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East Africa Response Force (EARF)

In the aftermath of the attacks on US diplomatic facilities in Benghazi, Libya on 11-12 September 2012, the US Army directed the formation of a number of designated response force elements around the world to respond to potential crises at diplomatic facilities in the future. The East Africa Response Force (EARF) was subsequently established by US Army Africa at Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, co-located with Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), in Spring 2013. The designated force provider for the EARF was the Army brigade combat team regionally aligned with US Africa Command (AFRICOM). The US Army had announced in 2012 its intention to align brigade combat teams with geographic component commands.

In 2012, it was announced that 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division would be the first unit designated as a regionally aligned brigade combat team and would be aligned with AFRICOM. With the activation of the EARF in 2013, 2/1st Infantry provided troops from 1st Battalion, 63rd Armor Regiment as the first rotation for the new task force. On 14 December 2013, 1-63rd Armor held a relief in place transfer of authority ceremony with forces from 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment, the next unit from 2/1st Infantry to rotate through the mission.

Within days of the transfer of authority, elements of the EARF were sent on their first deployment to assist in the protection of US diplomatic facilities in Juba, South Sudan, after a surge of violence in the country following a reported coup attempt. The deployed elements of the EARF also helped to evacuate US and other foreign nationals from the country.