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.