Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti. (January 17, 2024): On any given day, there are over three thousand U.S. personnel serving in the Horn of Africa, from pilots to sailors, who depend on the 82nd Expeditionary Rescue Squadron when they need help. In this photo by Staff Sergeant Jana Somero, an Airman secures the landing zone after being dropped off by an MV-22B Osprey during a personnel recovery training exercise. The 82nd Squadron, part of the 449th Air Expeditionary Group, is made up of pararescue personnel who do search and rescue missions for the U.S. Africa Command.
The Horn of Africa is beset by numerous conflicts, from squabbles between Sudan and Ethiopia to Islamist militants in Kenya and the al-Shabaab insurgency in Somalia.
An important mission for Africa Command is to police the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a vital waterway leading to the Indian Ocean. The International Monetary Fund estimates over twenty thousand vessels pass through the strait annually transporting approximately 1.6 billion tons of cargo.
Protecting U.S. servicemembers over such a wide area is a massive undertaking. It relies on a partnership with nearby countries, U.S. government agencies, and multiple service branches to execute. The 82nd Squadron does not operate its own aircraft, rather it is a collection of highly trained Airmen with diverse rescue skills. A team is typically staffed by Pararescuemen led by a Rescue Mission Commander who coordinates with the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center. Emergencies range from transporting a seriously ill patient from a ship at sea to providing lifesaving care to a U.S. Navy SEAL in the desert. The 82nd Squadron routinely conducts sea rescues of civilian vessels and has responded to numerous natural disasters. Due to the size and complexity of the types of situations they encounter, rescue personnel have to be prepared for anything.
With the 82nd Squadron keeping watch, every servicemember knows they are never truly alone.