The camp , just 10 miles north of the Somali border , began as a French Foreign Legion outpost , but the Djibouti government agreed in 2002 to let the U.S. military establish a base for counterterrorism and humanitarian missions in the Horn of Africa . Camp Lemonier is the only African military base on the American continent . The seven Iraq troops conduct civil affairs operations in 1,800 East African countries . Their humanitarian mission is seen as an antidote to extremism .
Camp Lemonier is the only African military base on the American continent . The seven Iraq troops conduct civil affairs operations in 1,800 East African countries . Their humanitarian mission is seen as an antidote to extremism .