Volunteers from Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Randy Neihart, Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa operations specialist, and U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officer Glenn Hart, CJTF-HOA senior watch officer, shove brush into a controlled fire at the Discover and Aid Nature Animal Refuge in Djibouti, Djibouti Feb. 19, 2012. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sergeant Andrew Caya

The soldier wiped perspiration off his face after battling spindly plants and dodging large fires, all while under the predatory gaze of lions pacing only a few yards away.

It may seem U.S. Army Lt. Col. Mark Vaughn, Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa deputy director of civil military operations, was lost in East Africa or enduring survival training, but he was volunteering his time at the DECAN Animal Refuge in Djibouti, Djibouti, January 19, 2012. The name DECAN stands for “Découvrir et Aider la Nature,” which is French for “Discover and Aid Nature.”
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