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Soldiers to Fight Terrorists on Horn of Africa

Friday, May 9, 2003
By Corporal Matthew J. Apprendi
U.S. Army
Army News Service

"We remain very focused from coming out of Afghanistan and look forward to supporting CJTF-HOA," said Capt. Scott Austin, commanding officer of Company C.

CAMP LEMONIER, Djibouti -- ANS
A 10th Mountain Division company from Fort Drum, N.Y., arrived in Djibouti May 4 to support Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa.

The infantrymen from Company C, 4-31st, joined other soldiers already assembled for CJTF-HOA, including reservists from the 478th Civil Affairs Company (Special Operations) out of Miami, Fla., who arrived in late April.

The mission of CJTF-HOA is to detect, disrupt and defeat transnational terrorist groups operating in the Horn of Africa region, which is defined as the airspace, land areas and coastal waters of Somalia, Kenya, Ethiopia, Sudan, Eritrea, Djibouti and Yemen. Additionally, officials said CJTF-HOA will conduct civil-military and humanitarian operations.

"By building goodwill and trust in the local populace, we feel they (the people in the Horn of Africa) will be more willing and better prepared to help us deal with any terrorist acts," said Maj. Ralph M. Engeler, the company's commander. "Further, they will have more confidence in themselves to deny terrorists the ability to operate in their villages because they know we're here to help them combat terrorism."
(More: Military.com)
2003 © Army News Service.

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