It's Not Hell, But You Can See It From Here

Eventually, I'll finish telling the story of my safari in Tanzania, but there's a lot to tell and I've been procrastinating sitting down and writing about it. This explains why I haven't made a blog entry in so long. Another reason is that I've been buried under a ton of work.

I've been surprised at the number of people who actually read this blog. I've had a number of people contact me asking questions prior to being deployed here. The other day I had to go talk to one of my fellow Chiefs at his work tent and one of his young Seabees pointed to me and said "Hey! You're the Chief witht the blog, right? My mother reads that all the time!"

I was surprised and flattered. but it also made me feel a little guilty about not posting more often.

I didn't catch that Sailor's name, but I do want to say "Hi" to his Mom and let her know that he appears to be doing well.

The temperatures are starting to drop here and it's beginning to get comfortable by Djiboutian standards. Autumn is in the air and it's dipped back down into cool, crisp double-digit temperatures. Low to mid 90's during the day, mid to upper 70s at night. It's feeling a lot more like Florida around here lately. We even had some rain yesterday morning. I think it was the biggest downpour we've had since we arrived last February. You tend to remember the days when it rains because there aren't many of them.

About two months ago it rained for the first time in a long time. It was just a brief shower. Some of us Chiefs were sitting at the Old Cantina (We have two cantinas here. The other one is cleverly called the "New Cantina". So named because of the order in which they were built. No deep meaning there.) We were kicking back and enjoying our three beers for the day when it began to rain. It was quite a cloudburst, not a soaking deluge, but a pretty good shower. Enough so that everyone ran for cover, except for myself and a couple of other Chiefs who sat out there sipping our beers, laughing and enjoying every second of it. It had been a hot, dry, miserable summer and we welcomed the cool rain. Ten minutes later it was over. Fifteen minutes after that, the summer heat had dried us out completely.

I haven't said much here about the heat in this country. Djibouti has been described as the hottest inhabited place on earth. I've had some time to think about how to convey what it's like to people who've never experienced it.

Imagine Thanksgiving, when dinner is cooking and the kitchen is all warm and the whole house smells really great. You walk over to the oven, open the door to check the turkey and a puff of really hot air billows up and hits you in the face. You inhale some of it. It doesn't hurt, but it's not really comfortable in your lungs either. Do you know what I mean? Imagine every single breath being like that. That's what Djibouti is like in the summer.

And, oh yes, replace the aroma of Thanksgiving dinner, fireplaces, spice-scented candles, etc. with the acrid odor of burning garbage, which we frequently have to endure in this place.

Depending on where you're standing and the wind direction at the time, this odor might be mingled with diesel or aircraft exhaust and perhaps even camel urine (Very pungent stuff often smelled on the running trail here.)

When you come in from outdoors the outer layer of your clothes feel like they've just been ironed right there on your body. Naturally, you sweat a great deal, but that sweat never soaks through to the outer layer of clothing because it evaporates so quickly.

Strong winds frequently kick up around here and it's truly like standing in front of a giant blowdryer. The wind is that hot.

Summer here is pretty brutal.

As I said, things are cooling off now for the fall and winter months. The worst is over for me. I'm just a couple of days shy of ticking off my eighth month here. In February I'll be heading home to stay and the weather between now and then is only going to get better.

Halfway Home

I know I'm supposed to post more about my safari in Tanzania, but I want to take a minute to point out that as of yesterday, August 22, I have been in Djibouti for six months. That marks the halfway point of my tour here.

I haven't been counting days since I've been here, which is one reason that time has flown by so quickly. It also helps that I stay EXTREMELY busy.

So far, it has been a very exciting trip, but I'd be lying if I said it wasn't starting to wear on me. If you keep up with this blog, you tend to read about the fun stuff I get to do from time to time. I don't publish much about the day-to-day grind aboard Camp Lemonier. The work is very hard and I manage a lot of young men and women, up to 84 at one point, in a brutal environment with challenging living conditions. The trip I took to Tanzania in July marked the first full days off I had since one day in early March. So, yes, I'm starting to look forward to going home in February.

I have a couple of items that I don't want to forget...

First, I'd like to thank a couple of very dear friends of mine for their kindness and generosity.

My former neighbor in Virginia, Stephanie, got together with some of the mothers at her son's preschool and collected 80 pairs of shoes for the girls orphanage here in Djibouti. Thanks a million, Steph! You're the best! I look forward to seeing you, Jack and Lee when I return. It's been too long!

My friend Jim (JRPFOM!!!) is one of the founders of a company called Promo Only, which compiles popular music and videos on to CDs and DVDs for use by clubs and radio stations. Jim was kind enough to donate about 40 popular music CDs and 20 music video DVDs for the enjoyment of servicemembers here at Camp Lemonier. Jim and I go back to our late teens, when we were herding tourists in and out of rides at Walt Disney World. Thanks, big guy! I can't wait to see your new house!

Last, but not least, a big thank you to my new friend Brittney of Girl Scout Troop 3064 in Northglenn, Colorado for sending me a "pocket flag", a small American flag that I carry with me at all times. Her troop sent these flags to us as part of the Pocket Flag Project. Thanks, Brittney! I'll carry it with me until I return home.

Last item of business...

There was an interesting article about Djibouti and Khat in the September issue of Esquire.

Serengeti Safari (Part I)

I recently returned from my first 96-hour liberty. Three of my fellow Chief Petty Officers and two Sergeant Majors from the Army (Dan, Ramona, Brett, Bonnie and Ira) got together and went on a safari to Tanzania.

When you take a "96" here in Africa and use military air transportation, you actually get a week off instead of four days. So we began our adventure by flying in a U.S. Air Force C-130 cargo plane to Nairobi, Kenya. We had to make a couple of stops along the way, so it was a very long, uncomfortable flight. C-130's aren't known for their luxury.

The temperature in Nairobi was in the 70's. It was very comfortable and a welcome break from the opressive 110+ -degree heat of Djibouti.

We took a minivan from the airport to the Safari Park Hotel in Nairobi. Traffic in Nairobi is awful and it took us well over an hour to get there. Apparently there are no vehicle emissions standards in Kenya either. The pollution is so bad that when you're out driving the streets your eyes burn, your throat itches and you sometimes even feel a bit nauseous.

On a positive note, the air pollution made for a spectacular sunset, which we witnessed while we were stuck in traffic.

The Safari Park Hotel is a beautiful, African-themed hotel. It's a little like staying in Adventureland at Disney World. By the time we got there it was getting late. We were tired, hungry and had been traveling all day. We were supposed to catch the 8:00 shuttle to Arusha, Tanzania the next morning, but opted for the 2:00 PM shuttle instead so we could sleep in.

Arusha is about six hours south of Nairobi and the shuttle ride down there was REALLY uncomfortable. There were at least 20 people crammed into a minibus that was literally designed for children. There was about eight-inches of space between the front edge of my seat and the back of the seat in front of me. I am 6' 3" tall. I have long legs and I could not sit facing forward in my seat. I had to sit sideways for the entire bumpy, six-hour journey (The roads in Africa are generally in pretty bad shape.)

We arrived at Namanga, the border crossing from Kenya into Tanzania. We had to stop and get our passports stamped. We got out of the minibus and were immediately accosted by Masai people who were pimping bracelets, necklaces and other trinkets. I took a picture of my friend, Dan, with an old Masai woman and she demanded money from us. Nothing there is free. We were warned that there would be people trying to swindle us out of money. A couple of people tried to get us each to pay $50 for a visa, even though most of us were traveling on official U.S. Government passports (the ones with the red covers, not the tourist passports with the blue covers) We were wise to their tricks, though. We made it a point to deal exclusively with immigration officials on both sides of the border.

At around 8:00 PM we finally arrived at the Impala Hotel in Arusha, Tanzania. It's not as nice as the Safari Park, but it was comfortable.

The next morning we would drive to Serengeti National Park to begin our safari.

I'll tell you about that next time!

Thank You, East Hill Baptist Church in Tallahassee, Florida! You Guys Rock!!!

I just want to give a huge "THANK YOU" to the wonderful people at East Hill Baptist Church in Tallahassee, Florida for their extremely generous care packages that we received a couple of weeks ago. (I apologize for not thanking you guys sooner, but I've been buried under a ton of work here.) We received three packages one day, which I thought was generous, then we received an additional EIGHT packages a few days later!!! HOLY COW!!!

I think you guys tried to get us every single thing on the list I posted a couple of months ago! It added up to over 120 lbs. of stuff. WOW!!!

My office was crammed with boxes of goodies, so I immediately put the word out to everyone in the Communications Directorate to come by my office and help themselves. I also told my fellow Chief Petty Officers to stop in and grab some stuff for their troops. It actually took a couple of days to get most of it distributed. I took the books, magazines, CDs and DVDs and donated them to the Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) office so that everyone on the base can enjoy them. Some of the stuff is going to be shipped downrange to troops who are deployed to a remote part of Ethiopia.

I didn't take much for myself, but I am grateful to whoever it was that was thoughtful enough to designate a package of oatmeal-raisin cookies for me personally. That was awesome!

There was also a box that was designated just for the orphanages. Our mission here in the Horn of Africa is very much one of winning the hearts and minds of the people in this region, especially the hearts and minds of future generations of Africans. Our success in this effort will help prevent the spread of terrorism into areas that are vulnerable to its influence, such as Somalia. Thanks very much for doing your part.

I especially enjoyed all of the cards with warm wishes from the folks at East Hill Baptist. Thanks for thinking of us.

Last, but not least, thanks to one of my sailors back home in Tallahassee, SK3 Sandy Willis, for bringing this idea to her fellow church members at East Hill Baptist. It really means a lot to the people here and to me personally.

You guys are all great! Thanks again for your support!

Odds and Ends

Okay, so it’s been over a month since I posted anything here on the blog. I sincerely apologize for my lack of attention to this project, but I’ve been extremely busy lately. Let me fill you in on some odds and ends that I haven’t been able to get around to yet.

Back in April, Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa had a change of command. Rear Admiral Richard W. Hunt, USN, relieved Major General Timothy F. Ghormley, USMC. On hand for the ceremony was General John P. Abizaid, USA, Commander, United States Central Command. You may have heard of him. If you haven’t, he’s the commanding general over operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Horn of Africa, all of our major theaters in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. He’s a real rock star in the Global War on Terrorism. I had an opportunity to introduce myself, shake his hand and get my picture taken with him.

While I’m on the subject of rubbing elbows with luminaries, a few days after I met General Abizaid I met the Secretary of the Navy, the Honorable Donald C. Winter who also dropped in to Camp Lemonier for a visit.

Most recently, I had an opportunity to shake hands with country music singer Toby Keith, who made a stop in Djibouti on his USO tour. The Camp Lemonier Chief Petty Officers Association, of which I was recently elected Vice-President, made a presentation to him after his show. I never really listened to Toby Keith’s music, although my sister is a big fan. I have to admit he was very entertaining. He played an acoustic set for about 40 minutes with one other guitar player. I was surprised to find that he claims to be a lifelong Democrat, albeit a very conservative one. I guess anybody who stands up in front of a military audience and sings I’ll Never Smoke Weed With Willie Again can’t be too much of a right-wing extremist.

A couple of weeks ago I completed a Combat Life Saver (CLS) course, which teaches service members first aid techniques in combat conditions. It was much more involved than any first aid class I’ve ever taken before and included administering I.V. drips to your fellow students. We were actually sticking needles into each other’s veins. We also learned a lot of other advance first aid techniques, like how to treat a collapsed lung resulting from a penetrating (sucking) chest wound. I can now glibly toss off terms like “tension pneumothorax” in casual conversation. I’m sure this will drive the ladies wild at parties when I get back to the states.

I went out to the weapons range again and qualified as a marksman on the Beretta 92-F 9 mm pistol. It was the second marksmanship ribbon I earned on this deployment. I qualified as a marksman on the M-16 assault rifle during combat training at Ft. Jackson, South Carolina. I’ve really enjoyed target shooting and hope to do more when I get home. I’m going to try and get out to the weapons ranges as frequently as possible while I’m here, although it’s getting pretty damned hot and the prospect of standing outside in this weather wearing a Kevlar helmet and individual body armor is not too appealing. I would like to qualify as an expert marksman before I retire from the military.

Speaking of the heat, the temperatures are regularly up in the low to mid 100’s with heat indexes around 115° F and the first official day of summer is still about 13 days away. I’ve been getting out on the running trail at about 5:30 in the morning to avoid the heat. I’ve been alternating days running with days attending an abdominal exercise class, which is a brutal way to start your day, but I’m glad I’m doing it. The running is going well. I’m up to about three miles per run on a consistent basis. I ran in the Race for the Cure 5K the other day and came in at a little under 31 minutes.

Finally, I was awarded a Joint Service Achievement Medal for a project I worked on for Commander, Iceland Defense Force while I was in Keflavik last June. I completely redesigned and redeveloped their personnel database from scratch, making it more efficient and useful to them. It was a very pleasant surprise and ranks as the highest award that I’ve received to date in the military.

I’m sure I forgot something, but that’s enough for now.

Extreme Golf Safari

Yesterday I had the most unusual golf experience of my life. The Morale, Welfare and Recreation department (MWR) sponsored a golf tournament at a course here in Djibouti called Golf Club de la Douda. I have no idea what “Douda” means, but given the condition of the course and the quantity of camel droppings there, I can hazard a guess. The tournament was a nine-hole, four-man scramble with a shotgun start. Four of us from the Communications Directorate got together and entered a team.

On the morning of the tournament, we boarded busses and arrived at a golf course in the Djiboutian desert (which is redundant), but the Phoenix Open this was not. The course was dry and dusty, with absolutely no grass on it whatsoever. There were these odd-looking trees and bushes all over the course that looked like overgrown bonsai trees, but with vicious one-inch thorns all over them. There were also deep ruts and crevasses all over the course that looked like they may have been created by water runoff once upon a time. Conditions were pretty rough.

Each team was issued one bag of golf clubs, some balls and a mat of Astroturf. With the aid of a map, we made our way out to our starting point on the third hole by walking directly out over the driving range, which is unheard of in the U.S. due to the obvious safety considerations. We later discovered that the landing area for the range is actually in play on the ninth hole. Not that this was a problem. The course wasn’t very crowded that morning. In fact, we were the only people there. Apparently, destitute Djiboutians don’t play a whole lot of golf.

The tee boxes for the course were actually small cement platforms with pieces of artificial turf embedded in them. A golf tee couldn't be used on these platforms, but after a hole or two I figured out that if you place the ball on the very corner of the Astroturf mat it makes a pretty fair substitute.
After hitting your drive we would go out and find our shots. Hopefully, it would land in the “fairway” which was just dust, sand and small rocks. The ball didn’t run very much. Where it landed was pretty much where it stayed. The good news was that it was impossible to hit the ball into the rough, because there was no rough.

To hit an approach shot, you would pick up your ball, put down the piece of Astroturf, place the ball on top of it and take your swing.

The “greens” were also unique. Obviously, there was no grass there. It takes water to grow grass and water is in very short supply. As you approach a green you notice that it’s just a large, dark brown patch on the ground and there was usually no flagstick. What they do to create a green (or should I say a “brown”) is soak the ground with oil in that area. It’s a bit like putting on a superfund site. Environmental concerns aren't a high priority here.

The oil kept the dust down and made the greens pretty fast because the sand and dust didn’t shift around as much under the ball, as it did in the fairways. Still, you had to contend with the footprints of people, camels and other critters, as well as the small rocks that are ubiquitous here. Chipping and putting skills were not as important as dumb luck.

After a couple of holes one of the locals offered to be our caddy. We paid him 1000 Djiboutian francs (about six bucks) and he did a fine job. He spoke very little English, but he worked very hard for us. He carried our clubs, shagged mis-hit balls and even applauded when one of us made a good shot. Once he saw how I set up my shots on the corner of the Astroturf mat, he would set up my ball for me. The guy was a great caddy.

The most interesting creature I’ve ever encountered on a golf course up to this point was an otter in a water hazard near Orlando. I’ve seen alligators too, but that’s not that unusual in Florida where I live. Yesterday, we spotted a gazelle grazing on the course.

The most remarkable events of the day came when our game was interrupted three times by locals leading caravans of camels and once by goat herders with a large flock. Now there’s something you don’t see every day at Augusta National.

We completed our nine-hole round, which was plenty because it was damned hot outside. We finished at around 9:30 AM and it was probably already pushing 100-degrees. If you look at the pictures, I was clearly soaked with sweat. It didn’t take much more exertion than getting off the bus to get that way.

We finished the day at one-over-par, which wasn’t enough to win. The important thing is that it was a once-in-a-lifetime golf experience. I’ll be talking about this round on the links back home for years to come.

The Deputy Communications Officer didn’t play in the tournament, but he was so intrigued by our photographs that he posted many of them out on the Web.

National Race for the Cure

On Saturday, June 3 Camp Lemonier will participate in the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation National Race for the Cure. We’re forming a team called “Djibouti Heat” that will be running a 5K (3.1 mile) race on that day all the way out here in the blistering summer heat of Djibouti. I have signed up to run in this race, along with many of my fellow Chief Petty Officers.

Djibouti Heat’s team goals are to get 150 participants and raise $6000. My personal goal is $250.00. If you would like to join the fight against breast cancer and help me reach my goal, please visit my personal National Race for the Cure web page and make a contribution.

No contribution is too small to make a difference.

As always, thank you for your support!

A Visit to USS Nassau (LHA-4)

A couple of weeks ago I had an opportunity to go on a mission aboard a Marine Corps CH-53 helicopter to one of our ships out at sea, the USS Nassau (LHA-4). We were supposed to fly out to the site where a couple of Marine Corps helicopters crashed back in February, then on to the ship. We were delayed on the ground for about an hour because of an electrical problem, so we skipped the first part of the mission and went straight out to sea.

Nassau is a Tarawa-class amphibious assault ship, the second largest class of ship in the Navy behind, of course, the aircraft carrier. Her mission is to support Marines during amphibious landings. She can launch and recover both helicopters and AV-8B Harrier V/STOL (vertical/short take off and landing) jets, as well as water-borne vehicles, like the LCAC air cushion landing craft.

We flew out over the brown, arid Djiboutian countryside. We passed over deserts with sparse vegetation and several ramshackle villages as we headed toward the ocean. The desert went right up to the coast where the land dropped off abruptly into the ocean. It wasn’t really a cliff, but there were no sandy beaches either.

We flew over what seemed to be miles of shallow, turquoise water, with sandbars clearly visible below the surface. The water finally turned a darker shade of blue as we moved out over deeper water.

We arrived at the ship and did two flybys, one of which is pictured here, taken from the rear of the helicopter. We landed on the flight deck and I was led inside the “island”, that is, the superstructure situated on the starboard side of the ship that rises above the flight deck.

I checked in with a young sailor inside and asked him where I could go to grab a bite to eat. I think he was a little concerned that I wouldn’t be able to find my way back. It’s easy to get lost on the inside of a large ship like Nassau, but I’ve spent a lot of time on ships, so I wasn’t too concerned. I quickly found the crew’s mess deck, which was pretty big. Unfortunately, as a Chief Petty Officer, I’m not supposed to eat there. We Chiefs have our own mess.

By a stroke of luck, one of the first people I ran into was the Command Master Chief Petty Officer, the senior enlisted leader on the entire ship. I stopped him and told him that I had about an hour and a half to kill while the pilot of my helo did his landing qualifications and that I wanted something to eat. He took me to the Chief’s Mess, where I grabbed a bite to eat, talked with some of my fellow Chiefs aboard Nassau and purchased a USS Nassau CPO Mess challenge coin as a souvenir. My fellow Chiefs aboard Nassau could not have been more hospitable.

I made my way back to the flight deck with plenty of time to spare. I snapped a few pictures of flight deck operations and got some great video from the back of the helo of us taking off and flying away from Nassau.

Cabbies on Khat

On those occasions when we’re granted off-base liberty, our only real option to get to downtown Djibouti (The capital and largest city in the nation of Djibouti is also called “Djibouti.” At times this can be confusing, but it’s easy to remember.) is to take a taxi. Just off the base is a parking lot where dozens of green and white cabs congregate, waiting to take American service members to bars, restaurants and shopping locations around the city.

Before I continue, let me tell you that driving in Djibouti is a bit of an adventure under the best of circumstances. I have passed the driver safety course here at Camp Lemonier. I am authorized to drive off base and have done so several times now. The roads are in very poor condition and have a lot of huge, crater-like potholes. There are no rules of the road in this country. There are lines painted on the roads and there are traffic signs, but they are strictly decorative. They have absolutely no meaning to drivers here. People have no problems driving in the wrong lane, passing under dangerous circumstances, speeding, running stop signs, etc. Most vehicles are pretty banged up and are often overloaded with people and possessions. (The photograph accompanying this entry will give you some idea.) From what I can tell, drivers here have absolutely no training. It’s not uncommon to see some hair-raising stuff, like these top-heavy vehicles coming directly at you from the other direction three abreast.

Drivers here are nuts.

Add to all of this the fact that you not only have to drive defensively against other drivers, but then throw in an assortment pedestrians, two-wheeled vehicles, goats, dogs and camels that need to be dodged and you have all the makings of a very wild ride.

(I’ve been wondering how many American tax dollars go toward compensating African owners for their goats, camels and other livestock that we’ve turned into road pizza.)

Hopefully, you now understand that driving in Djibouti is hazardous at best. Although, I don’t think I can really convey to you how bad it is within the space of this blog. Driving in Manhattan is a walk in the park by comparison.

Now back to the taxis.

I have taken exactly two cab rides since I’ve been here. One ride into town for dinner and some sightseeing and one ride back.

Leaving the base, the exterior of the cab had numerous dents, but was painted a bright, glossy green and white. (Evidently the outward appearance of these vehicles is pretty important. There’s a drought going on here and even though people in the Horn of Africa are dying of starvation and thirst, I’ve still seen guys out using precious water to wash their taxis.) The inside of the taxi was dirty and worn. Although people in Djibouti (generally) drive on the right side of the road, like we do in America, in this car the drivers side was located on the right, like it would be in Europe.

This taxi also did not have any seatbelts.

The cab driver drove like a maniac; speeding, weaving in and out of traffic, honking his horn, dodging stray goats.

It wasn’t until I went to pay him the fare of 1000 Djiboutian Francs (about six bucks) that I noticed the driver was chewing on a big green gob of cud.

Which brings me to the subject of khat (pronounced, “cot”).

Khat is a plant that is grown in East Africa. The leaves are chewed like tobacco to achieve a state of euphoria and stimulation. While it isn’t legal in a lot of countries, it is legal here in Djibouti and it’s extremely popular, especially among males. Those addicted to khat typically spend 50% - 60% of their annual income on this crap.

By the way, the average per capita income in Djibouti is US $840.

Early every afternoon, like clockwork, a plane arrives in Djibouti from Ethiopia, I believe, with the day’s supply of khat. I’ve heard it said that this flight is the only thing you can count on to be on time in this country. The drug is then sold at places like “Khat Corner”, a big distribution point in Djibouti not far from Camp Lemonier.

By mid-afternoon it seems like the whole country is high, including the cab drivers.

So add drug use (and not just the cabbies) to an already dangerous mix of unskilled drivers, poor road conditions, poorly maintained vehicles, no traffic rules and the occasional random goat and you have a recipe for disaster.

I don’t know for certain that khat was a factor in the accident that put one of my soldiers in the hospital (see previous post). I didn’t see the accident report and I don’t know who was at fault, the cab driver or the bus driver. If I had to bet money, however, I would bet that khat was a factor, just because its use is so widespread.

One cab ride was enough to tell me that the taxis here are dangerous. People are still going to use them to go on liberty, though. I can’t stop it. However, I’ve made it a point to repeatedly warn my people, and anybody else who will listen, not to get into a taxi where the driver appears to be chewing khat (or if they feel that it’s unsafe for ANY reason.)

Would YOU get into a cab where the driver is smoking a joint or swigging out of a bottle of whiskey?

* * * * *
I’ve been extremely busy since I’ve been here in Djibouti and I don’t get to post to this blog as often as I’d like, so please be patient. I’m getting backed up on stories (which, for security reasons, I post well after the fact), including a helicopter mission to one of our ships at sea and the day I met General John Abizaid, the Commander of United States Central Command.
I’ve got the pictures to prove it too!

Keep checking back.

Friends Don't Let Friends Ride in Djiboutian Taxis

There’s a strict three-beer limit throughout the CJTF-HOA area of responsibility (that’s “AOR” for those of you who are down with military acronyms.) That’s three beers, not three drinks. We're not authorized to consume anything greater than 26 proof (13% alcohol), so three glasses of wine are okay, but we can't consume even one drink containing distilled spirits. Now, when I tell you that this applies throughout the AOR, that doesn't mean just within the confines of Camp LeMonier. That means anywhere in Djibouti, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Sudan, Kenya, Uganda, the Seychelle Islands, Somalia and Yemen.

Three beers, no mas.

There’s a perfectly good reason this rule is in place, of course. We're in a volatile and potentially dangerous part of the world and our leadership wants us to keep our wits about us when we’re outside the wire (or inside the wire for that matter.)

It’s worth noting that you could go to the cantina here at the camp and buy three beers at $1.50 a piece. Each beer is a 16-ounce tall boy and German beers are available, like Kronenbourg 1664 and something with an unpronounceable German name that we affectionately refer to as “Drunk Monk” because it has a picture of a monk hoisting a cold one on the label. These German beers have higher alcohol contents than their American counterparts, so you can down three Drunk Monks and head back to your hooch (tent) feeling pretty good. Especially if, like me, you haven’t been drinking much and have been spending a lot of time on the running trail, playing volleyball or doing some other form of PT (physical training.)

So this rule works well for me, personally. For a lot of the younger troops…not so much.

Leadership is able to control consumption here on the base pretty well, but we're unusual among OEF/OIF theaters in that we actually get liberty off base here from time to time. Many of these young men and women will overindulge in demon rum when they get to downtown Djibouti.
This happened to two of my young guys who work for me recently and things ended very, very badly.

These two young men, a soldier and a sailor, were on liberty in downtown Djibouti and were apparently making the rounds of the bars. The sailor had just spent about six weeks at a remote site in Ethiopia and it was his first night of liberty since before he left, so he and his liberty buddy overindulged in a pretty big way. They decided to return to the camp in one of the many green and white taxicabs that you see around the city.

This turned out to be a bad move.

I was sound asleep in my rack (bed), when one of my other soldiers, a Staff Sergeant, woke me up to tell me that there had been an accident and that my presence was requested in the JOC (Joint Operations Center). I learned that their taxi had been t-boned by a bus and that the soldier was in a local French hospital in a medically induced coma.

He was pretty badly hurt. He had internal injuries and bleeding, a collapsed lung, a head injury of as yet unknown severity, and he'll require some reconstructive surgery to his face. We’ve since found out that he might have a couple of fractures in his spine. The French doctors did an outstanding job treating him. As soon as he was stabilized we MEDEVACed him to Germany on a C-130. He’s since been moved to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. He seems to be doing well, I understand he’s been moved out of ICU, but he’s got a LOT of rehab ahead of him.

The sailor was much luckier. He was banged up a bit, but got away with a black eye and some bruises. He got in some pretty big trouble for disobeying a standing order from a two-star general, though.

I don’t know the fate of the cab driver.

This has been a difficult and emotional experience for everyone who knows these two young men. They’re really good at their jobs and they're just great kids.

I’m not going to try to defend their actions with regard to drinking. They knew the rules, they broke them and they got caught.

However, the young soldier who works for me is not in the hospital right now because he was drinking. He’s there because he got into the wrong taxicab.

I’ll tell you about the dangers of getting into a Djiboutian taxi and about the evils of a substance called “khat” in my next post.

Stay tuned.

Supplies Needed for Girls Orphanage

I just received an e-mail from a Navy Petty Officer here at the camp who works with the girls orphanage here in Djibouti and she provided a list of items that the orphanage is in need of. Here's the list, pretty much as I received it (I don't even know what a couple of these items are.)

• First Aid Supplies and Medicine
• Betadyne
• Spasfon-Lyoc (I think this is some kind of French medical...uhh...stuff.)
• Erythromycin Ointment
• Children's Cough Syrup
• Ear Ointment/Medicine
• Cotton Balls
• Medical Tape & Gauzes
• Medicine for the treatment of spasmodic pain, intestine, bladder, binary tract and oral uterus. (It's probably a good idea to ignore any of these that are prescription meds.)
• Eye Drops
• Eye Cream
• Cold Sore Medicine
• Tetracycline
• Ibuprofen
• Headache/Fever Medicine
• Ziploc Bags (All Sizes)
• Tupperware Containers
• Scissors
• Pot and Pans (Small and Medium)
• Burners (They only have a single burner to cook on and would like a double one
• Calculators
• Shoes (Tennis Shoes)
• Plates and Eating Utensils
• Formula and Baby Foods
• Shampoo
• Soap
• Towels
• Clothes
• Combs (Also Hair Styling Books)
• Deodorants
• Creams
• Feminine Products
• Bras (Sport / Regular / Training)
• Laundry Detergent

Once again, you can send these items directly to the Chaplain’s Office at:

Chaplain’s Office
CJTF-HOA
Camp Lemonier, Djibouti
APO AE 09363

You can also send them to me and I will pass them along:

ITC(SW) Walsh, Kevin R.
CJTF-HOA / J6 MCP
Camp Lemonier, Djibouti
APO AE 09363

Just make sure you specify somewhere on or in the package that the package is intended for the girl's orphanage.

Thanks!

Fighting Terrorism with Care Packages

A number of people have asked me about sending care packages and if there is anything I specifically want or need. Thank you all very, very much for your kind and generous offers.

While there isn’t much that I personally want or need, I would like to give anybody who is interested an opportunity to support the men and women of our armed forces and to also actually do something that will help America win the war on terrorism.

I’ll talk more about beating back the terrorist scourge in a minute. First…supporting the troops.

There are about 16 really outstanding Sailors, Soldiers and Airmen (no Marines at the moment) who work for me, plus two young officers that I report to directly. I would like nothing better than to distribute care package items to these fine Americans.

If you would like to send a care package, here are some ideas (in no particular order):

• Pre-paid phone cards
• Cookies and baked goods
• Candy that won’t melt (Jolly Ranchers and other hard candies, Starbursts, jelly beans, gummy bears, Tootsie Rolls, lollipops, Life Savers, etc.)
• Chewing/bubble gum
• Breath mints, Tic Tacs, etc.
• Seeds & nuts (pistachios, cashews, pumpkin seeds, peanuts, sunflower seeds, almonds, etc.)
• Trail mix & dried fruit (raisins, dried cranberries, dried cherries, etc.)
• Beef jerky, pepperoni, Slim Jims, etc.
• Pop top cans of fruit or puddings
• Crackers & canned cheese, cheese crackers, etc.
• Salty snacks. (Small bags of chips, cans of Pringles, pretzels, etc.)
• Ramen noodles and similar soup cups
• Granola bars
• Pop Tarts
• Power Bars
• Those freezer pops that are like Kool-Aid in a clear, sealed plastic tube. I don’t remember what they’re called, but you can buy them as a liquid and then freeze them yourself. You know what I'm talking about. They've been around forever.
• Microwave popcorn
• Powdered drink mixes, like Kool-Aid, Gatorade, lemonade, iced tea, etc. (People mix it in the bottled water around here.)
• Seasonings (salt, pepper, hot sauce, garlic/onion powder, Mrs. Dash, etc.)
• Hand sanitizer & hand sanitizing wipes. (Africa is a continent-sized Petri dish, so we use this stuff constantly. The 2 oz. bottles are perfect for carrying in a cargo pocket, and wipes are even better the larger bottles are useful too.)
• DVD movies, UMD movies (for PSP), music CDs, Video Games (PS2, Xbox, PSP, PC), etc. (Used ones are fine.)
• Books
• Magazines (Computers, Video Games, Sports, Fitness, News, Men’s, Women’s, Entertainment, Music, Popular Science, National Geographic…whatever)
• Comic books
• Crossword & Sudoku puzzle books
• Non-medicated eye drops
• Lip balm
• Sun block
• Hygiene Items (male and female)
• Deodorant sticks
• Soap (bar or liquid)
• Toothbrushes & toothpaste
• Dental floss
• Razor blades & disposable razors
• Shaving cream & gel
• Anti-fungal foot powder
• Baby powder
• Gold Bond medicated powder
• Mouthwash
• Moisturizer
• Cotton swabs (also useful for cleaning an M-16)
• Wet-Naps and unscented baby wipes
• Board games, playing cards, poker chips, dice, Hoyle’s Guide to Games, etc.
• Batteries (AA & AAA especially, but also D)
• Fly swatters
• Sewing kits
• Disposable cameras
• Dryer sheets
• Motrin, Aleve, Advil, aspirin, etc.
• Tissue packets
• Multivitamins
• Air fresheners
• Canned compressed air (dust gets into everything here)
• Shoe / sneaker / combat boot deodorizer
• Sunday comics & hometown newspapers
• Pictures from home, drawings from children, etc.

What NOT to send (keeping in mind that Djibouti is a Muslim country):

• Anything that melts or that will be adversely affected by extreme heat or a shipping time of up to two weeks. Our heat index will soon be well into triple digits. If you must send chocolate, send M&Ms or something like that.
• Anything requiring refrigeration
• Pornography (even soft core, like Playboy)
• Liquor
• Religious paraphernalia
• Anything pressurized
• Anything flammable
• Weapons
• Pumpkins and other produce (Long story…)

This list gives you a lot of ideas, but it’s by no means comprehensive.

Consider that I have both men AND women working for me here. They come from places like Boston, Alabama, Chicago and even some places that don’t have bands named after them, like Wyoming. They are a diverse group from different races, religions and backgrounds. Almost all of them are in their twenties. They almost universally love computers, video games, movies, Family Guy, music (rock, metal, hip-hop, country or whatever) and sports among other things. Some of my guys have a regular Dungeons and Dragons game in our tent after hours. They’re young people and they like young-people stuff.

So, what can YOU do to combat terrorism? This is the big one.

I am very proud to say that Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa is really doing effective work in the war against terrorism. We are engaged in a battle for the hearts and minds of the people in this region. Sure, we’ve got military operations going on, but we are strongly encouraged as individuals to go out and participate in community service projects, like orphanage visits, English language discussion groups with students, building projects and medical and veterinary assistance projects.

The Chaplain’s Office here at Camp Lemonier collects clothing, toys, school supplies, baby items and other articles to distribute to the many underprivileged people in this region of Africa. You can make a difference in the war on terrorism by sending items specifically for these people.

Here’s what we need:

• Shoes, flip-flops and leather sandals (Badly needed. All sizes, children and adult)
• Clothing (all sizes, children and adult)
• School supplies
• Coloring books
• Crayons
• Personal hygiene items
• Basic medical supplies
• Cloth diapers
• Baby bottles
• Soccer balls
• Basketballs
• Volleyballs
• Unscented baby wipes
• Blankets
• Toys (non-battery powered, nothing elaborate)

It’s okay to give used items, but please make sure all items are clean and in good repair.

Again, please let common sense be your guide. Djibouti is a Muslim country, so a Miss Piggy doll (i.e., a pig), would probably be considered offensive. Avoid donating clothing that makes a political or religious statement. No alcohol, tobacco, pornography, religious paraphernalia, etc.

You know the drill.

You can send a care package specifically for the people in the Horn of Africa or you can throw some items for them into a care package for the troops here in Camp Lemonier and we’ll make sure they get to the Chaplain’s Office for distribution.

The address to send a package to the Chaplain’s Office is:

Chaplain’s Office
CJTF-HOA
Camp Lemonier, Djibouti
APO AE 09363

To send a package to the service members in my shop the address is:

ITC(SW) Walsh, Kevin R.
CJTF-HOA / J6 MCP
Camp Lemonier, Djibouti
APO AE 09363

Remember, supporting the troops means more than just sporting a yellow ribbon bumper magnet on your car. Consider giving your time and financial support to fine organizations like the USO, the American Red Cross, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America or any one of a thousand other organizations that help our troops, our veterans and their families in ways that range from lobbying Congress to collecting phone cards and frequent flyer miles for the men and women overseas (I’ll be happy to post a list of organizations if anybody is interested.)

By the way, not that I need the calories, but I really do love oatmeal-raisin cookies, Jelly Belly jellybeans (Starburst jellybeans are excellent too) and Good and Plenty licorice candy.

Thanks for your support!

Life at Camp Lemonier

Okay, so I know I’ve been a bit slow about getting these posts up, but I’m still getting oriented and up to speed on my job, which is pretty challenging.

Let me tell you a little bit about life around Camp Lemonier. First of all, I live in a large tent (pictured) with 15 other guys. Since I’m a senior enlisted man, I have my own personal space that’s curtained off from everybody else, with plywood walls separating me from the guys on either side. It’s about 8’ x 8’ in size and holds a twin bed, a couple of stand-up lockers, a footlocker and a folding camp chair that I bought at the PX.

It’s a bit like living in a college dorm, where you make the place as comfortable as possible with cheap, disposable items. I’ve also scavenged what I could from the people who’ve left since I’ve been here. They usually leave something useful behind, like a spare locker, a rug or a second mattress.

I’ve made my space pretty comfortable already, although I could use a decent reading lamp. I purchased a small oscillating fan at the PX, but it runs on 220-volt AC, which is what Djibouti is wired for. Most tents here are also wired for 220 and you need to buy transformers and adapters to American electrical gear to work. My tent is one of the few that is already wired for 110, which is good, except that my new fan doesn’t work properly. DOH!!!

If I want to take a shower or use the head in the middle of the night, I have to walk about 100 yards or so over very coarse gravel. There are actual toilets, sinks and showers in these facilities. You have to use chemical toilets at most other places around the camp.

We are required to take “Navy showers” to conserve water. Wet down for 30 seconds, lather up, and then rinse off for 2 ½ minutes. The water in the showers is good for washing, but not for drinking. In fact, since I’ve been here I haven’t had a drink of water that hasn’t come out of a bottle. They even keep cases of bottled water in the bathrooms to use when brushing your teeth. You have to rinse and spit from the bottle. You rinse your toothbrush off from the bottle also.

While I’m on the subject of bottled water, there are large coolers all over the base that are filled with ice and bottled water at all times because of the extreme heat here. We are encouraged to drink water constantly. You can grab an ice-cold bottle of water every couple of hundred feet or so around here, if you want.

The food is really quite good. There are usually about four entrees to choose from on the main line, a grill for hamburgers, cheesesteaks and the like, a sandwich bar, a salad bar, a fruit bar, a snack bar (cookies, candy bars, etc.), hot dogs, hand-dipped ice cream and ice cream bars (like Heath Bar Klondikes…mmm!) and all manner of beverages.

I’ve done a pretty good job of resisting temptation here (although those damned Klondike bars keep tripping me up!). I’ve been eating a lot of fish, chicken and salad. Every Sunday I cut myself a little slack and pig out a bit. Why on Sundays, you ask? Because Sunday night is steak and lobster night!
No kidding! We get steak and lobster almost every Sunday night. I told you they feed us pretty well here. Nothing keeps morale up like good food.

Fortunately, I’ve been able to keep up my running. There’s a five-mile running trail here that’s just outside the wire. I’ve been out running on it about five or six times. The first day I ran the course I saw about five or six wild camels grazing no more than 30 yards away from me.

I usually go the whole distance of the course, even if I have to stop and walk part of it, although I did run 4 ½ out of the five miles a few days ago. I got a late start and as I was running, the sun went down. As I was on the long final stretch, it was pretty dark and I thought I saw a small shadow cross the trail ahead of me, about the size of, say, a hyena…or a wild dog...here...in Africa...Yikes!

Needless to say, it was very motivating, so I kept running.

More later.

My First Pic From Downrange

A number of people have asked for a picture from here. I've been taking quite a few, but I haven' t had many taken with me in them. Today one of my guys wanted a picture taken to send home and I helped him out, then I handed him the camera and had him take a couple of me, so here you go...

Greetings from Djibouti!

So, where the hell is Djibouti?

Good question. Don’t feel bad if you don’t know. I didn’t know either…and I thought my knowledge of geography was pretty good. I blew the dust off my atlas and discovered that Djibouti is a tiny nation in the horn of Africa, about the size of Massachusetts. It’s located on the Gulf of Aden, just below the Red Sea. It's bordered by Eritrea to the north, Ethiopia to the west and the failed state of Somalia to the south.

My name is Kevin Walsh. I’m a Chief Petty Officer in the United States Navy Reserve and have been mobilized in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. I will be spending a year assigned to Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), which is a component of United States Central Command (CENTCOM). Visit the CTJF-HOA and CENTCOM websites to read more about the outstanding work our military is doing in this region of the world.

I started this blog to share some of my experiences with anyone who cares to read about them. I'm sure there will be many interesting stories to tell, but for operational security reasons I'm going to steer clear of discussions about my job and military operations.

I left my home in Tallahassee, Florida in early January and I finally arrived in Djibouti about a week ago. A lot has happened in that period and I’ll go back and talk about some of it as time goes on. I don’t want my first entry to be too long, so I’ll just give you a bit about the trip here.

It took about 28 hours to get from Norfolk, Virginia to Djibouti and included a refueling stop in Keflavik, Iceland. I spent the entire month of June 2005 in Keflavik. It’s one of my favorite places, but unfortunately it was the wee hours of the morning and they wouldn’t let us off the plane. It was cold, dark, windy and raining anyway.

We went on to Naples, Italy for another stop. We were on the ground at Naval Support Activity, Capodichino for about six hours because of a delay in Djibouti. We were allowed to get off the plane and walk around, so I grabbed a cup of cappuccino, strolled around the base a little and went to the top deck of a parking garage to snap a couple of pictures of Mt. Vesuvius, which erupted in 79 C.E. and buried the ancient city of Pompeii. None of these activities took much time, so there was quite a bit of waiting around the air terminal.

We finally completed the last leg of our journey, landing in Djibouti around 11:00 PM. It was warm and comfortable outside on the tarmac. Temperatures were in the 70’s. Very different from the chill and snow flurries we experienced in Norfolk. The air was very smoky. It seems the locals burn their trash at night. A small bus arrived to take us on the short, but slow (and bumpy) ride to Camp Lemonier, my home for the next year. We gathered on a basketball court to claim our gear and begin in-processing. I finally got situated in my tent and went to bed at about 4:00 AM, Djibouti time.