said Wollgast. “I feel like I know a lot more about the desert and the Horn of Africa as a whole. This training taught me what resources it would take for a real-world mission in the desert.”
The service members who successfully completed the course were recognized in a pinning ceremony at the 5th RIAOM, earning them a desert commando badge. Of the approximate 50 service members who completed the pre-assessment, only 25 service members earned the prestigious badge.
The course acts as a platform for U.S. and French partnership in Djibouti. Members of CJTF-HOA regularly train and work alongside allies, partners, and government organizations to achieve a unified effort to improve safety, security and prosperity in East Africa.
