American and French soldiers participate in a live-fire artillery training in Djibouti, Feb. 2, 2021. (Photo: Air Force Senior Airman Kristin Savage)
By Gary Raynaldo DIPLOMATIC TIMES
American and French soldiers last week participated in the first live-fire artillery training in Horn of Africa nation Djibouti in nearly 5 years, AFRICOM reported. U.S. Army Soldiers assigned to the East Africa Response Force (EARF) in support of the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) and French soldiers assigned to the 5th Overseas Intermarines Regiment (RIAOM, Régiment InterArmes d’Outre-Mer) participated in a live-fire joint artillery training event at the Djiboutian Range Complex on February 2, 2021. The purpose of the joint training was to share French and U.S. artillery techniques and further the relationship between EARF Soldiers and the 5th RIAOM.
French soldiers assigned to the 5th Overseas Intermarines Regiment (RIAOM) demonstrate how to operate a Howitzer to U.S. Army Soldiers assigned to the East Africa Response Force (EARF) in support of the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa (CJTV-HOA), at the French Army base in Djibouti Jan. 4, 2021.
“This is the first time in over 4 years the U.S. and French have conducted a joint artillery training exercise like this,” said U.S. Army Capt. Charles Hartwig, battalion fire-support officer.” Starting in December of 2020 the U.S. Soldiers invited the French artillery unit to Camp Lemonnier to conduct call-for-fire training, according to AFRICOM.
“We did some joint observer training where the French came here and they used our call-for-fire trainer with us which is a computer system to practice call-for-fire,” Hartwig said. A week later, the French returned the invite and hosted U.S. Soldiers at the French base.
“We went over to the French base and they had kind of an artillery show and tell,” Hartwig said. They showed us their howitzer, computer systems, vehicles and we went to observe and during that time we started to really plan the joint fire exercise for the beginning of February and we had a few safety meetings after that.”
According to Hartwig, the meetings and knowledge exchanges leading up to the culminating live-fire exercise were extremely valuable.
“The biggest take away for the Soldiers is the understanding of a conventional warfare setting, especially working alongside our NATO Allies,” Hartwig said.
