Greetings all,
Yes you read the title correctly and yes, those are Japanese Naval Officers in the picture above. More in a minute as I will
start off with the Marines retreating.
Last week, I was especially looking forward to the upcoming week as I was to attend a military function at the French base just around the corner (uniform for the event for Marines was our "charlies" which I am pictured in above).
A small group of us left as the scheduled time. The group representing the Commander of CJTF-HOA was (2) U.S. Army Colonels, (2) U.S. Navy Captains (equivalent to a Col), (1) U.S. Marine Colonel, me, and (1) U.S. Army Major. We were met at the event by (2) more USMC Majors, and our French Liason Officer, a French Army Capt.
We were directed to a parking area and then escorted to the Distinguished Visitors reception hosted by (2) French Major Generals (two star). I was a little disappointed when we walked into the room and there was no beer or wine. Boy, I would have really enjoyed a beer. After about 30 minutes of socializing (I spoke at length with one of the 2 Stars about watches as he was wearing a very nice watch), we were directed to take our seats in the viewing area. The military parade/program was about to begin.
It didn't feel too hot while we were walking to the reviewing area but a few minutes after we were seated, it felt like I was in a sauna! The sun had set over an hour ago but it still must have been 95 degrees out and not a trace of a breeze. Sweat was pouring off of me.
The program started and it was in French so I had no idea what they were saying. Luckly, most military parades of this nature are pretty much the same so I could figure it out. The program seemed to go on forever and they finally wrapped it up by showing a video on a Jumbotron TV. This video also seemed like it just went on forever. It was FINALLY over, much to my relief, and we were directed to the outdoor reception area.
As we arrived in the reception area, I noticed lots of military uniforms, local clan/tribal elders, and Djiboution government officials. This event must really be a sought after invitation! More importantly, I noticed bars set up at various locations which appeared to feature soda, beer, wine, and what appeared to be whiskey.
"Jackpot!" I was thinking to myself. A few cold beers and socializing would make the torture I went through all seem worth it.
But wait, not so fast. The base Commanding General had a few words to say. He concluded his remarks with "the bar is open".
It was seconds later that one of the (Army) colonels said that a majority of the group wanted to leave so that was what we were going to do. A majority? I don't remember voting.
At any rate, I was pissed. You mean to tell me that the American delegation was not going to stay for one stinking drink and speak with our host for even a minute. Pathetic.
The battle cry "retreat" was sounded and we were gone minutes later. I swear I heard someone say: "look, it is the Americans who are retreating for a change!"
A sad end to the evening to say the least. If I was a little quicker on my toes, I could have said: "You fellas go on without me, I will catch a ride back with the other two Marines" (who stayed until 2:00 AM). Oh well, it was a missed opportunity.
An unexpected pay back was to be had on Fri. The Japanese Self Defense Force commander invited CJTF-HOA personnel to take part in a guided tour of their brand new base, followed by dinner and drinks. We had a great response from our office with a dozen or so taking part.
We started the tour with a mission brief followed by a tour of their living quarters (much nicer then ours), gym, recreation area, small PX, library, and chow hall. It was all very nice and very clean. Of note (and pretty cool), was a large communal shower/bathing area. What was interesting was a very large pool of water that they had in this communal area which served as a hot tub sans water jets. It looked very relaxing.
After the tour, we headed for the chow hall where a Japanese chef oversees the kitchen staff who prepare traditional Japanese cuisine. I'm not sure how everything was prepared but we had rice, soup, stew, a chopped chicken patty, and chicken tempura. It all tasted fantastic as it was all fresh made in small batches which is a far cry from what we are served at our mess hall.
After dinner, we were ushered into their cantina where we were served beer and sake. Our social hour was filled with great conversation ranging from what we each do in our respective military branches, our families, military equipment, and Formula 1 racing.
I made many new friends and certainly got my fill of sake. Maybe the week wasn't a bust after all.
Until next time,
Michael
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