Marine reservists deploy for anti-terror duty in Africa

Marine reservists from around the country - including more than 100 from Hampton Roads - left Monday for a seven-month deployment to Djibouti.
About 120 members of Marine Air Control Squadron 24, which drills at Oceana Naval Air Station's Dam Neck annex in Virginia Beach, were mobilized in November.

As part of the 6th Provisional Security Company, the Marines will guard Camp Lemonier, home to the Combined Joint Task Force -Horn of Africa. The force was created to fight terrorism through humanitarian assistance and training local militaries in eastern Africa. Djibouti, on the Gulf of Aden, borders Somalia, Ethiopia and Eritrea.


Maj. Annette Houston of Marine Air Control Squadron 24 said the 267 Marines who left Monday trained at Camp Lejeune, N.C. Other units in the 6th Provisional Security Company come from Massachusetts, Illinois and Texas.