CAMP LEMONNIER, DJIBOUTI -- In the pre-dawn hours, an alarm comes screaming from a loudspeaker, launching Airmen and Soldiers out of bed to react to an attack. This was the beginning of a mass-casualty exercise to test U.S. service members on April 22, 2026, at Chabelley Airfield, Djibouti (CADJ), proving their ability to respond quickly and effectively in a high-stress, time-critical environment.
“The purpose of this exercise taking place before dawn was to ensure readiness day or night,” said U.S. Army Cpl. Piper McIntosh, a medic assigned to Blackjack Company, 1st Battalion, 167th Infantry Regiment, Task Force Seminole, Florida Army National Guard. “It’s important that we can all do our jobs at any time, even if it’s in our pajamas, half asleep.”
Following the simulated attack, medics received and treated simulated casualties from across CADJ.
“We’ve done a lot of previous training, so most of our casualties had already applied self-aid and buddy-aid,” said McIntosh. “Our Combat Life Savers and Platoon Medics did a great job of treating them and keeping the patients coherent on the way over to the Joint Medical Aid Station.”
After arriving at the JMAS, casualties received additional treatment on-site before being transferred to Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti (CLDJ), for further care.
A U.S. Marine Corps MV-22B Osprey assigned to the Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 362 (Reinforced) served as the primary source of transportation during the exercise, transporting patients from the brand-new Spartan Helicopter Landing Zone to CLDJ.
“The Spartan HLZ was stood up in December 2025,” said 1st Lt. Danielle Franzen, 776 Expeditionary Air Base Squadron, director of operations. “This is the first time we’ve used the landing zone to have American forces fly in, take patients out, and fly them to CLDJ for further medical treatment.”
CADJ leadership is proud of the hard work and effort that the troops put into preparing and executing this exercise.
“It was awesome to see the Air Force, Army and Marine troops working together so seamlessly,” Fransen said. “I’m confident that they would be able to respond rapidly to any threat, no matter the time of day or night.”