Camp Lemonnier Camp Lemonnier is a United States Naval Expeditionary Base , situated at Djibouti ' s Djibouti - Ambouli International Airport and home to the Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa ( CJTF - HOA ) of the U . S . Africa Command ( USAFRICOM ) . The camp is operated by U . S . Navy Region Europe , Africa , Southwest Asia ; CJTF - HOA is the most notable tenant command located at the facility as of 2008 . It was established as the primary base in the region for the support of Operation Enduring Freedom - Horn of Africa ( OEF - HOA ) . After negotiations between March and May 2001 , the Djiboutian government allowed for the base ' s use by the U . S . , providing for demining , humanitarian , and counter - terrorism efforts , and it now serves as the location from which U . S . and Coalition forces are operating in the Horn of Africa . The access agreement made by officials from the U . S . Embassy in Djibouti with the Djiboutian government allows for use of the camp , as well as a nearby airport and port facilities . According to a press report in October 2012 , " Camp Lemonnier is the centerpiece of an expanding constellation of half a dozen U . S . drone and surveillance bases in Africa , created to combat a new generation of terrorist groups across the continent , from Mali to Libya to the Central African Republic . " History . Camp Lemonnier is located on the southern side of the Djibouti - Ambouli International Airport , between the runway overflow areas and a French military munitions storage facility . Following use by the French Foreign Legion , the facility was operated by the Djibouti Armed Forces . Following the September 11 , 2001 attacks , the U . S . decided to start such efforts . At first , this was limited to focused attacks , but in 2002 the U . S . government realized that to reduce extremism would require long term engagement with the local governments and populations . As a result , it established the Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa to conduct stability operations in the area . In November 2002 , the CJTF - HOA staff , a Marine - based organization , arrived off the coast of Djibouti aboard , a naval command ship . While the intent was to move ashore , the Camp Lemonnier facilities which had not been in use for several years were in a state of disrepair . Some buildings were concrete shells and had been stripped of interior fixtures , pipes and wiring , while the roofs of several structures had collapsed . Goats roamed the property and birds had taken roost in several of the abandoned structures . The former swimming pool had been used as a trash dump and was a borderline hazardous material site . Some buildings that were closer to the Djiboutian Air Force controlled side of the airport were in better shape and required minimal renovation . As a result , the CJTF - HOA staff remained aboard the USS " Mount Whitney " as U . S . Army ( Bravo Co . 46th Engineer ( CBT ) ( HVY ) ) began renovations . This involved building new concrete pads , maintenance facilities and living areas . In May 2003 , Camp Lemonnier was livable and CJTF - HOA transitioned from the " Mount Whitney " to the camp . The pool was cleaned , refurbished , and opened in spring of 2003 . In January 2007 , it was announced Camp Lemonnier would be expanded from to nearly 500 acres ( 2 km² ) . As part of the process of moving Lemonnier from an " expeditionary " base to a long term facility , the camp built a living area , known as " CLUville " . CLUville consists of long rows of Containerized Living Units ( CLUs ) with concrete sidewalks and gravel roads . As CLUville expanded , the camp population moved from tents into the more durable berthing facilities . Lemonnier originally belonged to the French military , and was named after General Emile - René Lemonnier . In 2009 , after years of misspelling , the U . S . Navy officially changed the camp ' s name to properly reflect the spelling of General Lemonnier ' s name . On 25 January 2012 , US officials confirmed that elite US Navy SEALs had rescued two foreign hostages in Somalia , an American woman and Danish man , taking them to Camp Lemonnier . Demining workers , the captives had been abducted on 25 October 2011 in the north - central Galkayo area , allegedly by gunmen from the Al - Shabaab Islamist group . As of May 2013 , the US had prepared plans for a $ 1 . 4 billion expansion of the base and to increase its special forces there to more than 1 , 000 . Base of operations . Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa ( CJTF - HOA ) began moving all headquarters personnel and equipment from its flagship , USS " Mount Whitney " , in the Gulf of Aden , into facilities at Camp Lemonnier on 6 May 2003 . Djiboutian workers were instrumental in preparing the newly renovated camp for movement of the CJTF headquarters ashore . More than 1 , 200 local and third - country national construction and support personnel currently work at the camp . KBR administers the contract for facilities and support operations for the camp . On 1 July 2006 , the U . S . Marine Corps turned over responsibility for Camp Lemonnier to the U . S . Navy in a brief change of command ceremony . U . S . Navy Captain Robert Fahey assumed command of Camp Lemonnier from U . S . Marine Corps Colonel Gerard Fischer . In early July 2006 , the U . S . and Djiboutian governments also announced that a lease agreement had been signed to expand Camp Lemonnier from to nearly 500 acres ( 2 km² ) . The term of the lease was for five years , with options to renew . As part of the lease and expansion , physical improvements to the camp included fencing , additional billeting to replace existing tents , and compliance with various U . S . force protection standoff requirements . By 2009 , the base began expansion again . According to OSGEOINT , the base received a parallel taxi - way and a new auxiliary support apron . In the following year ( 2011 ) , open source satellite imagery showed Camp Lemmonier with a new drone apron supporting the RQ / MQ - 1 PREDATOR . Furthermore , Camp Lemmonier has been described by The Economist as " the most important base for drone operations outside the war zone of Afghanistan " , with drones conducting missions in adjacent Yemen and Somalia . The " Washington Post " reported that Predators and F - 15s operate from the base , as well as 3 , 200 U . S . troops , civilians , contractors , of which 300 are special operations personnel ; moreover , with new expansions the base can host an additional thousand personnel . Transfer to USAFRICOM . On 1 October 2008 , responsibility for the task force was transferred from the United States Central Command ( USCENTCOM ) to United States Africa Command ( USAFRICOM ) as the latter assumed authority over the African theater of operations . Tenant commands . Camp Lemonnier is operated by Commander , Navy Region Europe , Africa , Southwest Asia , which is responsible for its expansion , upkeep , and logistics support . Tenant units include the U . S . Marine Security Forces which provides the camp ' s external security , the CJTF - HOA commander and staff , a U . S . Navy Seabee battalion which conducts water - well drilling operations , U . S . Army units which provide additional security , military training , and Civil - military operations support , and several aircraft detachments . Past tenant units have included the U . S . Marine 9th Provisional Security Force ; 2nd Battalion , 18th Field Artillery Regiment ; and 1 – 65th Infantry Regiment , Puerto Rico Army National Guard as well as the First Red Horse Group . 2nd 137th CAB from Kansas , had duties in Force Protection . While the 2 - 137 IN was there , the unit received a MUC for duties . The dates of deployment was from June 2010 ro April 2011 . The 3 - 124 CAV ( R & S ) , a Texas Army National Guard unit , provided force protection for Camp Lemonnier and other support for the CJTF - HOA until being relieved by the 2 - 138th FAR from the Kentucky National Guard . Aircraft detachments include a U . S . Marine heavy - lift helicopter ( CH - 53 ) detachment , a U . S . Navy P - 3 detachment ( technically a part of NAVCENT ' s Task Force 57 ) , and the U . S . Air Force ' s 449th Air Expeditionary Group . USAF detachments include a USAF HC - 130 detachment , and , at times , a C - 17 Globemaster III detachment .