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.