{"id":13451,"date":"2020-01-30T18:03:58","date_gmt":"2020-01-30T18:03:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/uncategorized\/2020\/01\/30\/africom-commander-my-top-fear-is-another-deadly-attack-like-manda-bay\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T05:18:39","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T05:18:39","slug":"africom-commander-my-top-fear-is-another-deadly-attack-like-manda-bay","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/flashpoints\/2020\/01\/30\/africom-commander-my-top-fear-is-another-deadly-attack-like-manda-bay\/","title":{"rendered":"AFRICOM commander: My top fear is another deadly attack like Manda Bay"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Army Gen. Stephen Townsend<\/a>\u2019s No. 1 concern as the commander of U.S. Africa Command<\/a> is that another deadly attack like the one in Manda Bay, Kenya, will occur on his watch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s why AFRICOM is now examining the security at Manda Bay, and of other U.S. installations throughout the entire continent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On Jan. 5, al-Shabab militants attacked U.S. and Kenyan forces in Manda Bay Airfield, an attack which led to the deaths of Army Spc. Henry Mayfield Jr.<\/a>, 23, and two U.S. Department of Defense contractors, Dustin Harrison, 47, and Bruce Triplett, 64.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s self-obvious we were not as prepared there at Manda Bay as we needed to be,\u201d Townsend told lawmakers on the Senate Armed Services Committee on Thursday. \u201cAl-Shabab managed to penetrate onto that airfield \u2026 . They were able to get access to that airfield, kill three Americans, and destroy six aircraft there. So we weren\u2019t as prepared, and we\u2019re digging into that to find out why that\u2019s the case.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The command has launched a senior-leader-led investigation examining the circumstances surrounding the attack<\/a>, and Townsend said approximately 120 infantrymen are now working to secure the area and install proper measures of defense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m confident that by the time they\u2019re done, Manda Bay will be much more properly defended,\u201d Townsend said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Furthermore, the incident has prompted AFRICOM to evaluate security at other areas across the continent as well, especially since Manda Bay was considered a \u201csafe area,\u201d Townsend said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAl-Shabab has shown their reach, and the danger that they pose, and I think that we need to take that seriously,\u201d Townsend said. \u201cAnd so I\u2019m looking with a clear eye at every location in Africa now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked what the top three things worry him most about his job, Townsend listed another attack similar to the one at Manda Bay as number one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Townsend\u2019s remarks come after the New York Times reported on Jan. 22 that a team of Marine Raiders from Camp Simba spearheaded the counterattack, along with Kenyan Rangers. The Times also reported that the Marines\u2019 response lagged since Camp Simba is approximately a mile from the airfield at Manda Bay<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But AFRICOM pushed back on the Times\u2019 characterization, and said the Marine Raiders\u2019 response was \u201ctimely and effective.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe tragic loss of these brave Americans and the damage and destruction to aircraft demonstrates the enemy achieved a degree of success in its attack,\u201d AFRICOM said in a statement Jan. 23. \u201cHowever, despite public reports, an initial assessment indicates that a timely and effective response to the attack reduced the number of casualties and eliminated the potential for further damage.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

AFRICOM added estimates suggest several dozen al-Shabab militants were repelled, and that clearance and security operations were conducted several hours following the attack to secure the sprawling base.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Approximately a dozen Marines from the 3rd Raider Battalion from Camp Lejeune in North Carolina took the lead in warding off al-Shabab militants from Manda Bay, multiple sources from the Marine Raider community previously told Marine Corps Times<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\t