Camp Lemonier

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Camp Lemonier
11°32′37″N, 43°08′55″E, Djibouti
Marines with Company A, Command Logistics Element, Marine Central Command, practice their speed and accuracy with M16-A2 service rifles
Type	United States Navy Forward Operating Site
Built	Refurbished in 2001
In use	2001-Present
Controlled by	United States
Garrison	Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa
Commanders	U.S. Navy Captain John Heckman

Camp Lemonier (or Camp Le Monier) is a United States Navy base, specifically a Forward Operating Site^[1], situated in Djibouti and is home to Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) of the United States Central Command. It was established as the primary base in the region for the support of Operation Enduring Freedom - Horn of Africa (OEF-HOA). It is a former military barracks of the French Foreign Legion. After negotiations in February 2001, the Djiboutian government allowed for the base's use by the United States, providing for demining, humanitarian, and counter-terrorism efforts, and it now serves as the location from which United States and Coalition forces are operating in the Horn of Africa. The agreement made by officials from the U.S. Embassy in Djibouti signed an access agreement with the Djiboutian government for not only use of the camp, but the nearby airport and the port facilities as well.

1 History
2 Base of operations
3 Tenant commands
4 References
5 See also
6 External links

[edit] History

Camp Lemonier is located on the south-west side of the Djibouti-Ambouli International Airport, 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 north eastern Africa, known as the Horn of Africa, as a base of operations, its efforts to combat the threat had been minimal. Following the September 11, 2001 attacks, the U.S. began to expand those efforts. At first, it 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 in the USS Mount Whitney (LCC-20) command ship. While the intent was to move ashore, the Camp Lemonier facilities which had not been in use for several years was 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 Djiboutians used the former swimming pool 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. Navy Seabees began extensive renovations. This involved building new concrete pads, maintenance facilities and living areas. In May 2003, Camp Lemonier 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 Lemonier would be expanded from 97 acres to nearly 500 acres (2 km²).^[2] 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 housing unit with concrete sidewalks and gravel roads. As CLUville was slowly expanded, the camp population moved from tents into these hard billets.^[3]

[edit] Base of operations

"Thunder Dome" at Camp Lemonier

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 Le Monier on May 6, 2003.

Djiboutian workers were instrumental in preparing the newly-renovated 88 acre camp for movement of the CJTF headquarters ashore. More than 300 local construction personnel currently work aboard the camp each day and nearly 300 day-workers are employed in other camp support operations. PAE (Pacific Architects and Engineers) administers the contract for facilities and support operations aboard the camp, which include the laundry service and the dining facility. PAE is a subsidiary of Lockheed Martin.

On July 1, 2006, the United States Marine Corps turned over responsibility for Camp Lemonier to the U.S. Navy in a brief change of command ceremony. U.S. Navy Captain Robert Fahey assumed command of Camp Lemonier from United States Marine Corps Colonel Gerard Fischer.^[4]

In early July 2006, the U.S. and Djiboutian Government announced that a lease agreement had been signed to expand Camp Lemonier from 88 acres to nearly 500 acres (2 km²). The term of the lease is for 5 years with options to renew. Planned improvements to the Camp include fencing, additional billeting to replace existing tents, and compliance with various U.S. Central Command force protection standoff requirements.

[edit] Tenant commands

Camp Lemonier is run by Commander, Navy Region Southwest Asia which is responsible for its expansion, upkeep, and logistics support. Tenants include the U.S. Marine 8th Provisional Security Company which provides the camp's external security, the CJTF-HOA staff, a U.S. Navy Seabee battalion, U.S. Army C Battery 2nd Battalion 18th Field Artillery Regiment, a U.S. Marine heavy-lift helicopter (CH-53) detachment, a U.S. Navy P-3 detachment (technically a part of NAVCENT, and a U.S. Air Force HC-130 detachment.