Photo By Tech. Sgt. George Keck | U.S. Air Force Command Chief Master Sergeant, command senior enlisted leader of...... read more read more
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Djiboutian Olympians Mr. Mohamed Ismael and Ms. Samya Hassan joined Mr. Faissal Raguib, Secretary General of the Olympic Committee, at Camp Lemonnier on October 13, 2024, for the 2024 Army 10-Miler Shadow Run. The event drew participants from U.S. allies, including Italy, France, Japan, and South Korea, showcasing a unified international commitment to peace and security in the region.
Camp Lemonnier served as one of many locations hosting this global event, but it was the only site on the African continent. This year, the run was dedicated to the memory of service members who lost their lives during the Battle of Mogadishu in Somalia and the Tongo Tongo ambush in Niger.
Major General Brian Cashman, Commander of the Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa, emphasized the significance of the occasion and the special guests in attendance. “I want to express my great appreciation to our Djiboutian athletes here who are representing our host nation,” Major General Cashman said. “It’s only fitting, running the 10-miler here in Africa, that we recognize those fallen comrades who gave their lives.”
The tragedies remembered during the run date back to October 1993, when two Black Hawk helicopters were shot down in Mogadishu, Somalia, during Operation Gothic Serpent, resulting in 18 deaths and 84 wounded. More recently, in October 2017, U.S. and Nigerien soldiers faced an attack by the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara in Tongo Tongo, Niger, leading to the deaths of four Nigerien and four U.S. soldiers, with 10 others injured.
"I ran this in memory of the people we lost in Mogadishu and Tongo Tongo," said Air Force Tech. Sgt. Dana Urbanek. "Each lap was a bit sentimental as I remembered them and carried a picture along the way."
The strong partnership between Djibouti and the U.S. military is vital for preventing future conflicts and maintaining stability, security, and prosperity in East Africa. CJTF-HOA, headquartered at Camp Lemonnier, plays a critical role in U.S. Africa Command's efforts to counter violent extremism, strengthen regional security partnerships, and execute its crisis response mission—a "no-fail" mission for the entire area of operation.
| Date Taken: | 10.13.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 10.16.2024 05:19 |
| Story ID: | 483195 |
| Location: | DJ |
| Web Views: | 91 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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