Going Home

And just like that it's all done.  Hopefully this blog will remain a way to learn a thing or two about Djibouti for those of you lucky enough to find yourselves with orders there.  Au revoir!

Demobilization

Demob goes pretty quickly but, in my opinion, not quickly enough.  It's mostly VA and transistion assistance briefs, turn in gear, and do the medical and admin stuff.  The briefs are what get me the most.  They are given by a lot of very nice people doing a very important job... but I really don't want any employment advice or PTSD counseling.  I just want to get on a plane bound to Seattle.

New Things at the DPC

Some new points that need to be mentioned:  1) The DPC now has its own billeting.  Open squad bay for O-5 and below.  (Also, the per diem rate is now 'at government cost' instead of standard M&IE rates.  Enjoy the chow hall.)  2) Only 14 days of terminal leave allowed, the rest is sold back.

Freedom Bird

In a few hours I'm getting on a plane and flying back to the DPC at Camp Lejeune.  It's been an amazing year but it's time to go.

Easy As Pie

The redeployment process is much, much, much easier than the deployment process.  You tell your service component admin shop when your orders are ending (they know this already of course) and then they handle all the travel arrangements.  You end up back where you came from and go through whatever rigamarole they have for you and then you're done.

I have ten days and a wake up.

Redeployment

One year ago today I arrived in Djibouti.  I should be leaving next month but the final date isn't set.  Redeployment is not nearly as complicated as getting over here in the first place. At some point towards the end of your tour you will likely get an email from whoever is supposed to be replacing you.  That begins your turnover, probably very much like you did before you got here.  The rest is Admin Magic.  There will be some kind of service component admin shop that will start the process of booking your flight out of here and most of that is invisible to you.  Over the next month I'll hit the high points and provide tips on what to expect.

Stuttgart Schlossplatz

If you find yourself in Stuttgart with an evening free, you should go downtown to the Schlossplatz.  It's all there; shopping, museums, or just laying down in the park.

A Helpful Tip

Many people around here hang their sweaty PT gear outside their CLU so it can dry off.  This is a brilliant idea until a windstorm comes along and your T-shirt ends up in Somalia.

R&R

Since I am currently in Seattle on R&R, I should describe the process.  If you take a one year deployment overseas to a combat zone (which Djibouti laughingly is) you rate a government funded ticket home for two weeks of leave.  Your travel days do not count as leave; be prepared for 40+ hours of travel to get anywhere in the United States.

The process is pretty simple but the trick is to plan early.  The Army is in charge of the R&R program and they need 30 days to work the system and produce a plane ticket.  There is a packet of paperwork that they need: leave request which is approved through your service chain of command, copy of orders showing that you expect to be in theatre for at least 270 days, safety brief that you get from your work section, and maybe one other stupid thing that I can't remember right now.  The difficult part used to be the safety brief because it was only scheduled a couple times a month and always at the most inconvenient times.  That responsibility has now been handed down to the sections.  So it's much easier to grab the poor unfortunate soul who's been shoveled that particular collateral duty and make him or her run through the brief at lightning speed so you can all get on to more important things.

Anyhow, two weeks back home is a good thing.  In addition, I'm going to have a nine hour layover in London on the way back.  Looking forward to running out and having a pint.

What Happens With Chocolate

Since there is no way to avoid the care package that will be sent to you I should tell you what happens to chocolate.  I've discovered that Nestlé foil wrapped eggs hold their shape remarkably well.  So do Snickers mini size candy bars.  Less effective are Mounds and Almond Joy.  And Reese's Peanut Butter Cups will mold themselves into the shape of whatever they happen to be packed next to.  Spread the word.

One Hundred Ten Degrees

Let the record show that today, 27 May 2011, was the first day of the year that the thermometer passed (yeah, I said passed) 110°F here at Camp Lemonnier.

Halfway Home

A few days ago I hit the halfway mark on my time here.  It's been a little weird lately, seeing people that got here after me announcing that their replacement has arrived.  But that's what happens with a year tour.  I can definitely say that what someone told me early on is true: The days drag but the weeks fly by.  I think that's mostly because the days seem to blend into one another and you lose track of them, only to be punctuated by a Sunday off.

We have a new Admiral now, the previous one has taken a post in Germany and the current one has come over from CENTCOM.  It will take some adjustments on the staff's part to figure out what the new boss wants and what is important to him.  So that is the exciting part of May.  June surely has more excitement just around the bend waiting for us.

One Hundred Degrees

Let the record show that yesterday, 30 April 2011, was the first day of the year that it hit 100° here at Camp Lemonnier.

More Pictures of Camp Lemonnier

 Above is the turf field where everyone seems to be shocked and amazed that 90% percent of our sports related injuries happen.  In the background is the new fitness facility that's half built because only then did someone figure out that the contractor was not following the proper seismic construction guidelines.

 And we have another shot of CLUville and a gravel road, looking east from the turf field.

 This place needs to get some kind of award for clever use of shipping containers.  To the right is the free laundry service.  At my back is the MWR building that has a phone bank, big screen TV room and a library/game room.  The 'library' is about five or six shelves of paperbacks that hold a disturbing amount of cheap romances.  I think someone just boxed up some random shelves from a local Goodwill and sent them over.

This is the brand new chow hall that I'm pretty sure will never actually be finished.  It's looked just like this for five months.

Camp Lemonnier Update

This place changes so often I should give a quick update.  I was told when I got here that the camp was one big never ending construction project.  Since then, we've got a new wastewater treatment facility, which you don't care about except that there are no more threats to shut down the self serve laundry sites.  We've got a new electric grid with bigger generators, which you don't care about except that the power doesn't mysteriously shut off for no particular reason anymore.  I think I mentioned commercial internet in all the CLUs is now available and it's pretty good but not what anyone would call cheap.  30 to 45 bucks a month depending on the bandwidth you want.  The most interesting improvement that will save you time and effort (which is a big bonus in the upcoming hot months) is the new barber shop and expanded PX mini-mart down in CLUville.  The gaggle of people in my way when I go to get a haircut now should be reduced.  That's a very good thing.

You Just Gotta Love Blowing Stuff Up

This is what two Chevy Tahoes look like after EOD gets through with them.  Just in case you ever wanted to know.

Ninety Degrees

Let the record show that Wednesday, March 23rd, was the first day of the year that the thermometer hit 90°F.  My interpreter tells me this is actually a little late.

CJTF-HOA

Since before I got here there was something that was really bugging me and I was shocked that no one was fixing it.  CJTF-HOA's Wiki page was all jacked up by someone who clearly was sabotaging the information there.  Well, I finally took it upon myself to fix the mistakes and reorganize the first few paragraphs.  Gone are the references to promoting tourism.  Gone is the joke about the J-9's huge sign being the most impressive and valuable structure aboard Camp Lemonnier.  (Although I have to say, the thing is godawful ostentatious.)

So, although I am not much of a Wikipedia maestro, the refurbished page can be found here.

Lorraine American Cemetary, Saint-Avold, France

If you ever find yourself over here with some time available, you should go.

West End CLU

Although they're beginning to look a bit dumpy on the outside, the West End CLUs are a much better deal than the double occupancy dry CLUs at the other end of camp.  Field grade officers rate their own room with personal latrine.  They're about 9 feet across and twenty long with bed, desk and wardrobe.  Mine also has a base phone and a small TV but only a couple of AFN channels come through.  Commercial internet is wired directly in.  The previous occupant left a couple of those white plastic storage systems but I'm not sure I'll ever accumulate enough stuff to fill them.  (I came with four bags and I'm leaving with four bags.)  The bathroom is small and functional with some space next to the shower to cram a seabag full of field gear.  The A/C seems a touch on the small side and I've yet to see how it handles 110 degree weather.  Added bonus: The laundry and chow hall are right across the road and the movie house, gym, and PX are about a hundred yards away.  I've heard tell of some officers staying on the waiting list for four months before moving in here. My wait time was about two and a half months.

(Oh, and the blanket is provided by the base, I didn't pick that dreadful thing out.)

As the Deployment Progresses

There's an interesting thing that happens over here at about the two to three month mark.  People start coming up to you and asking for help on certain projects or advice on a certain idea.  It's a puzzling phenomenon because I still feel like I'm trying to figure out my job and I'm being asked to assist on others.  The constant churn of personnel means that it doesn't take long for you to be The Guy Who Knows the Most About Something.  Odd, but that's life on the tip of the spear.

VISA Is Not Everywhere You Want To Go

I found this out in downtown Stuttgart when I was hungry and only had enough euros to pay the parking garage.  I had to go to four different restaurants before I found one that took VISA.  Most of them take something called an EC card and I really don't want another credit card, and a foreign one at that, just for a couple of days in Germany.  Anyhow, if you end up in Stuttgart, you definitely want to go to the old Wurtemburg palace and Schlossplatz.  It has culture oozing out of every orifice.  And great shopping too.

Stuttgart

If you wind up at CJTF-HOA and you're on the J-staff somewhere, it is likely that you will end up going to AFRICOM HQ for one reason or another.  Here are some observations.  First, you will definitely have to fly overnight and end up in Germany the next morning so remember to figure that into your scheduling.  Second, you should have no problem reserving a rental car in Stuttgart.  I chose Hertz; Avis is right next to it.  Driving in Germany is not really difficult and if you're here for just a short period you don't have to worry about anything other than having a valid U.S. license.  Do what you can to study up on how the right-of-way is handled because that's the only thing I had trouble with.  Third, you may be tempted to stay at the Kelley Hotel because it is a couple hundred yards from the AFRICOM buildings.  Don't.  I'm sure the hotel is great but the Panzer Hotel is aboard Panzer Kaserne and the base facilities here are so much better than Kelley Barracks.  Both are part of the Army Lodging system and are the first places you're required to stay when on orders.  Panzer is about a fifteen minute drive to Kelley and is worth the effort.  Fourth, make sure you plan enough time to get an access badge, which means making sure that your clearance info has been sent before you leave HOA.

Djibouti Airport

It's nice to know that despite looking like it was built in the 1970's and hasn't seen a lick of maintenance since then, they're at least trying to run a respectable establishment.

A Tip On Packing

If you're coming out here and there's even the remotest chance that you might be going to Europe on official travel remember that while this place is always hot, Europe gets quite cold in the winter.  Moral of the story:  Do not put your camouflage rain parka on the bottom of your seabag.

We Just BLUF

I'm not exactly sure how this particular bit of lingo worked its way into the U.S. military lexicon but I think it should be destroyed, and destroyed quickly.

When briefing a senior officer it has become vogue to put the Bottom Line Up Front, labeled BLUF, on your first slide and then use the rest of you brief to back it up.  Because when you get through with a brief the commander knows there's really only one important point you want to make.  So by putting it up front you tell him what to expect by the time you get to the end.

Good in theory?  Maybe.  In practice?  This is just stupid.  (If I want to bluff the commander, I'm certainly not going to make it that easy for him to see...  I want him to work for it.)

What I see far too often is an officer that goes on and on, repeating himself along the way, only to get to the end of his brief to announce what the BLUF is (which, as you will note, is no longer up front) and then that BLUF is actually a longer summation of what he just repeated.

It makes you want to drive long, sharp objects into your eyeballs at a high rate of speed.

Travel

In all my days as a Marine, I've never quite seen a system of official military travel like this.  Usually if there's some kind of training or conference you're supposed to go to the admin shop will get you set up for it.  Here it's a little different.  You have a couple of web based processes to go through but you essentially write your own orders. If you can route the travel request through your supervisor and he or she buys off on it, away you go.  I've also never seen conferences, like the one in Germany I'm soon to go to, that don't have some kind of official attendee list and travel instructions and such.  I guess I just get off the plane in Stuttgart and meander on over to conference.  Strange.

The Laundry

I should tell you about the laundry situation here.  There are containers with free self service laundry machines as part of every block in CLUville.  So you can spend hours of your time every week doing your own laundry.  Or you can walk over to one of two full service laundry drop off points and have someone else do it for you.  CLUville has it's own drop off/pick up point and there's a bigger one up by the PX.  Turn your laundry in and pick it up two days later.  That's a good deal.  It's also free and they do a good job; I've never lost anything and if I came up short by a couple of socks, I wouldn't really care anyway.  With the long work days, I can't see why anyone would want to bother with doing their own.