American troops face significant challenges in completing the French commando desert survival course.

The five-day course, held in the mountainous regions of Djibouti, teaches troops the basics of desert combat through combat and fitness tests, including obstacle courses, martial arts, survival skills and a final course in open canyon rock climbing.

As a result of negotiations in 2001, the Djiboutian authorities allowed the U.S. military to use the French Lemonnier base. Currently, the American contingent in Djibouti is the only U.S. Army group on the African continent. In total, there are about four thousand American military personnel and U.S. Department of Defense contractors at the French military base in Djibouti. In April 2023, American troops in Africa participated in the evacuation of the U.S. Embassy in Sudan.

At the invitation of the French command, American troops undergo a five-day Desert Commando course, during which they learn the basics of survival in the desert. Before being sent to the mountains, military personnel undergo a preliminary assessment by the French, who select the most physically and mentally prepared soldiers. Military personnel who complete the full course are issued a French Desert Commando badge.

The course includes several sets of exercises for overcoming obstacles at night, tying knots and swimming, as well as practicing combat and desert survival skills. The culmination of the commando course is training in rope climbing, abseiling, and crossing rope bridges while high above the ground.

As a rule, no more than half of the American military personnel selected for training successfully complete the course and receive the coveted badges.

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