CAMP LEMONNIER, Djibouti - Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa has been engaging in efforts to build partnerships based on shared understanding and trust by incorporating the foreign liaison officers into daily operations such as LNOs briefing in the Joint Operations Center, the open-source intelligence course, and tours of different areas on Camp Lemonnier.
CJTF-HOA LNOs toured a C-130 Super Hercules, HH-60 Pave Hawk and a C-12 Huron on Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, April 7, 2014.
The tour was led by U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 5 Kent Wagner, Operational Airlift Support Command Detachment 20 C-12 Huron pilot. The tour was an opportunity for CJTF-HOA partners to see some of the U.S. aircraft and learn about their capabilities.
“The benefit of sharing our knowledge with our coalition partners not only builds camaraderie and esprit de corps, but it’s important that we learn from each other by seeing how other people operate and possibly having a better way of doing something,” said U.S. Army Lt. Col. Stephen Collins, J-3/5/7 civil military office foreign liaison officer.
The push for more incorporation into the CJTF-HOA mission has very well received by the LNOs.
“I feel privileged and thankful for CJTF-HOA in allowing us to work together and showing us these capabilities,” said the Uganda LNO. “The tour of the aircraft was very interesting, these machines are awesome! I’d love to be able to experience one of these aircraft myself.”
At each aircraft the LNOs were able to speak with pilots and maintainers about each specific aircraft and their capabilities.
“I was impressed with the cooperation and interaction with our partners during the tour,” Wagner said.
A few other examples of ways the LNOs are included in the mission are the weekly briefings in the JOC, where they brief current events in their respective countries to all of CJFT-HOA’s leadership
During the open-source intelligence course, participants were taught different ways to collect open-source material, such as from local media and how to piece that information together with other intelligence they have. The course also enabled CJTF-HOA’s members to see through the eyes of their coalition partners.
“Part of the mission here at CJTF-HOA is to build relationships with other countries and with these relationships we will be able to defeat violent extremists,” Collins said.