CJTF-HOA Participates in Grand Bara Desert Run

Photo By Petty Officer 3rd Class Tyler Wilson | U.S. Army Sgt. Amanda Boersma crosses the finish line at the 27th Grand Bara Desert Run in Djibouti, Dec. 16. More than 3,000 participants ran in the race sponsored by the French Foreign Legion 40 U.S. troops.  

12.16.2009

Story by Petty Officer 3rd Class Tyler Wilson 

Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa

Participants in the run included more than 2,000 members of the French Foreign Legion stationed in Djibouti, U.S. troops with Combined Joint Task Force — Horn of Africa Camp Lemonnier, Djiboutian nationals, and runners from countries in the Horn of Africa.

U.S. Air Force Tech Sgt. Jonathan Stevens was one of the CJTF-HOA participants.

"This is a fantastic experience. It's a once in a lifetime opportunity. When I heard about it from my chain of command, I knew I had to sign up," Stevens said. "How many times in your life are you going to get the chance to run a race in an African desert?"

The French Foreign Legion sponsors and coordinates the race. French Maj. Jerome Logeais, a liaison officer at CJTF-HOA, invited service members stationed at the U.S. command to participate in the run. Over 40 U.S. military members accepted the invitation to run the race.

The Grand Bara Run was the first time U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Ryan McCauley ran with such a diverse group. "It's pretty amazing to run with so many different cultures," he said. "You come out here and train for months and it's still amazing to see the level of competition. Everyone is out here in the desert giving their all."

Many runners from Camp Lemonnier spoke highly of the run.

"It's a great course," said Stevens. "It was flat and I liked how you could see the finish line before you even began to run."

The CJTF-HOA particpants kept up with the competition. 2nd Class Norman Patton, Navy Equipment Operator, finished in just over an hour.

"I just wanted to come out here and show my support for the United States and Camp Lemonnier," said Patton.

"It's good for us to be out here running," said McCauley. "It shows the U.S. presence in the Horn of Africa and it helps show that we're here to support the coalition."

• Date Taken: 12.16.2009
• Date Posted: 12.18.2009 00:30
• Story ID: 42899