Story by U.S. Air National Guard Tech. Sgt. Andria Allmond
In May, members of the U.S. Navy s Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 1 deployed to the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) here, were charged with fabricating a medical clinic to serve the populous. And as the heat rises, it appears their resolve to finish the job does also.
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Steelworker 2nd Class Nicholas Baldus prepares an oxygen-acetylene welding rig to create manhole covers out of steel at Camp Lemmonier, Djibouti, July 7. The covers are for an Arta-region medical clinic that CJTF-HOA is building in continued partnership with the Djiboutian people. U.S. Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Andria Allmond
Specifically, the Seabees of NMCB 1 are the ones braving the extreme heat and elements of East Africa to accomplish this task.
All members of CJTF-HOA support the U.S. Africa Command theme of countering transnational threats. A method of accomplishing this is by engaging with partners to deter, disrupt and deny violent extremist organizations (VEOs) in the region. By informally forging partnerships with the local population through friendly behavior, the CJTF-HOA Seabees are directly helping to deter the recruitment practices of VEOs.