Djibouti 2006
This collection of photos is from the four-month tournant in Djibouti that the 4 th company undertook in February – June 2006. I was in Castelnaudary during this mission, doing my stage “CT1 00” (motorized infantry squad leader course) and so all of these photos feature mainly my friends and colleagues from the 4 th Section (Platoon).
The series titled CECAP features photos from the stage commando, from the Centre d'Entrainement Commando d'Arta Plage . This is a famous (or, more accurately, notorious) commando training centre which heavily focuses on teaching combat skills in the african desert. Its most infamous feature is the cliff-face assault course, or piste d'audace , called the Voie de l'Inconscient , translated as the “path of the unconscious one”. Other features of the commando course include hand-to-hand combat, amphibious infiltration techniques, explosives and demolitions and urban combat. It is a particularly strenous course due to the extreme climate, with temperatures climbing into the high 40s (°C) during the day.
There are many photos featuring some animals and plants that can be encountered in Djibouti . Featuring mainly critters and crawlers, camels and various desert birds, the real beauty of the animal world can be found underwater, with the warm seawater being a haven for spectacular coral reefs and a technicolor of fish and other ocean creatures.
The series titled French Navy are images of the french aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, which entered the Djiboutian waters and docked at the port for a few days. Accompanied by a missile frigate and a submarine, the task force was a formidable display of military might. Visits to the carrier were granted for the legionnaires, who can be seen in some of the photos in their traditional formal uniforms in Djibouti – grey shorts, knee-high socks and the obligatory képi blanc.
The series titled French Air Forces are photos that were exchanged with some of the pilots of the French Air Force stationed in Djibouti . Featuring some breathtaking aerial views from the cockpits of Mirages, proving that being a fighter jock is still one of the coolest occupations to be had.
There are a myriad of photos from the various shooting sessions, from plain FAMAS shooting, to range work with the Minimi (light machine gun), ANF1 (medium machine gun), the “12.7” (Browning .50 Cal), rifle grenades, AT4 rockets and others.
The series titled Poste 20 is from one of the detached French Army bases in Djibouti , and is located right next door to a large US Army base. Daily activity at Poste 20 pretty much consists of waiting around for patrols of US troops or joggers to exchange a few brief words or take snapshots of the iconic “hummers”. Note how the US troops in the pictures are always wearing ballistic protection and helmets, whereas the legionnaires on guard are just in fatigues, with a simple belt kit and the green berets.
There are also photos from the city of Djibouti . Evidently, as is the case in many of the African countries, the city consists of mainly huts and sheds, with the infrastucture being very poor and the “visage” of the city being one of desolate poverty. Yet the lifestyle in Djibouti is far from being one of hopelessness or despair, with the local population happily living their lives and liking their environment “as it is”.
Sgt. Z.B.
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