U.S. security force assistance brigade trains Djiboutian rapid intervention force

U.S. Soldiers assigned to Logistics Company Advising Team 6640 of 6th Battalion, 54th Security Force Assistance Brigade, trained 80 members of Djibouti's 2nd Company, Bataillon d'Intervention Rapide (Rapid Intervention Battalion) in night range operations on Goubet Range, Djibouti, Oct. 15-Nov. 25, 2025.

The 54th SFAB, a subordinate unit to Civil Affairs Battalion, U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF), dedicated one training evening per week to 20 Soldiers from each BIR company. Personnel with the East Africa Response Force from Camp Lemonnier's security forces battalion provided additional support.

According to U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 Neil Limper, executive officer for the advising team in Djibouti, this train-the-trainer effort was typical of the SFAB's mission to conduct security force assistance operations worldwide.

"This training was conducted at the operational and tactical level to develop the capacity, capability and interoperability of [Djiboutian] partner forces, as well as their supporting institutions to accomplish theater security cooperation objectives," Limper said.

U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class David Holzrichter, assistant team leader, explained that their mission successfully embedded a cadre of night-fire trainers across three maneuver companies and the headquarters company of the Djiboutian unit.

"Having received this training, Djiboutian BIR personnel showed they could independently train their remaining forces," Holzrichter said. "This marks a significant milestone in their operational self-sufficiency. It shows their training coordinators now have a framework to build tactics, techniques and procedures to integrate night fire into their future training."

Limper noted that the Djibouti Armed Forces is an important strategic partner for U.S. Africa Command in the Horn of Africa in a relationship focused on counterterrorism, as well as regional security and stability. The BIR's mission primarily concentrates on security concerns, combatting extremism and executing specialized missions.

"Having a partner force that is just as capable as our own forces makes for a more formidable partner," Limper said.

U.S. Army Maj. Micah Bennett, BIR logistics advisor, said that the BIR's improved capacity will alleviate the training burden for future SFAB advisor teams and create a benchmark for future teams' evaluations. Participating in this training also served as a demonstration of Djibouti's commitment to burden-sharing in regional security matters.

"The BIR is an internal defense force," Bennett said. "Having a unit capable of operating in low visibility conditions allows the Djiboutian military to better defend their country."

About SETAF-AF

U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) prepares Army forces, executes crisis response, enables strategic competition and strengthens partners to achieve U.S. Army Europe and Africa and U.S. Africa Command campaign objectives.

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