But there is nothing stopping them from doing it in Bahrain! I can tell you that they don't do it very well. I doubt there is much training involved. They have seen the men do it and it looks pretty easy from the back seat, I guess. Nothing like driving OJT in a 5000 lb SUV.
Driving in Bahrain is a mixed bag. It is pretty much in the middle ground between the US and Djibouti. Everyone stops at a red light but I have never seen anyone come to a complete stop at a stop sign. People pull out in front of you, change lanes without looking to see that I am already there, proceed when they should yield, etc.
There are also a lot of speed bumps on the side streets. They don't seem very effective because everyone drives around them! In some places they are unavoidable but in other areas it is just dirt lots on both sides of the road.
The bottom line is that you have to have your head on a swivel and expect the unexpected. I just chill out while I drive and let the craziness unfold around me.
So, what is the deal with all these protests in Bahrain that you probably don't even know about. Typical Muslim stuff, I'm afraid. The Royal Family and many of the policy makers are Sunnis and they are a minority. The majority of the population is Shiite. There is a small student/youth movement protesting the government. Seems many of them went off and got college degrees and are not getting the jobs they feel they are qualified for (sound familiar?).
So, at the edges of the Shiite enclaves someone will light tires or a garbage dumpster on fire. It is funny that I am made aware of where the protests are by my command via text message. Really not a big deal but the Shiite movement isn't getting any US press coverage which is pissing them off.
It is the equivalent of our "Occupy Wall Street" I suppose.
Well, just finished up my second week. I am starting to figure out where my puzzle piece fits into the big picture and who does what.
I am off to Jordan this Sunday and I will be there until the end of the month. I will be near a port city on the northern tip of the Red Sea. We are going so we can participate in a joint exercise with the Jordanian military. I will be serving as the Assistant Operations Officer and working for the Operations Officer who is a Marine Col. I think I will be plenty busy keeping this thing pointed in the right direction and it will be a great opportunity to shine early in my tour.
Also got my camera so I will be posting pics. I will have internet there so I will also be posting weekly updates.
Correction on gas. It is .10 BD which is .25 USD. That means a gallon of gas is around a dollar.
From the 9th floor,
Michael
Friday, May 4, 2012
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Traveling Trilogy....The Final Chapter
Hello Friends,
Germany '09. Africa '11. Middle East '12. It has been quite a journey.
As many of you know, I have recently deployed to Bahrain to serve as the Lead Exercise Planner with a focus on joint and multi-national exercises. The command I am assigned to is US Marines Central Command (MARCENT) which is the Marine component of Central Command aka CENTCOM.
My hat is off to my ever lovin' wife, Jodi. She is doing all the hard work back at home. Thank you Jodi for being the woman you are. YELH.
I call this the final chapter because this will be my last deployment in all likelihood. Once I return, I will have 17 years of active duty. If I hit 18 years, the Marine Corps has to keep me for 2 more years and I would then retire with a regular military retirement (50% pay for the rest of your life which is a pretty good deal). The institution (USMC) is, shall I say, philosophically opposed to this. They will not bring me on because that pushes me a little to close to the edge of the cliff so they will want a 1 year buffer as a safety zone. Yeah, I know it sucks and doesn't seem right, but that is the way it is.
After attending a conference in Tampa, headquarters of CENTCOM, I was off to the Saudi Arabian peninsula where the small island nation is located. The big leg of my trip was from Dulles to Kuwait City. We were in the air almost 13 hours. Thankfully, the flight was at night and I managed to sleep most of the way.
I arrived Sunday night and one of my peers met me at the airport and got me to my lodging.
First, let me tell you that this is no Djibouti. I live in a very well appointed 2 bedroom flat (apartment) on the 9th floor. Most of the lights are controlled by a central touch pad or remote. The living room is more glass than walls so the view is nice. Gym is on the 22nd floor along with a sauna and a pool on the roof. Maid service comes twice a week and the door to the flat is controlled by a pass card. Forgot your pass card? No problem, place your right index finger on a small biometric scanner which reads your fingerprint and the door lock pops open!
Bahrain is a large modern city. You can tell you are in the middle east though. There is a road by the base front gate called "America Alley" which features KFC, McDs, Starbucks, Macaroni Grill, and other American fast food joints. I live near a Bennigans and TGI Fridays. Kinda funny and not what I expected. Thank you to all of them for keeping Americans fat wherever they may find themselves.
I work on a small piece of property leased to the US Navy. There are about 5000 US service people here along with government works and contractors and I live about 8 minutes away. The people at work are great and number around 160. I just found out last week that I will be going to Jordan near the Israeli border for 3 weeks. Never been so it will be nice to get another stamp in my passport.
Work seems like it will be pretty predictable with hours of 7:30 am until 4:30-5:00 pm. The days we work are Sunday through Thursday in keeping with the Muslim holy days (Fri and Sat, much like the Jewish faith).
After eating nothing but Cliff Bars and beef jerky for a couple of days, I was eager to get some real food at the commissary (military grocery store). People told me that food was expensive here and I got a real shock at the store. While many things were a little more expensive then I was used to paying, some things were triple of their normal price. 1 qt Silk brand soy milk was $5.50 and a 10oz package of Sara Lee sliced turkey for sandwiches was $7.29!
Ironically enough, liquor is much cheaper then you would expect. Back in NC, 1L of Jim Beam will set me back $17.95. Out here, I pay the same for a 1.75L bottle. Seems like you would want the food cheap and the booze expensive. Deploy people to the middle east and sell booze really cheap, great idea!
Additionally, since liquor/beer/wine is fairly scarce in this area outside of hotels and clubs, we have a ration card just like we had in Germany. I think there are a couple of liquor stores out in town and I can only imagine that it is pretty expensive.
Speaking of cheap, 1 gallon of gas in the US is around $4.00. Bahrain: $.40. That's right, 40 cents. It is actually a little cheaper than that at 10 cents a liter. Now that is a number I can get behind! I have a subcompact rental car and it costs around $3.50 to fill it up.
I live around the corner from a grocery store where people who live here would shop. I checked it out and will shop there for produce and meats/fish. They even have camel sausages. I am definitely going to check that out. People I knew in DJ tried camel and said it was pretty good. The port of DJ routinely ships camels down the coast where they are slaughtered and used for food. Like the bathroom butt sprayers in DJ (and here), when in Rome....
Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures to share with you right now. My old computer didn't make it and I bought an Apple MacBook Pro. My camera has pc based software and will not work with an Apple. I tried to download the correct drivers but they are not available. I have a new camera being shipped to me as we speak.
Looks like I will be able to continue to dive out here also which is great. Research indicates that it is not as good as the Horn of Africa but it is something to do on the weekends. I had a winning formula out in DJ and look forward to keeping on the same track here. Exercise, work, eat low fat foods, and find something rewarding to do with whatever free time you have.
Anyway, I promise to post once a week and it looks like I will have a little more material to work with out here.
Cheers,
Michael
Germany '09. Africa '11. Middle East '12. It has been quite a journey.
As many of you know, I have recently deployed to Bahrain to serve as the Lead Exercise Planner with a focus on joint and multi-national exercises. The command I am assigned to is US Marines Central Command (MARCENT) which is the Marine component of Central Command aka CENTCOM.
My hat is off to my ever lovin' wife, Jodi. She is doing all the hard work back at home. Thank you Jodi for being the woman you are. YELH.
I call this the final chapter because this will be my last deployment in all likelihood. Once I return, I will have 17 years of active duty. If I hit 18 years, the Marine Corps has to keep me for 2 more years and I would then retire with a regular military retirement (50% pay for the rest of your life which is a pretty good deal). The institution (USMC) is, shall I say, philosophically opposed to this. They will not bring me on because that pushes me a little to close to the edge of the cliff so they will want a 1 year buffer as a safety zone. Yeah, I know it sucks and doesn't seem right, but that is the way it is.
After attending a conference in Tampa, headquarters of CENTCOM, I was off to the Saudi Arabian peninsula where the small island nation is located. The big leg of my trip was from Dulles to Kuwait City. We were in the air almost 13 hours. Thankfully, the flight was at night and I managed to sleep most of the way.
I arrived Sunday night and one of my peers met me at the airport and got me to my lodging.
First, let me tell you that this is no Djibouti. I live in a very well appointed 2 bedroom flat (apartment) on the 9th floor. Most of the lights are controlled by a central touch pad or remote. The living room is more glass than walls so the view is nice. Gym is on the 22nd floor along with a sauna and a pool on the roof. Maid service comes twice a week and the door to the flat is controlled by a pass card. Forgot your pass card? No problem, place your right index finger on a small biometric scanner which reads your fingerprint and the door lock pops open!
Bahrain is a large modern city. You can tell you are in the middle east though. There is a road by the base front gate called "America Alley" which features KFC, McDs, Starbucks, Macaroni Grill, and other American fast food joints. I live near a Bennigans and TGI Fridays. Kinda funny and not what I expected. Thank you to all of them for keeping Americans fat wherever they may find themselves.
I work on a small piece of property leased to the US Navy. There are about 5000 US service people here along with government works and contractors and I live about 8 minutes away. The people at work are great and number around 160. I just found out last week that I will be going to Jordan near the Israeli border for 3 weeks. Never been so it will be nice to get another stamp in my passport.
Work seems like it will be pretty predictable with hours of 7:30 am until 4:30-5:00 pm. The days we work are Sunday through Thursday in keeping with the Muslim holy days (Fri and Sat, much like the Jewish faith).
After eating nothing but Cliff Bars and beef jerky for a couple of days, I was eager to get some real food at the commissary (military grocery store). People told me that food was expensive here and I got a real shock at the store. While many things were a little more expensive then I was used to paying, some things were triple of their normal price. 1 qt Silk brand soy milk was $5.50 and a 10oz package of Sara Lee sliced turkey for sandwiches was $7.29!
Ironically enough, liquor is much cheaper then you would expect. Back in NC, 1L of Jim Beam will set me back $17.95. Out here, I pay the same for a 1.75L bottle. Seems like you would want the food cheap and the booze expensive. Deploy people to the middle east and sell booze really cheap, great idea!
Additionally, since liquor/beer/wine is fairly scarce in this area outside of hotels and clubs, we have a ration card just like we had in Germany. I think there are a couple of liquor stores out in town and I can only imagine that it is pretty expensive.
Speaking of cheap, 1 gallon of gas in the US is around $4.00. Bahrain: $.40. That's right, 40 cents. It is actually a little cheaper than that at 10 cents a liter. Now that is a number I can get behind! I have a subcompact rental car and it costs around $3.50 to fill it up.
I live around the corner from a grocery store where people who live here would shop. I checked it out and will shop there for produce and meats/fish. They even have camel sausages. I am definitely going to check that out. People I knew in DJ tried camel and said it was pretty good. The port of DJ routinely ships camels down the coast where they are slaughtered and used for food. Like the bathroom butt sprayers in DJ (and here), when in Rome....
Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures to share with you right now. My old computer didn't make it and I bought an Apple MacBook Pro. My camera has pc based software and will not work with an Apple. I tried to download the correct drivers but they are not available. I have a new camera being shipped to me as we speak.
Looks like I will be able to continue to dive out here also which is great. Research indicates that it is not as good as the Horn of Africa but it is something to do on the weekends. I had a winning formula out in DJ and look forward to keeping on the same track here. Exercise, work, eat low fat foods, and find something rewarding to do with whatever free time you have.
Anyway, I promise to post once a week and it looks like I will have a little more material to work with out here.
Cheers,
Michael
Sunday, February 19, 2012
What could there possibly be to dislike in Djibouti?
Hello All,
"Djibouti sounds like a great place", you are saying to yourself. What could anyone possibly dislike?
Well, here you go...
1. Weather. As much as it is pleasent in DJ now, the weather really sucks in the summer. Think high humidity and high temps, i.e. 115 degrees with 90% humidity. It is really brutal. Even after just a short walk to work in the summer, I am drenched in sweat. Yuck.
2. The chow hall. Yeah, they get some good raw ingredients but most everything is over cooked and dry. They also offer way too much fried food and can't even get the oatmeal right. How had is it to prepare oatmeal? The menu is also very redundant. Taco Tuesday, carving station on Thursday, seafood Friday, and a really horrible brunch on Sat and Sun morning.
3. Walking on rocks. There is only a very small section of camp that is paved or has cement sidewalks. Most of the area is covered with crushed rocks. This rock is not the little pea sized rock which would be perfect. The rock they put down is fairly large and you can't really get traction on it. It is a real pain in the ass to walk on.
4. City dump. The city dump is only a few miles away from camp and it is often on fire. In fact, everyone gets a statement put in their medical records saying you were in DJ breathing this stuff in. It is just the worst when animal carcasses are set ablaze.
5. The uniform policy. Everyone on camp wears a military uniform during the day and are allowed to wear appropriate civilian attire after hours. Not the Marines. Marines have to wear their military uniform at all times during the week except when they are working out (PT - physical training). We are allowed to wear civilian attire from Sat night through Sun night. Ok...I look great in my uniform but how about we loosen up a little bit. It is not like we are at some remote forward operating base in Afghanistan.
Well, I really shouldn't complain much. There are far worst places to be deployed to. It was actually a pretty good tour. Met a lot of great people, smoked cigars, lost some weight, and work was pretty predictable.
I actually thought of more things I "like" about DJ then "dislike". Looks like we have a winner.
Thanks to everyone who supported me and my family while I was away. Your willingness to help is what allows me to do what I do.
It is great to be back!
Until next time,
Michael
"Djibouti sounds like a great place", you are saying to yourself. What could anyone possibly dislike?
Well, here you go...
1. Weather. As much as it is pleasent in DJ now, the weather really sucks in the summer. Think high humidity and high temps, i.e. 115 degrees with 90% humidity. It is really brutal. Even after just a short walk to work in the summer, I am drenched in sweat. Yuck.
2. The chow hall. Yeah, they get some good raw ingredients but most everything is over cooked and dry. They also offer way too much fried food and can't even get the oatmeal right. How had is it to prepare oatmeal? The menu is also very redundant. Taco Tuesday, carving station on Thursday, seafood Friday, and a really horrible brunch on Sat and Sun morning.
3. Walking on rocks. There is only a very small section of camp that is paved or has cement sidewalks. Most of the area is covered with crushed rocks. This rock is not the little pea sized rock which would be perfect. The rock they put down is fairly large and you can't really get traction on it. It is a real pain in the ass to walk on.
4. City dump. The city dump is only a few miles away from camp and it is often on fire. In fact, everyone gets a statement put in their medical records saying you were in DJ breathing this stuff in. It is just the worst when animal carcasses are set ablaze.
5. The uniform policy. Everyone on camp wears a military uniform during the day and are allowed to wear appropriate civilian attire after hours. Not the Marines. Marines have to wear their military uniform at all times during the week except when they are working out (PT - physical training). We are allowed to wear civilian attire from Sat night through Sun night. Ok...I look great in my uniform but how about we loosen up a little bit. It is not like we are at some remote forward operating base in Afghanistan.
Well, I really shouldn't complain much. There are far worst places to be deployed to. It was actually a pretty good tour. Met a lot of great people, smoked cigars, lost some weight, and work was pretty predictable.
I actually thought of more things I "like" about DJ then "dislike". Looks like we have a winner.
Thanks to everyone who supported me and my family while I was away. Your willingness to help is what allows me to do what I do.
It is great to be back!
Until next time,
Michael
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Final Thoughts...
Friends,
It is hard to believe I have been in Djibouti 6 months already. Unlike last time, most of my time was actually spent in the Horn of Africa and it certainly has given me a new perspective on Djibouti.
As you can imagine, I have had some pretty good experiences here but have also grown tired of camp life.
LIKES:
1. Driving in Djibouti. I love driving in Djibouti as much as I like driving in Germany but for the polar opposite reason. In Germany, it is very orderly and everyone follows the rules. In Djibouti, the rules are really just guidelines. Here, everywhere is a passing zone. The city streets are 4 lines wide and all dotted lines. I have seen cars running 3 wide moving in my direction. Stop signs mean stop unless you think you can keep going and not get rear ended. This morning on the way to the fishing port where we meet our dive boats, traffic stopped to allow 6 camels to cross the road. In short, there are no rules which is my kind of place. Oddly enough, you don't see all that many auto mishaps here.
2. Weather. The weather in the winter months is great! Lows in the mid-70s and high in the mid-80s. I announced to Jodi we were going to buy a house here for the winter months.
3. Cigars and Texas Hold'em. Smoking cigars by yourself sucks. Tues and Sat night the poker club gets together and I have plenty of people to smoke cigars with! Sunday night, a small group of us cigar smokers get together to light up. I made some new aquaitanances and been introduced to some brands I have not previously tried. My poker play has improved a lot too.
4. SCUBA Diving. I deployed and gained a new hobby. Not bad. I have seen a lot of interesting things underwater and meet some really good people. Turns out that I am a pretty good diver too.
5. Old West Town character of Camp Lemonnier. Hard to describe in words. This place is like a small old west town with a cantina, barber shop and general store.
6. Chow Hall. The food? Really? Well, the do offer a wide variety on their salad bar and the fresh fruit selection is also very good. The chow hall is also blessed with some very good cuts of steaks, lobster tails, crab legs, lamb chops, and fish such as trout, halibut, and salmon (probably farm raised but still good). They also serve made to order eggs/omlettes every morning. The chow also lists grams of fat per serving of everthing available. By eating a low fat, low carb diet, I have lost about 12-15 pounds. An hour of vigorous excercise also was big factor. Now, I just need to bring those good habits back with me.
7. Djibouti. This place has a really raw feel to it. Maybe this is what Europe and, increasing, America needs. What I mean is that it is every man for himself here. There are no safety nets. No handouts. No bailouts. You eat, you stave, you live, you die. In the end, people figure it out for themselves. We need to be more self relient.
8. Djiboutians. Last time I left this place in Nov '09. I really had a bad taste about the local populace. Having spent a solid 6 months here, I have a totally different perspective. The Djiboutians I have meet have all been friendly and have a great deal of pride in their country. Most of them know 2 or 3 different languages.
Next up...what do I dislike about this place?
Until then,
Michael
It is hard to believe I have been in Djibouti 6 months already. Unlike last time, most of my time was actually spent in the Horn of Africa and it certainly has given me a new perspective on Djibouti.
As you can imagine, I have had some pretty good experiences here but have also grown tired of camp life.
LIKES:
1. Driving in Djibouti. I love driving in Djibouti as much as I like driving in Germany but for the polar opposite reason. In Germany, it is very orderly and everyone follows the rules. In Djibouti, the rules are really just guidelines. Here, everywhere is a passing zone. The city streets are 4 lines wide and all dotted lines. I have seen cars running 3 wide moving in my direction. Stop signs mean stop unless you think you can keep going and not get rear ended. This morning on the way to the fishing port where we meet our dive boats, traffic stopped to allow 6 camels to cross the road. In short, there are no rules which is my kind of place. Oddly enough, you don't see all that many auto mishaps here.
2. Weather. The weather in the winter months is great! Lows in the mid-70s and high in the mid-80s. I announced to Jodi we were going to buy a house here for the winter months.
3. Cigars and Texas Hold'em. Smoking cigars by yourself sucks. Tues and Sat night the poker club gets together and I have plenty of people to smoke cigars with! Sunday night, a small group of us cigar smokers get together to light up. I made some new aquaitanances and been introduced to some brands I have not previously tried. My poker play has improved a lot too.
4. SCUBA Diving. I deployed and gained a new hobby. Not bad. I have seen a lot of interesting things underwater and meet some really good people. Turns out that I am a pretty good diver too.
5. Old West Town character of Camp Lemonnier. Hard to describe in words. This place is like a small old west town with a cantina, barber shop and general store.
6. Chow Hall. The food? Really? Well, the do offer a wide variety on their salad bar and the fresh fruit selection is also very good. The chow hall is also blessed with some very good cuts of steaks, lobster tails, crab legs, lamb chops, and fish such as trout, halibut, and salmon (probably farm raised but still good). They also serve made to order eggs/omlettes every morning. The chow also lists grams of fat per serving of everthing available. By eating a low fat, low carb diet, I have lost about 12-15 pounds. An hour of vigorous excercise also was big factor. Now, I just need to bring those good habits back with me.
7. Djibouti. This place has a really raw feel to it. Maybe this is what Europe and, increasing, America needs. What I mean is that it is every man for himself here. There are no safety nets. No handouts. No bailouts. You eat, you stave, you live, you die. In the end, people figure it out for themselves. We need to be more self relient.
8. Djiboutians. Last time I left this place in Nov '09. I really had a bad taste about the local populace. Having spent a solid 6 months here, I have a totally different perspective. The Djiboutians I have meet have all been friendly and have a great deal of pride in their country. Most of them know 2 or 3 different languages.
Next up...what do I dislike about this place?
Until then,
Michael
Thursday, January 26, 2012
1-2-3+1 and 156
Greetings all,
Lots of numbers with significance this past week or so.
This has been an untimely deployment as I have missed most of the "good" holidays and well as events of personal importance. I have been here through Labor Day, Halloween (Sarah visited NC), Veterns' Day, Marine Corps Birthday, my birthday, Chanukah, Christmas, New Year's Eve, my wedding aniversary, and Sarah's birthday.
So what does 1-2-3+1 have to do with anything. It is how I remember the what day Jodi and I got married. I originally decided on Jan 23 (1-2-3, who could screw that up?) but for some reason, that date was not was not going to work. So, we went with Jan 24th. Easy huh?
Coincidently, Sarah's birthday is 2-3-04.
Furthermore, Lincoln was killed in the Kennedy Theather while Kennedy was killed in a Lincoln. Crazy stuff for sure.
156 represents my new personal deepest dive. 156' which far surpasses my previous 136'. 20' may not sound like much unless you body is being subjected to a pressure 6x normal atmosphic pressure and you are 30' beyond PADI recommend limit for recreational diving. We didn't stay down there but a few minutes but I could feel the effects of excess nitrogen building up in my body (nitrogen narcocis). Nitrogen narcocis makes you fell slightly euphoric or mildly intoxicated.
Before my wife goes flyin' off the hinges, it should be noted that my dive partner had previously done a 180' dive (not that particular day) and the record depth for a SCUBA diver is a little over 1000'.
What else....what else?
Well, I should be leaving on 12 Feb and back in the states on the 15th. I have always said that Camp Lemonnier isn't so bad but now that I am getting close to leaving, all the little things I don't like are starting to add up. There are some things I will miss but I will save that for next week.
Mentally, I am already starting to check out and look forward to getting back to NC.
Michael
Lots of numbers with significance this past week or so.
This has been an untimely deployment as I have missed most of the "good" holidays and well as events of personal importance. I have been here through Labor Day, Halloween (Sarah visited NC), Veterns' Day, Marine Corps Birthday, my birthday, Chanukah, Christmas, New Year's Eve, my wedding aniversary, and Sarah's birthday.
So what does 1-2-3+1 have to do with anything. It is how I remember the what day Jodi and I got married. I originally decided on Jan 23 (1-2-3, who could screw that up?) but for some reason, that date was not was not going to work. So, we went with Jan 24th. Easy huh?
Coincidently, Sarah's birthday is 2-3-04.
Furthermore, Lincoln was killed in the Kennedy Theather while Kennedy was killed in a Lincoln. Crazy stuff for sure.
156 represents my new personal deepest dive. 156' which far surpasses my previous 136'. 20' may not sound like much unless you body is being subjected to a pressure 6x normal atmosphic pressure and you are 30' beyond PADI recommend limit for recreational diving. We didn't stay down there but a few minutes but I could feel the effects of excess nitrogen building up in my body (nitrogen narcocis). Nitrogen narcocis makes you fell slightly euphoric or mildly intoxicated.
Before my wife goes flyin' off the hinges, it should be noted that my dive partner had previously done a 180' dive (not that particular day) and the record depth for a SCUBA diver is a little over 1000'.
What else....what else?
Well, I should be leaving on 12 Feb and back in the states on the 15th. I have always said that Camp Lemonnier isn't so bad but now that I am getting close to leaving, all the little things I don't like are starting to add up. There are some things I will miss but I will save that for next week.
Mentally, I am already starting to check out and look forward to getting back to NC.
Michael
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Has it really been 3 weeks since my last post?
Hello All,
With 3 weeks having passed, you would think I would have something to write about.
Christmas and New Year's Day both fell on a Sunday this year, which is normally a day off for us, so we got Monday off as an extra day of observance. There wasn't much taking place on base other then religious services and special holiday meal at the chow hall. As you can probably imagaine, I took this opportunity to go SCUBA diving.
The week between Christmas and New Year's was fairly busy, but not from a work standpoint. Our higher headquarter in Stuttgart was largely closed which always makes for a light work week. Many of our projects on the continent had finished up before the holidays and new ones were not started until the new year which was another reason for the lull.
We had a big staff turnover with a lot of our folks leaving so we had a "Hail and Fairwell" gathering. This is a social event where we say goodbye to those departing and welcome those who are replacing them. Of course, I always play poker on Saturday but also had a cigar event to go to on Friday. Some generous manufactures sent some of their product asking for nothing in return other then some snap shoots of guys in uniform smoke the cigars they sent.
I also went to a wedding/wedding reception on that same Friday, of all things! A wedding here on camp is a first as far as I know. One of the guys deployed here (reserve unit from Kanasas) whom I also dive with married a girl who works as a dive instructor for the company we dive with. They make a great couple and are headed down to a diving resort in Honduras where they will both work as dive instructors. I wish them as much happiness as I have found in my marriage!
What is REALLY hard to believe is that I will be departing in about 6 weeks (we call it redeploying in the military). There were times when I never thought it would end but once I got into a routine, the time really went by fast. It has been a much better tour then I ever thought it would be.
As you probably recall, my last experience with Djibouti was not that great. I was here a total of 3 times covering 21 days or so. I am happy to say that my time here was enjoyable and my perception of the country and its people is very favorable.
Until next time...
Michael
With 3 weeks having passed, you would think I would have something to write about.
Christmas and New Year's Day both fell on a Sunday this year, which is normally a day off for us, so we got Monday off as an extra day of observance. There wasn't much taking place on base other then religious services and special holiday meal at the chow hall. As you can probably imagaine, I took this opportunity to go SCUBA diving.
The week between Christmas and New Year's was fairly busy, but not from a work standpoint. Our higher headquarter in Stuttgart was largely closed which always makes for a light work week. Many of our projects on the continent had finished up before the holidays and new ones were not started until the new year which was another reason for the lull.
We had a big staff turnover with a lot of our folks leaving so we had a "Hail and Fairwell" gathering. This is a social event where we say goodbye to those departing and welcome those who are replacing them. Of course, I always play poker on Saturday but also had a cigar event to go to on Friday. Some generous manufactures sent some of their product asking for nothing in return other then some snap shoots of guys in uniform smoke the cigars they sent.
I also went to a wedding/wedding reception on that same Friday, of all things! A wedding here on camp is a first as far as I know. One of the guys deployed here (reserve unit from Kanasas) whom I also dive with married a girl who works as a dive instructor for the company we dive with. They make a great couple and are headed down to a diving resort in Honduras where they will both work as dive instructors. I wish them as much happiness as I have found in my marriage!
What is REALLY hard to believe is that I will be departing in about 6 weeks (we call it redeploying in the military). There were times when I never thought it would end but once I got into a routine, the time really went by fast. It has been a much better tour then I ever thought it would be.
As you probably recall, my last experience with Djibouti was not that great. I was here a total of 3 times covering 21 days or so. I am happy to say that my time here was enjoyable and my perception of the country and its people is very favorable.
Until next time...
Michael
Friday, December 16, 2011
Where the hell is that guy? Still in Suffolk? I thought he deployed to Africa.
Hello All,
It has been a couple of weeks since I posted and I apologize. I always have good intentions of posting every week and usually follow through. The past few weeks have been pretty busy as I have been preparing products for this 2 week mission rehearsal exercise and conducting the training at the Joint Warfighting Center in Suffolk, VA.
As expected, traveling to the U.S. sucked as it always does when your starting point is Africa. Traveling actually went about as expected. It took 30 hours of elapsed time with a long layover in Paris. Got in late to Dulles Airport and missed my flight to Norfolk and a bag was unaccounted for at that point also. It was determined that my bag was on a later flight which was no big deal as it was just stuff I didn't need in Africa and was hauling home.
I must say, it was an unexpected treat to be back in the U.S. My room at the Hilton Garden Inn is as nice a room that I have experieced in the last 4 months. It was also great to eat somewhere besides the chow hall in Djibouti. Over the course of the last couple of weeks I have eaten Italian, sushi, Mexican, Thai, and Fire House subs (I had some hot sauce so hot it made my eyes water!)
I have also taken the opportunity to drink some bourbon which I can't do in Djibouti as it is against base orders. Something about "good order and discipline", whatever that means.
My brief and training package was well received. Some days were slower than others as our job was to act as subject matter experts and be available to assist the new staff as required. The comments from the training audience at the end of training after action review overwhelmingly concured that those who traveled from DJ were the greatest value added to training. I will consider that a mission success.
The biggest treat of the trip was goin' back to see my woman in Sneads Ferry. It was such a morale booster to be able to see Jodi! The house was decorated for Chirstmas and everything looked great. She made sure that there was nothing to accomplish around the house so we could just spend time together. The time went by fast and it was just as hard to leave then as it was 4 months ago. Well, two more months and I will be home again back to my ever lovin' wife.
Don't expect to be doing anything out of the ordinary around Christmas. We always have Sunday off but will also get Monday off. I plan on being on a dive boat for Christmas this year as well as the Monday following Christmas. I have determined a long time ago that the less time you can spend in your CLU (room) the better. By the time I depart base and return after diving, the day is mostly over. If I wasn't doing something the day would really drag.
So, I would like to wish everyone an advanced Happy Chanukah (first night is Tues, 20 Dec) and Merry Christmas. You will be in my thoughts as I am floating around the Gulf of Aden on 25 Dec.
On duty in Africa,
Michael
It has been a couple of weeks since I posted and I apologize. I always have good intentions of posting every week and usually follow through. The past few weeks have been pretty busy as I have been preparing products for this 2 week mission rehearsal exercise and conducting the training at the Joint Warfighting Center in Suffolk, VA.
As expected, traveling to the U.S. sucked as it always does when your starting point is Africa. Traveling actually went about as expected. It took 30 hours of elapsed time with a long layover in Paris. Got in late to Dulles Airport and missed my flight to Norfolk and a bag was unaccounted for at that point also. It was determined that my bag was on a later flight which was no big deal as it was just stuff I didn't need in Africa and was hauling home.
I must say, it was an unexpected treat to be back in the U.S. My room at the Hilton Garden Inn is as nice a room that I have experieced in the last 4 months. It was also great to eat somewhere besides the chow hall in Djibouti. Over the course of the last couple of weeks I have eaten Italian, sushi, Mexican, Thai, and Fire House subs (I had some hot sauce so hot it made my eyes water!)
I have also taken the opportunity to drink some bourbon which I can't do in Djibouti as it is against base orders. Something about "good order and discipline", whatever that means.
My brief and training package was well received. Some days were slower than others as our job was to act as subject matter experts and be available to assist the new staff as required. The comments from the training audience at the end of training after action review overwhelmingly concured that those who traveled from DJ were the greatest value added to training. I will consider that a mission success.
The biggest treat of the trip was goin' back to see my woman in Sneads Ferry. It was such a morale booster to be able to see Jodi! The house was decorated for Chirstmas and everything looked great. She made sure that there was nothing to accomplish around the house so we could just spend time together. The time went by fast and it was just as hard to leave then as it was 4 months ago. Well, two more months and I will be home again back to my ever lovin' wife.
Don't expect to be doing anything out of the ordinary around Christmas. We always have Sunday off but will also get Monday off. I plan on being on a dive boat for Christmas this year as well as the Monday following Christmas. I have determined a long time ago that the less time you can spend in your CLU (room) the better. By the time I depart base and return after diving, the day is mostly over. If I wasn't doing something the day would really drag.
So, I would like to wish everyone an advanced Happy Chanukah (first night is Tues, 20 Dec) and Merry Christmas. You will be in my thoughts as I am floating around the Gulf of Aden on 25 Dec.
On duty in Africa,
Michael
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