411th CAB veterinarians host seminar for Djiboutian veterinarians and sanitary inspectors

A team of two veterinarians and a veterinarian technician hosted the first in a series of monthly seminars

By Tech. Sgt. Ashley Taylor , Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa Djibouti City, Djibouti Feb 10, 2020

View Gallery

Gallery contains 6 images

A team of two veterinarians and a veterinarian technician from the 411th Civil Affairs Battalion Functional Specialty Team (CAB FXST) hosted the first in a series of monthly seminars this year in Djibouti City, Jan. 29 and 30.

More than a dozen participants received information on various topics ranging from food handling safety to bacteriology. The target audience of the training included veterinarians and sanitary inspectors from the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries Djibouti, Veterinary Services Division.

“This seminar is about interagency cooperation and showcases how we all benefit from the exchanges made between subject matter experts,” said Maj. Stephanie Wire, 411th CAB FXST veterinarian. “Continuity is a win-win for everyone when it comes to this series. When we trickle down information, not only can the Djiboutian population benefit from these topics, but the Camp can benefit because it could potentially allow us to eat at more local restaurants in the future.”

Participants of the class were able to see some of the inspection equipment up-close, and the open dialogue between the instructors and participants allowed for an open-forum setting.

“This training is something we needed because we don’t get a refresher course often,” said Dr. Abdi Mahamoud Elmi, deputy director of the Veterinary Services Division. “Hopefully, next time we can go deeper into the material and be able conduct field operations with some practice.”

The 411th CAB team performed a similar mission in South Sudan earlier in their rotation, which involved lab and field training—something they hope to set up with the Veterinary Services Division as early as April.

“We did lab training on basic lab clinical skills and practiced things such as parasitology, fecal examinations and blood smears, along with other lab tests they could do,” said Lt. Col. Eugene Johnson, 411th CAB FXST veterinarian. “After learning the material, we split into teams and took lab samples, did blood collection, looked at sick animals and learned how to treat them.”

During the second day of training, all members received a briefing from Dr. Saad Okie, a veterinarian from the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries Djibouti, Veterinary Services Division.

“Understanding the abilities and capabilities of our audience helps us prepare for a more valuable training the next time we are able to meet,” said Johnson. “Our whole goal is to reestablish and provide continuous visits to our Djiboutian partners, and we are thankful they gave us this opportunity.”

The 411th CAB is currently deployed for six months. However, they want to ensure a smooth transition takes place between their rotation and the next, fully maximizing the benefits of the training.

“What I learned from participants was that this was a good training for them and they appreciate it, and I also appreciate it,” said Dr. Mousa Mohamed Abdallah, sous director regional. “This is the first time we’ve done training with this American team, and this is a good team. We thank you for your time and help and everything you’ve done.”

U.S. Forces conduct strike against ISIS-Somalia

AFRICOM and Norwegian Military Leaders Strengthen Maritime Security Cooperation in Africa

AFRICOM, U.S. Embassy Libya Discuss Security Cooperation with Libyan Leaders

AFRICOM Commander Signs Memorandum of Understanding with Algerian Ministry of National Defense

AFRICOM commander, Langley, key leaders visit eastern Africa

Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa

Civil Affairs Battalion

Functional Specialty Team

US Africa

Vetinary

sanitary inspectors

Ministry of Agriculture

Livestock and Fisheries Djibouti

Veterinary Service Division

Army lawyers provide training on rules for armed conflict at exercise Justified Accord

NAIROBI, Kenya – Among the flurry of tactical live fires and squad movement drills, air ground integration and even the humanitarian initiatives at exercise Justified Accord 2025 (JA25), lies the one thing those who serve in any armed force must follow: The Law. The Law of Armed Conflict, or LOAC, is a key aspect of training for any military. JA25’s academics course aimed at learning from the international legal lessons of previous wars in an effort to reduce the amount of human suffering in future conflicts. “The soldier’s rules are a broad set of rules that we have pulled from the large breadth of international law,” said U.S. Army Maj. Tim Olliges, an operational law attorney assigned to U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF), the lead U.S. Army command and planner of JA25. “The LOAC is extensive and can be complex, so we pull out the ten most critical concepts that every soldier, right down to the private, should know before they go into combat.”

US, Kenya prepare for the unimaginable CBRN threat

NAIROBI, Kenya – Imagine two scenarios. Scenario 1: Dawn breaks over the capital of Kenya. A U.S. diplomat leaves his residence for the embassy. After a 20-minute ride, his car arrives at the gate and he enters. He sits in his office to begin the day when, all of a sudden, he hears an explosion through the open window. It seems far off; it is not a large explosion. He thinks maybe it was just a car accident, but minutes later he smells something bitter in the air. His eyes water, sirens blare and a U.S. Marine Corps security detail enters his office wearing gas masks. They put a mask on him and tell him they must evacuate immediately because a deadly chemical is blowing over the compound. Scenario 2: U.S. intelligence receives credible information that radiological material is being loaded onto a ship in the Kenyan port city of Mombasa. Time is short and no one knows which ship, only that it will embark soon, possibly bound for the hands of violent extremists or other state actors looking to imperil the U.S. homeland. There is no time to send U.S. security forces to intercept the package. Instead, the Kenyan Disaster Response Battalion (DRB) mobilizes and arrives at the port. Using tactics and tools gained from years of training with the United States, they find the ship and the weapon, placed there by a violent extremist organization, and prevent its departure, defeating the threat to America and its citizens. Similar scenarios have happened before in other areas of the world.

36th Annual International Military Chiefs of Chaplains Conference and First Chaplain Africa Forum held in Brussels

The U.S. European Command (EUCOM) and Belgian Ministry of Defence, in partnership with U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) and U.S. Indo Pacific Command (INDOPACOM) Chaplain Directorates, hosted the world’s largest annual meeting of senior military religious leaders at the 36th Annual NATO & Partner International Military Chiefs of Chaplains Conference (IMCCC) in Brussels, Belgium, January 27-31, 2025.

Army lawyers provide training on rules for armed conflict at exercise Justified Accord

US, Kenya prepare for the unimaginable CBRN threat

36th Annual International Military Chiefs of Chaplains Conference and First Chaplain Africa Forum held in Brussels

Army lawyers provide training on rules for armed conflict at exercise Justified Accord

US, Kenya prepare for the unimaginable CBRN threat

36th Annual International Military Chiefs of Chaplains Conference and First Chaplain Africa Forum held in Brussels

United States Africa Command

411th CAB veterinarians host seminar for Djiboutian veterinarians and sanitary inspectors

A team of two veterinarians and a veterinarian technician hosted the first in a series of monthly seminars