HQ$History - United States Special Operations Command

Operation ENDURING FREEDOM
Horn of Africa (OEF-HOA)
Element (JSOTF-CRE) at Camp Lemonier,
Djibouti. Initially, JSOTF-CRE consisted solely
of the CRE, and the JSOTF’s mission was to conduct
Joint Combined Exchange Training (JCET)
with countries in the Horn of Africa. In late
2002, Central Command (CENTCOM) stood up
the Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa
(CJTF-HOA).
In December 2002, the JSOTF’s name
changed to JSOTF-HOA. During December
2002 and January
2003, Special
Operation Detachment
– Central (SOD-C)
arrived to augment
JSOTF-HOA. The
SOD concept was new
and consisted of experienced
National Guard
Special Forces Officers
and NCOs who served
as the JSOTF’s core
staff. Besides the
SOD-C, JSOTF-HOA
included Air Force
Special Operations
D e t a c h m e n t - A l p h a
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(AFSOD-A), an SF detachment,
a SEAL platoon,
and a Naval Special
Warfare (NSW) rigid
inflatable boat (RIB)
detachment.
This JSOTF planned
to increase engagement in
Combined Joint
Operations Area Horn of
Africa (CJOA HOA).
However, the invasion of
Iraq in March 2003 shifted
theater priorities, and
that November, the
JSOTF HOA-CRE assets
were reallocated within
the theater. The JSOTF
commander successfully
retained C2 capability and
a bare bones JSOTF, reduced 87 percent from
the original size.
Since then, JSOTF-HOA has focused on the
development of long-term operational preparation
of the environment (OPE). JSOTF-HOA
executed theater security cooperation events in
HOA AO and supports personnel recovery operations.
JSOTF-HOA devoted its resources to
“indirect” operations designed to improve host
nation security and counterterrorist capacities.
Training in Ethiopia