Camp Le Monier
Encyclopedia
Camp Lemonnier is a United States Naval Expeditionary Base, situated at Djibouti
's Djibouti-Ambouli International Airport
and home to the Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) of the U.S. Africa Command (USAFRICOM). The camp is operated by U.S. Navy Region Europe, Africa, Southwest Asia; CJTF-HOA is the most notable tenant command located at the facility as of 2008. It was established as the primary base in the region for the support of Operation Enduring Freedom - Horn of Africa
(OEF-HOA). After negotiations between March and May 2001, the Djiboutian government allowed for the base's use by the U.S., providing for demining
, humanitarian
, and counter-terrorism
efforts, and it now serves as the location from which U.S. and Coalition forces are operating in the Horn of Africa
. The access agreement made by officials from the U.S. Embassy in Djibouti with the Djiboutian government allows for use of the camp, as well as a nearby airport and port facilities.
The camp originally belonged to the French military, and named after General Emile-René Lemonnier
. In 2009, after years of misspelling, the U.S. Navy officially changed the camp's name to properly reflect the spelling of General Lemonnier's name.
Today, Camp Lemonnier is the only U.S. military base located in Africa supporting operations geared toward building security, sovereignty, and stability in the region.
, between the runway overflow areas and a French military munitions storage facility. Following use by the French Foreign Legion
, the facility was operated by the Djiboutian Armed Forces
. While the United States had long understood that Islamic extremists used the large desert areas of northeastern Africa, known as the Horn of Africa, as a base of operations, combatting the extremists had not been seen as a priority. Following the September 11, 2001 attacks
, the U.S. decided to start such efforts. At first, this was limited to focused attacks, but in 2002 the U.S. government realized that to reduce extremism would require long term engagement with the local governments and populations. As a result, it established the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa to conduct stability operations in the area. In November 2002, the CJTF-HOA staff, a Marine-based organization, arrived off the coast of Djibouti aboard , a naval command ship.
While the intent was to move ashore, the Camp Lemonnier facilities which had not been in use for several years were in a state of considerable disrepair. Some buildings were mere concrete shells and had been stripped of interior fixtures, pipes and wiring, while the roofs of several structures had collapsed. Goats roamed the property and birds had taken roost in several of the abandoned structures. The former swimming pool had been used as a trash dump and was a borderline hazardous material site. Some buildings that were closer to the Djiboutian Air Force controlled side of the airport were in better shape and required minimal renovation. As a result, the CJTF-HOA staff remained aboard the USS Mount Whitney as U.S. Army (Bravo Co. 46th Engineer (CBT)(HVY)
) began extensive renovations. This involved building new concrete pads, maintenance facilities and living areas. In May 2003, Camp Lemonnier was livable and CJTF-HOA transitioned from the Mount Whitney to the camp. The pool was cleaned, refurbished, and opened in spring of 2003.
In January 2007, it was announced Camp Lemonnier would be expanded from 97 acres (392,545.4 m²) to nearly 500 acres (2 km²). As part of the process of moving the camp from an "expeditionary" base to a long term facility, the camp built a living area, known as CLUville. CLUville consists of long rows of Containerized Living Units (CLUs)
with concrete sidewalks and gravel roads. As CLUville was slowly expanded, the camp population moved from tents into the more durable berthing facilities.
Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) began moving all headquarters personnel and equipment from its flagship, USS Mount Whitney
, in the Gulf of Aden
, into facilities at Camp Lemonnier on May 6, 2003.
Djiboutian workers were instrumental in preparing the newly-renovated 88 acres (356,123.7 m²) camp for movement of the CJTF headquarters ashore. More than 1,200 local and third-country national construction and support personnel currently work aboard the camp each day. Pacific Architects & Engineers, Inc. (PAE) administers the contract for facilities and support operations for the camp, which include billeting, laundry services and the dining facility.
On July 1, 2006, the U.S. Marine Corps turned over responsibility for Camp Lemonnier to the U.S. Navy in a brief change of command ceremony. U.S. Navy Captain Robert Fahey assumed command of Camp Lemonnier from U.S. Marine Corps Colonel
Gerard Fischer.
In early July 2006, the U.S. and Djiboutian governments announced that a lease agreement had been signed to expand Camp Lemonnier from 88 acres (356,123.7 m²) to nearly 500 acres (2 km²). The term of the lease is for 5 years with options to renew. As part of the lease and expansion, physical improvements to the camp included fencing, additional billeting to replace existing tents, and compliance with various U.S. force protection standoff requirements.
(USCENTCOM) to United States Africa Command
(USAFRICOM) as the latter assumed authority over the African theater of operations.
battalion which conducts well drilling operations, U.S. Army
units which provide additional security, military training, and Civil-military operations
support, and several aircraft detachments. Past tenant units have included the U.S. Marine 9th Provisional Security Force; 2nd Battalion, 18th Field Artillery Regiment; and 1-65th Infantry Regiment
, Puerto Rico Army National Guard as well as the First Red Horse Group. As of June 2010, 2nd Combined Arms Battalion, 137th Infantry Regiment assumed duties at Camp Lemonnier. The 2-137 IN is a Kansas Army National Guard unit and its soldiers come from all over the state of Kansas. Most of the soldiers in the unit are on second or third tour of duty since 2001. The soldiers of the 2nd 137th IN, had made some improvement in the Force Protection on the Camp. During their deployment the Unit had made many friends with the local people. In the Month of APR 2011 a sister Battalion the 1-161 FA another Kansas Guard unit is going to replace the 2-137.
Aircraft detachments include a U.S. Marine heavy-lift helicopter (CH-53
) detachment, a U.S. Navy P-3
detachment (technically a part of NAVCENT's Task Force 57), and the U.S. Air Force
's 449th Air Expeditionary Group
. USAF detachments include a USAF HC-130 detachment, and, at times, a C-17 Globemaster III
detachment.
Djibouti
Djibouti , officially the Republic of Djibouti , is a country in the Horn of Africa. It is bordered by Eritrea in the north, Ethiopia in the west and south, and Somalia in the southeast. The remainder of the border is formed by the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden at the east...
's Djibouti-Ambouli International Airport
Djibouti-Ambouli International Airport
Djibouti-Ambouli International Airport is a joint civilian/military-use airport situated in Djibouti City, Djibouti. In 2004, the airport served 182,641 passengers.-Military:...
and home to the Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) of the U.S. Africa Command (USAFRICOM). The camp is operated by U.S. Navy Region Europe, Africa, Southwest Asia; CJTF-HOA is the most notable tenant command located at the facility as of 2008. It was established as the primary base in the region for the support of Operation Enduring Freedom - Horn of Africa
Operation Enduring Freedom - Horn of Africa
Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa is a joint task force of United States Africa Command . It originated under Operation Enduring Freedom-Horn of Africa as part of the United States response to the September 11, 2001 attacks...
(OEF-HOA). After negotiations between March and May 2001, the Djiboutian government allowed for the base's use by the U.S., providing for demining
Demining
Demining or mine clearance is the process of removing either land mines, or naval mines, from an area, while minesweeping describes the act of detecting of mines. There are two distinct types of mine detection and removal: military and humanitarian.Minesweepers use many tools in order to accomplish...
, humanitarian
Humanitarian aid
Humanitarian aid is material or logistical assistance provided for humanitarian purposes, typically in response to humanitarian crises including natural disaster and man-made disaster. The primary objective of humanitarian aid is to save lives, alleviate suffering, and maintain human dignity...
, and counter-terrorism
Counter-terrorism
Counter-terrorism is the practices, tactics, techniques, and strategies that governments, militaries, police departments and corporations adopt to prevent or in response to terrorist threats and/or acts, both real and imputed.The tactic of terrorism is available to insurgents and governments...
efforts, and it now serves as the location from which U.S. and Coalition forces are operating in the Horn of Africa
Horn of Africa
The Horn of Africa is a peninsula in East Africa that juts hundreds of kilometers into the Arabian Sea and lies along the southern side of the Gulf of Aden. It is the easternmost projection of the African continent...
. The access agreement made by officials from the U.S. Embassy in Djibouti with the Djiboutian government allows for use of the camp, as well as a nearby airport and port facilities.
The camp originally belonged to the French military, and named after General Emile-René Lemonnier
Emile-René Lemonnier
Emile-René Lemonnier was a French Army general who served during World War I and World War II. Stationed in French Indochina in 1945, he was beheaded by the Japanese at the beginning of the Second French Indochina Campaign....
. In 2009, after years of misspelling, the U.S. Navy officially changed the camp's name to properly reflect the spelling of General Lemonnier's name.
Today, Camp Lemonnier is the only U.S. military base located in Africa supporting operations geared toward building security, sovereignty, and stability in the region.
History
Camp Lemonnier is located on the southern side of the Djibouti-Ambouli International AirportDjibouti-Ambouli International Airport
Djibouti-Ambouli International Airport is a joint civilian/military-use airport situated in Djibouti City, Djibouti. In 2004, the airport served 182,641 passengers.-Military:...
, between the runway overflow areas and a French military munitions storage facility. Following use by the French Foreign Legion
French Foreign Legion
The French Foreign Legion is a unique military service wing of the French Army established in 1831. The foreign legion was exclusively created for foreign nationals willing to serve in the French Armed Forces...
, the facility was operated by the Djiboutian Armed Forces
Military of Djibouti
The Military of Djibouti consists of the Djibouti National Army. It is located on the Gulf of Aden and Bab al-Mandab with a foothold on the Red Sea.- History :...
. While the United States had long understood that Islamic extremists used the large desert areas of northeastern Africa, known as the Horn of Africa, as a base of operations, combatting the extremists had not been seen as a priority. Following the September 11, 2001 attacks
September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
, the U.S. decided to start such efforts. At first, this was limited to focused attacks, but in 2002 the U.S. government realized that to reduce extremism would require long term engagement with the local governments and populations. As a result, it established the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa to conduct stability operations in the area. In November 2002, the CJTF-HOA staff, a Marine-based organization, arrived off the coast of Djibouti aboard , a naval command ship.
While the intent was to move ashore, the Camp Lemonnier facilities which had not been in use for several years were in a state of considerable disrepair. Some buildings were mere concrete shells and had been stripped of interior fixtures, pipes and wiring, while the roofs of several structures had collapsed. Goats roamed the property and birds had taken roost in several of the abandoned structures. The former swimming pool had been used as a trash dump and was a borderline hazardous material site. Some buildings that were closer to the Djiboutian Air Force controlled side of the airport were in better shape and required minimal renovation. As a result, the CJTF-HOA staff remained aboard the USS Mount Whitney as U.S. Army (Bravo Co. 46th Engineer (CBT)(HVY)
46th Engineer Battalion (United States)
The 46th Engineer Battalion is a military engineer unit in the United States Army first formed in 1917.-Lineage:Constituted 7 December 1917 in the National Army as the 46th EngineersOrganized March–April 1918 at Camp Sheridan, Alabama...
) began extensive renovations. This involved building new concrete pads, maintenance facilities and living areas. In May 2003, Camp Lemonnier was livable and CJTF-HOA transitioned from the Mount Whitney to the camp. The pool was cleaned, refurbished, and opened in spring of 2003.
In January 2007, it was announced Camp Lemonnier would be expanded from 97 acres (392,545.4 m²) to nearly 500 acres (2 km²). As part of the process of moving the camp from an "expeditionary" base to a long term facility, the camp built a living area, known as CLUville. CLUville consists of long rows of Containerized Living Units (CLUs)
Containerized housing unit
Containerized Housing Unit, usually abbreviated as CHU is the name given to an ISO shipping container pre-fabricated into a living quarters...
with concrete sidewalks and gravel roads. As CLUville was slowly expanded, the camp population moved from tents into the more durable berthing facilities.
Base of operations
USS Mount Whitney (LCC-20)
The USS Mount Whitney is a Blue Ridge class command ship of the US Navy; it is the flagship of the Sixth Fleet. She is also the command and control ship for the Commander Joint Command Lisbon and the Commander Striking Force NATO...
, in the Gulf of Aden
Gulf of Aden
The Gulf of Aden is located in the Arabian Sea between Yemen, on the south coast of the Arabian Peninsula, and Somalia in the Horn of Africa. In the northwest, it connects with the Red Sea through the Bab-el-Mandeb strait, which is about 20 miles wide....
, into facilities at Camp Lemonnier on May 6, 2003.
Djiboutian workers were instrumental in preparing the newly-renovated 88 acres (356,123.7 m²) camp for movement of the CJTF headquarters ashore. More than 1,200 local and third-country national construction and support personnel currently work aboard the camp each day. Pacific Architects & Engineers, Inc. (PAE) administers the contract for facilities and support operations for the camp, which include billeting, laundry services and the dining facility.
On July 1, 2006, the U.S. Marine Corps turned over responsibility for Camp Lemonnier to the U.S. Navy in a brief change of command ceremony. U.S. Navy Captain Robert Fahey assumed command of Camp Lemonnier from U.S. Marine Corps Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
Gerard Fischer.
In early July 2006, the U.S. and Djiboutian governments announced that a lease agreement had been signed to expand Camp Lemonnier from 88 acres (356,123.7 m²) to nearly 500 acres (2 km²). The term of the lease is for 5 years with options to renew. As part of the lease and expansion, physical improvements to the camp included fencing, additional billeting to replace existing tents, and compliance with various U.S. force protection standoff requirements.
Transfer to USAFRICOM
On October 1, 2008, responsibility for the task force was transferred from the United States Central CommandUnited States Central Command
The United States Central Command is a theater-level Unified Combatant Command unit of the U.S. armed forces, established in 1983 under the operational control of the U.S. Secretary of Defense...
(USCENTCOM) to United States Africa Command
United States Africa Command
The United States Africa Command is one of nine Unified Combatant Commands of the United States Armed Forces, headquartered at Kelley Barracks, Stuttgart, Germany. It is responsible for U.S. military operations and military relations with 53 African nations – an area of responsibility covering all...
(USAFRICOM) as the latter assumed authority over the African theater of operations.
Tenant commands
Camp Lemonnier is run by Commander, Navy Region Europe, Africa, Southwest Asia, which is responsible for its expansion, upkeep, and logistics support. Tenants include the U.S. Marine Security Forces which provides the camp's external security, the CJTF-HOA commander and staff, a U.S. Navy SeabeeSeabee
Seabees are members of the United States Navy construction battalions. The word Seabee is a proper noun that comes from the initials of Construction Battalion, of the United States Navy...
battalion which conducts well drilling operations, U.S. Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
units which provide additional security, military training, and Civil-military operations
Civil-military operations
Civil-military operations or CMO are activities of a military force to minimize civil interference on and maximize civil support for military operations to facilitate accomplishing the mission. CMO is conducted in conjunction with combat operations during wartime and becomes a central part of a...
support, and several aircraft detachments. Past tenant units have included the U.S. Marine 9th Provisional Security Force; 2nd Battalion, 18th Field Artillery Regiment; and 1-65th Infantry Regiment
65th Infantry Regiment (United States)
The 65th Infantry Regiment, nicknamed "The Borinqueneers," was an all-volunteer Puerto Rican regiment of the United States Army. Its motto was Honor et Fidelitas, Latin for Honor and Fidelity. It participated in World War I, World War II, and the Korean War...
, Puerto Rico Army National Guard as well as the First Red Horse Group. As of June 2010, 2nd Combined Arms Battalion, 137th Infantry Regiment assumed duties at Camp Lemonnier. The 2-137 IN is a Kansas Army National Guard unit and its soldiers come from all over the state of Kansas. Most of the soldiers in the unit are on second or third tour of duty since 2001. The soldiers of the 2nd 137th IN, had made some improvement in the Force Protection on the Camp. During their deployment the Unit had made many friends with the local people. In the Month of APR 2011 a sister Battalion the 1-161 FA another Kansas Guard unit is going to replace the 2-137.
Aircraft detachments include a U.S. Marine heavy-lift helicopter (CH-53
CH-53 Sea Stallion
The CH-53 Sea Stallion is the most common name for the Sikorsky S-65 family of heavy-lift transport helicopters. Originally developed for use by the United States Marine Corps, it is also in service with Germany, Iran, Israel, and Mexico...
) detachment, a U.S. Navy P-3
P-3 Orion
The Lockheed P-3 Orion is a four-engine turboprop anti-submarine and maritime surveillance aircraft developed for the United States Navy and introduced in the 1960s. Lockheed based it on the L-188 Electra commercial airliner. The aircraft is easily recognizable by its distinctive tail stinger or...
detachment (technically a part of NAVCENT's Task Force 57), and the U.S. Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
's 449th Air Expeditionary Group
449th Air Expeditionary Group
The 449th Air Expeditionary Group is a provisional United States Air Force unit assigned to the 17th Air Force supporting United States Africa Command. It was last known to be stationed at Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti....
. USAF detachments include a USAF HC-130 detachment, and, at times, a C-17 Globemaster III
C-17 Globemaster III
The Boeing C-17 Globemaster III is a large military transport aircraft. Developed for the United States Air Force from the 1980s to the early 1990s by McDonnell Douglas, the C-17 is used for rapid strategic airlift of troops and cargo to main operating bases or forward operating bases throughout...
detachment.
External links
- Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa
- U.S. Military plans to expand Camp Lemonier in Djibouti, Stars and StripesStars and Stripes (newspaper)Stars and Stripes is a news source that operates from inside the United States Department of Defense but is editorially separate from it. The First Amendment protection which Stars and Stripes enjoys is safeguarded by Congress to whom an independent ombudsman, who serves the readers' interests,...
, August 14, 2006. Retrieved 2006-08-14. - globalsecurity.org - Camp Le Monier / Lemonier
- Djibouti: a new army behind the wire, Le Monde diplomatiqueLe Monde diplomatiqueLe Monde diplomatique is a monthly newspaper offering analysis and opinion on politics, culture, and current affairs. It was first created mainly for a diplomatic audience as its name implies...
, February 2003 (+ /)