U.S. Air Force pararescuemen from the 82nd Expeditionary Rescue Squadron gather to plan a course of action for rescuing injured exercise participants during Mass Casualty Exercise 12-1 on Sept. 25, 2012, which started in the Grand Bara Desert, Djibouti. The exercise followed a fictitious storyline, but called for the employment of real-world assets. While French and U.S. forces conduct frequent combined training events, this was the first exercise of this type between the two nations in Djibouti. The U.S. forces involved are assigned to Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa, or CJTF-HOA. CJTF-HOA works with coalition partners, such as the French, and with countries in East Africa to promote regional security and stability.