Effective Oct. 1, 2008, Marine Corps Forces Central Command transferred operational control of Marine Corps forces in the Horn of Africa region to the recently established Marine Corps Forces Africa based in Stuttgart, Germany.
In order to support the inception of U.S. Africa Command, Headquarters, the Marine Corps directed that MARFORAF be established. MARCENT and MARFORAF staff working groups have been planning the transfer of related. Marine Corps forces, equipment and missions to MARFORAF.
“MARCENT was crucial in the smooth and seamless transition of command to MARFORAF,” said Major Blas Avila, MARFORAF action officer for the transition. “We are now holding the reins and are committed to maintaining the high level of work and professionalism upheld under MARCENT.”
Additionally, AFRICOM became fully operational on 1 Oct. as well. During the past year, AFRICOM’s staff has been in the process of integrating responsibilities and missions previously carried out by U.S. European Command, U.S. Central Command and U.S. Pacific Command. This new joint, inter-agency geographical combatant command encompasses the entire continent of Africa excluding Egypt.
MARCENT maintains forward deployed established coordination elements throughout the CENTCOM area of responsibility. In the Horn of Africa, MARCENT Command Element - Djibouti (MCE-DJ) has successfully transitioned from MARCENT headquarters’ “eyes on the ground” over to MARFORAF.
“Until now, the MARCENT Command Element – Djibouti (MCE-DJ) has facilitated support for Marine Corps forces operating in the Horn of Africa,” said Col. Michael W. Pierce, MCE-DJ officer in charge. “We have been critical in coordinating the deployment and employment of MARCENT forces in the region. Additionally, we represent the MARCENT headquarters in component-level interaction with Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa and Camp Lemonier. Although our parent command is now MARFORAF our mission remains the same”
Camp Lemonier, home base to the new MARFORAF Command Element as well as to CJTF-HOA, is also changing hands as Naval Forces Central Command transfers command and control to NAVAF in Djibouti. The formation of NAVAF was made official on 1 Oct. as well.
The Marine Provisional Security Companies are the camp’s first line of defense. Their mission is to deter, detect, defend and mitigate terrorist activity in order to provide a stable operating posture for CJTF-HOA from Camp Lemonier. Additionally, they conduct contingency security missions to the U.S. embassy, Djibouti, and the Port of Djibouti.
"Camp Lemonier is our home away from home,” said Col. Pierce. "The PSC keeps it well guarded, both inside and out, so the CJTF-HOA can execute its mission successfully."
The Marine Corps also provides rotor airlift capability to the mission in the Horn of Africa. A detachment of CH-53E Sea Stallion helicopters supply the heavy airlift for CJTF-HOA missions in the region.
"The HMH detachment is our main method of transport in the Horn of Africa," said Gunnery Sergeant Miguel A, RiveraCruz, MCE-DJ staff noncommissioned officer in-charge. "They provide us with a far-reach capability that is crucial to the mission here."
In addition, MARCENT has sourced and deployed a number of Marine Individual Augmentees, both officer and enlisted, that comprise a vital portion of the CJTF-HOA staff.
The CJTF-HOA comprises more than 1,500 people from all branches of the U.S. military, coalition forces and partner nations, with an AOR covering the airspace, land areas and coastal waters of Comoros, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. Since its creation, the command has trained with the host nations militaries and deployed French Foreign Legion forces, built schools, clinics and hospitals, dug wells and assisted in a multitude of humanitarian missions.
CJTF-HOA employs its forces throughout the operations area in a multi-faceted manner to build a host nation security capacity to combat terrorism and improve the underlying conditions in order to prevent terrorist exploitation.