The US warship arrived in Somalia offshore as part of the withdrawal of troops from the horn of the African nation as per the outgoing President Donald Trump’s order.
The Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group and embarked 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit arrived off the coast of Somalia as part of the Joint Forces Maritime Component Command for Joint Task Force Dec. 21.
Units embarked with the Makin Island ARG include Aviation units embarked include: Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 23, Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 49, Tactical Air Control Squadron 11, Beach Master Unit 1, and Fleet Surgical Team 1 from San Diego and Assault Craft Unit 5 from Camp Pendleton, California.
According to a press statement by the AFRICOM, the fleet is responsible for the repositioning of the American forces from Somalia to other unnamed east African countries.
“The arrival of the ARG/MEU and its significant combat capability demonstrates our resolve to support our partners and protect our forces through this transition,” said U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Dagvin Anderson, JTF-Q commander. ”This is a great example of how the United States can rapidly aggregate combat power to respond to emerging issues. We will look to leverage this inherent flexibility of the U.S. military in support of our future engagements in East Africa.”
US President Donald Trump has ordered the withdrawal of nearly all US troops from Somalia by 15 January, the Pentagon has said.
There are about 700 troops in the country helping local forces battle al-Shabab and Islamic State militants.
US officials said some of the troops would move to neighboring countries, allowing for cross-border operations.
