An image from a current mass casualty train at Chabelley Airfield, an American outpost within the East African nation of Djibouti, exhibits a flag with a really fascinating tackle a design generally related with Edward Educate, an notorious pirate higher often known as Blackbeard. In typical variations on this flag, which have turn out to be intently related to particular operations forces, notably the U.S. Navy SEALs, a skeletal determine is seen spearing a coronary heart. On this case, the spear is changed by a blood bag linked to the guts, evoking a really completely different type of symbolism.
Mixed Joint Activity Pressure-Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), the U.S. army’s principal process drive overseeing numerous operations throughout East Africa, launched footage, together with the one with the flag, from the mass casualty train, which occurred on April 21, earlier at the moment. Chabelley Airfield, which American forces started working from in 2013, is located some six and a half miles southwest of Camp Lemonnier, additionally in Djibouti. CJTF-HOA is headquartered at Camp Lemonnier, which is the U.S. army’s principal operational hub within the area, and that additionally helps actions on the southern finish of the Arabian Peninsula on the opposite aspect of the Crimson Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
“U.S. service members supporting Mixed Joint Activity Pressure-Horn of Africa, are likely to simulated casualties throughout a mass casualty train at Chabelley Airfield, Djibouti, April 21, 2022,” the caption to the flag image reads. “The train centered on coordination and communication between completely different models and mission companions with the intention to present efficient medical evacuation assist for joint operations within the Horn of Africa.”
The flag is in movement within the image and is barely obscured because of this. Nevertheless, there’s completely no mistaking that “bloody flag” generally related to Blackbeard and his most well-known ship, the Queen Anne’s Revenge, was what impressed it. Three years in the past, that flag drew specific consideration when it appeared on a patch worn by Christian Craighead, then a member of the British Army’s SAS, who participated within the response to a serious terrorist assault within the Kenyan capital Nairobi carried out by members of Al Shabaab, an Al Qaeda-linked group primarily based in Somalia.
On the time of the assault, earlier than Craighead’s id and affiliation had been recognized, I defined the symbolism and origins of that flag, which Educate and his crew might by no means have truly flown, writing:
He was not sporting any obvious nationwide or distinctive unit insignia, however the person did have a really particular patch on the again of his gear emblazoned with a flag motif related to the notorious pirate Edward “Blackbeard” Educate and his most well-known ship, the Queen Anne’s Revenge. The design encompasses a horned skeleton toasting the satan and spearing a coronary heart, with three drops of blood falling from it. This patch has turn out to be intently related to the U.S. Navy SEALs in recent times as a number of the groups appeared to have adopted it and Blackbeard’s lore to some extent.
Skulls and crossbones, skeletons, the satan, hourglasses, and the simply the colour black had been all frequent on pirate flags in the course of the seventeenth and 18th centuries. They had been meant to evoke numerous themes together with demise, mortality, and the fleeting nature of life itself for each pirates and their victims – Blackbeard was between 35 and 40 years outdated when he died – in keeping with the Queen Anne’s Revenge Mission, a part of the North Carolina Division of Pure and Cultural Assets.
The assorted symbols additionally mirrored cruel violence and fearlessness within the face of demise. Crimson coloured symbols, symbolizing blood, had related connotations and shut handed grips on spears and different weapons had been additionally meant to sign that pirates would give no quarter to their opponents.
All that being mentioned, the flag’s connection to Blackbeard seems to be fully fabricated, with the one up to date reference to the pirate’s personal banner describing the extra frequent cranium and crossbones motif and “bloody flags” with unspecified crimson symbols. It is vitally doable that Blackbeard used a couple of kind of flag, however the first recognized occasion of the toasting skeleton seems in a 1912 article, which additionally does not draw a connection to him straight.
In comparison with the unique, the flag seen flying at Chabelley encompasses a skeletal determine with what seems to be a crown quite than horns. Past merely being primarily based on the toasting skeleton design, this banner can be fascinating on condition that its core symbolism would appear to run counter, at the very least to some extent, to the “demise, mortality, and the fleeting nature of life” referenced by its supply materials. The blood bag, particularly within the context of the mass casualty train, appears to be a reference to life-saving army medical work.
As for what unit or models at Chabelley this flag is likely to be related to, it is unclear. As already famous, this unique ‘bloody flag’ design has come to be very intently related to the Navy SEALs, in addition to different particular operations forces. It’s unclear whether or not or not any SEALs are at present deployed to the airfield, nevertheless it actually has hosted Air Pressure particular operations personnel through the years.
As of December 31, 2019, Air Pressure Particular Operations Command’s (AFSOC) twelfth Expeditionary Particular Operations Squadron was current at Chabelley to launch and recuperate MQ-9 Reapers operated remotely by different AFSOC models, in keeping with a mixed annual historical past of the 435th Air Floor Operations Wing (AGOW) and 435th Air Expeditionary Wing (AEW) protecting the 2015 to 2019 timeframe that The Warfare Zone obtained by way of the Freedom of Info Act. Units at Chabelley fall beneath the management of the 435th AEW’s 449th Air Expeditionary Group, which is headquartered at Camp Lemonnier.
CJTF-HOA, as an entire, has lengthy had a heavy particular operations forces element, which has included SEALs, amongst different U.S. particular operations models.
In any other case, as of February of this yr, the U.S. Air Pressure’s 776th Expeditionary Air Base Squadron was the principle unit accountable for day-to-day operations at Chabelley, which additionally hosts the 870th Air Expeditionary Squadron, one other typical unit. Members of the 776th have adorned parts of the ability with what seems to be artwork depicting silhouettes of Spartan helmets, a well-liked, if typically controversial ‘warrior’ image that’s generally used formally and unofficially throughout the U.S. army.
No matter who has been flying the flag at Chabelley, the ‘pirate medic’ motif is actually an fascinating tackle this iconic design.
Contact the writer: joe@thedrive.com
