A U.S. airman fires a handgun at the newly opened small-arms range at Chabelley Airfield in Djibouti on Jan. 31, 2026. The $1.6 million range expands training opportunities for U.S. and partner forces, the 776th Expeditionary Air Base Squadron said in a statement Monday. (Christian Silvera/U.S. Air Force)
A new small-arms range that recently opened at a strategic outpost in Djibouti gives U.S. forces there more chances to sharpen their aim before being deployed for combat operations, Air Force officials said this week.
Chabelley Airfield recently marked the “operational milestone” with the opening of its $1.6 million range, which expands training opportunities for U.S. and partner forces, the 776th Expeditionary Air Base Squadron said in a statement Monday.
The new range has tripled local training capacity and enables troops to develop their skills while avoiding “exposure associated with off-base movements,” Air Force Lt. Col. Lawrence Melnicoff, 776th Expeditionary Air Base Squadron commander, said in the statement.
“Training in the same environment where we operate matters,” Melnicoff added.
Prior to the range’s completion, personnel were required to convoy to off-base training locations or wait up to a month to access the range at nearby Camp Lemonnier, according to the statement.
Melnicoff said the range “hardens force protection and anchors Chabelley as a credible, self-sustaining operational node.”
The development is one in a series of upgrades to key locations for U.S. Africa Command in a region where countering Islamic militants such as al-Shabab and the Islamic State group in Somalia is a top priority.
In October, a new medical care facility opened at Chabelley, marking the latest sign the U.S. military is putting down permanent roots at a location known for projecting American airpower across east Africa.
The airfield has been used for drone operations and other Air Force missions over the years and is several miles from Camp Lemonnier, AFRICOM’s main base in Djibouti and a hub for coordinating activities in neighboring Somalia.
Upgrades also are being made at AFRICOM locations in Kenya. While Djibouti serves as a key location on Somalia’s northern border, Kenya plays a similar role to Somalia’s south.
Last month, U.S. officials announced a 10,000-foot runway expansion at Manda Bay, an airfield in Kenya used for supporting operations in Somalia.
The $71 million project is aimed at enhancing operational reach of U.S. and partner forces. The military also has been making upgrades to living quarters at Camp Simba, another location used by American troops near Manda Bay.
Lt. Gen. John Brennan, AFRICOM’s deputy commander, met with troops from Camp Simba and Manda Bay during a stop in Kenya last week.
“Our American service members play a strategic role in the fight against ISIS to prevent attacks on our homeland and global community,” Brennan said in a statement. “Without their presence here, we couldn’t counter the threats to international security.”
