WEBVTT

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(historical recorded audio)

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- [Narrator] You are about to embark upon the great crusade,

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toward which we have striven these many months.

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The eyes of the world are upon you.

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General Dwight Eisenhower spoke these words

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to the troops heading to storm the beaches of Normandy.

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By dawn on June 6, now known across the world as D-Day,

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thousands of paratroopers and glider troops

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were already on the ground behind enemy lines.

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The Normandy landings have been called

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the beginning of the end of the war in Europe.

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To commemorate the 73rd anniversary of this

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historical moment, joint forces in Africa

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conducted a multi-national airborne operation.

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- We're very honored and humbled by the fact

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that our forefathers sacrificed themselves

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in order that we can today be free

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and carry out this jump with our French brethren.

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From a tactical and operational standpoint,

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it's great, and a great opportunity to exchange

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our training and what we do with our French counterparts,

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vis a vis the differences between the parachutes,

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the differences between our jumpmasters and how we train.

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- [Narrator] The airborne familiarization training

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allowed the US military a chance to practice

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donning and doffing the French parachute system.

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While working alongside the French jumpmasters,

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they also learned how to navigate their descent,

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learned the different commands for the jump,

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and how to exit the aircraft.

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This jump not only commemorates D-Day, but also

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the coordination between our partner nations.

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- The significance of this jump mostly has to do

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with the coordination between ourselves

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and the French forces here in Djibouti.

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It's a long-standing relationship between ourselves

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and the French, you know, dating back

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to our Revolutionary War, but what this really signifies

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is commemorating D-Day, which is a huge operation

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for our military to liberate France during World War II,

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so it's great to work with them,

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who we still work with in the war on terrorism

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and everything else today just to shore up

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our commitment to one another as partner nations.

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- [Narrator] The fact that this commemoration jump

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was coordinated in just 30 days highlights the commitment

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between the US and French forces.

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- Every day, (french term) and French forces in Djibouti

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are committed in numerous partnerships regarding

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all the services, US forces, army, medics are super.

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Every day we work together, side by side,

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and so it was to underline this partnership,

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this true partnership.

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- [Narrator] Reporting from East Africa,

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I'm Staff Sergeant Lindsay Cryer.