CAMP LEMONIER, Djibouti -- Col. Peter C. Reddy, the commanding officer of Marine Air Control Group 38, and Sgt. Maj. Anthony E. Jenkins, sergeant major of MACG 38, visited the Marines and Sailors of 3rd Low Altitude Air Defense Battalion Jan. 12-16.
During the visit, Reddy and Jenkins spoke to the leathernecks aboard camp, toured the U.S. Embassy and visited the Port of Djibouti, where the Camp Pendleton-based Marines routinely provide security.
Though 3rd LAAD’s primary role is that of the security force for Camp Lemonier, the Marines also conduct civil affairs engagements throughout Djibouti. Whether it’s playing a friendly game of soccer in Nagad or donating school supplies to children in Damerjog, their hard work is rewarded by the smiles and laughter that greet them with each engagement.
Reddy and Jenkins know the importance of winning hearts and minds, and were adamant in discussing the role civil affairs plays in the Global War on Terrorism today.
“The only way we’re going to win the GWOT is if we engage with the Islamic world by promoting democracy, stability, economic growth and having a peaceful coexistence with that world,” said Reddy, from Norfolk, Va. “A Marine with a bottle of water or a paintbrush is equally, if not more so over time, more effective than even the trained Marine with his rifle.”
“We care about this country, we care about their aspirations to become a Democratic society, and we want to assist in the process of doing that,” added Jenkins, a native of Charleston, S.C. “So even though we have a local mission of security, we have a larger mission in the world, and that’s promoting democracy.”
The Marines have their work cut out for them.
With few natural resources and little industry, Djibouti is heavily reliant on foreign assistance. Civil war, recession, a high population growth rate and an unemployment rate of 50 percent combine to create an uphill battle for the local populous.
Yet with each patrol and each civil affairs engagement, the Marines continue to support the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa mission, which is to prevent conflict, promote regional stability and protect coalition interests in order to prevail against extremism.
Due to its strategic location near the world’s busiest shipping lanes and close to Arabian oilfields, Djibouti could essentially be prime real estate for Islamic terrorist groups. The presence of Camp Lemonier acts as a deterrent, preventing said groups from establishing a safe haven to spread their agenda.
“Djibouti is an apex in this region where a lot of countries come together, therefore a military presence here is very important,” said Jenkins. “Who better to be that presence than the United States Marines?
With their deployment more than halfway over, the Marines of 3rd LAAD are already thinking of the future. Like countless leathernecks, they’re crossing their fingers for a chance to deploy to Afghanistan, though their hopes may be in vain.
“You can’t make any promises, but I would say that I don’t see another deployment for 3rd LAAD in 2008,” said Reddy. “Given the tempo they’ve had and what they’re doing, I think they’ll be given a break.”
Overall, Reddy and Jenkins left impressed with the performance of their Marines.
“Given the complexity of the mission, with the civil affairs piece and providing security, I’m tremendously impressed with the job they are doing,” said Reddy.
“The Marines are motivated about what they’re doing, even though they’re tired, they’re worn down and they miss their families,” said Jenkins. “Some of them are on their fourth or fifth deployment, but they’re showing the enthusiasm of someone on their first deployment, and I think that’s pretty amazing.”
3rd LAAD is tentatively scheduled to return to Camp Pendleton by early April 2008.