A Ugandan military officer enters a classroom Feb. 29, 2016, during an African Union Mission in Somalia staff officers course in Nairobi, Kenya. The U.S. State Department’s Africa Contingency Operations and Training Assistance program sponsors courses like this every quarter and has trained approximately 45,000 African soldiers since 2004. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Kate Thornton)
By Staff Sgt. Kate ThorntonCamp Lemonnier, DjiboutiMar 11, 2016
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.
Task Force Associator opens Joint Light Leaders Course to sister services
U.S. Soldiers, Sailors and Marines participated in the Joint Light Leaders Course to learn fundamentals of infantry tactics, planning, and leadership to build a cohesive relationship across branches to support operations and plans in East Africa.
CJTF-HOA, Djiboutian service members discuss operations for Bull Shark 25-2
U.S. service members discuss operations for exercise Bull Shark 25-2 with Djiboutian and NATO counterparts at Camp Doraleh, Djibouti, April 21, 2025. The objective of Bull Shark is to enhance personnel recovery techniques through numerous scenarios involving land, sea, and air units, while prioritizing communications between allied countries.
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.
Task Force Associator opens Joint Light Leaders Course to sister services
U.S. Soldiers, Sailors and Marines participated in the Joint Light Leaders Course to learn fundamentals of infantry tactics, planning, and leadership to build a cohesive relationship across branches to support operations and plans in East Africa.
CJTF-HOA, Djiboutian service members discuss operations for Bull Shark 25-2
U.S. service members discuss operations for exercise Bull Shark 25-2 with Djiboutian and NATO counterparts at Camp Doraleh, Djibouti, April 21, 2025. The objective of Bull Shark is to enhance personnel recovery techniques through numerous scenarios involving land, sea, and air units, while prioritizing communications between allied countries.
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.
Task Force Associator opens Joint Light Leaders Course to sister services
U.S. Soldiers, Sailors and Marines participated in the Joint Light Leaders Course to learn fundamentals of infantry tactics, planning, and leadership to build a cohesive relationship across branches to support operations and plans in East Africa.
CJTF-HOA, Djiboutian service members discuss operations for Bull Shark 25-2
U.S. service members discuss operations for exercise Bull Shark 25-2 with Djiboutian and NATO counterparts at Camp Doraleh, Djibouti, April 21, 2025. The objective of Bull Shark is to enhance personnel recovery techniques through numerous scenarios involving land, sea, and air units, while prioritizing communications between allied countries.