YAKIMA TRAINING CENTER, Wash. – "Claymore, Claymore, Claymore!" The warning echoes across the demolition range seconds before a deafening "whoomp" sends a cloud of smoke and debris skyward.
Soldiers rise from behind cover, faces breaking into exhilarated grins as they witness the raw power of battlefield demolitions.
This explosive training represents just one facet of Operation Djibouti Dawn, which brought more than 400 Oregon National Guard Soldiers to Yakima Training Center from March 28 to April 7 to prepare for an upcoming Horn of Africa deployment.
The operation assembled Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 162nd Infantry Regiment (2-162 IN); 1st Battalion, 186th Infantry Regiment (1-186 IN); 741st Brigade Engineer Battalion (741 BEB); and support elements to focus on fundamental infantry and combat engineer tasks.
"The end state was to master the basics, be able to fire and maneuver, and have the engineers integrated to support operations," said Lt. Col. Ryon Skiles, rear detachment commander of 2-162 IN.
Training included weapons qualification, demolitions, live fire training at Range 24 squad level room clearing in a 369-degree shoothouse, and urban area platoon assault at Range 25. Units returned to home stations after field training for administrative tasks and recovery operations.
"We qualified with every weapon system in the infantry battalion, from the .50 caliber machine gun to AT-4s and claymores," Skiles said. "The goal was hands-on experience to allow soldiers deploying to HOA to be competent and confident."
Approximately 150 Oregon Soldiers will join Task Force Baton, a 1,150-member joint force from four states. The task force will support Special Operations Command and Africa Command missions across three countries.
Lt. Col. Sergio Hands, incoming Task Force Baton commander, described their mission: "Our main task is to support operations against local violent extremists, protecting critical assets in the area."
The deployment begins at Fort Bliss, Texas, in May 2025, with an expected return in April 2026.
This annual training was unique because of its collaborative approach across units. Units pooled resources and personnel with multiple battalions operating at reduced strength because of concurrent deployments to Kosovo and Egypt. Cooks from multiple units formed a single section to serve about 800 meals daily for roughly 400 Soldiers, while medical support included 18 combat medics who received specialized training with the U.S. Army Air Ambulance Detachment stationed at Yakima.
Training progressed deliberately from classroom to application.
"We went through a step-by-step three-day exercise, from crawling with dry fire to walking using blanks to the actual live fire," Skiles said.
For many Soldiers, this marked a return to fundamentals.
"The Soldiers were happy getting back to what they joined the Army to do," Skiles said. "It was about using your [Military Occupational Speciality] to be successful."
Senior leaders consistently reported high morale among participants, which is especially significant for National Guard Soldiers who balance military service with civilian careers.
For the deployment, Bravo Company, 2-162 IN, will form the core infantry element, supplemented by Soldiers from other units.
"We took on volunteers for this mobilization. This annual training was about getting everybody in the squads prepared," Skiles said.
"Annual training experiences like Operation Djibouti Dawn exemplify why the Oregon National Guard continues to be the military service of choice," said Brig. Gen. Alan Gronewold, The Adjutant General, Oregon National Guard. "Our Soldiers receive world-class training that prepares them for both federal missions abroad and emergencies here at home, all while maintaining deep connections to the communities they serve."