My CLU - E110

This is where I sleep (front bunk). It is called a Container Living Unit or CLU.

Camp Lemonier has rows and rows of these. Hopefully I will be able to move into a "wet" unit- one that has a connecting bathroom.

CLUville

Here is a better view of my neighborhood. The rows and rows of Container Living Units are collectively nicknamed "CLUville". Block B has some nice plants, my block E does not.

Snorkel Trip to Mouscha Island

A couple of female work colleagues had organized a chartered boat trip to Mouscha Island for some snorkeling and sunbathing. The trip cost 7000 Djiboutian Francs. I bought $100 worth of Djiboutian Francs and received 17750 DJF ($1 = 177 DJF). The group left at 0845 and arrived with time to spare in front of the Djibouti Naval Base. Our charter arrived at a floating dock and picked us up. The ride over to the Island took about 20 minutes and soon we were a world away lying down on lounge chairs catching up on sleep and reading, etc.

Around 11:00 am I went snorkeling in the cove and enjoyed seeing some tropical fish and long stands of seaweed. At 13:00 lunch was served - a small salad and cold pizza followed by a beef dish in tomato sauce with some mushy peas and saffron rice. I had some water and coffee to go with it. A piece of pie (apple?) was served for desert.

After some exploring, reading and sleeping, we headed back at 17:00. Back for a hot shower and a good night's sleep.

Christmas Day

Merry Christmas everyone!

This is Manger Scene outside the Chapel.

Midnight Mass

Midnight Mass was held in an open-air basketball court called the "Thunderdome". The Roman Catholic chaplain is in the Reserve and has been in Djibouti only two weeks longer than I have. His home parish is in Buffalo, NY.

Extended Layover in Rota, Spain

Our Navy Rotator commercial charter flight left Norfolk on Sunday, 19 Dec at 22:35 and arrived in Rota, Spain ~12:00. Due to the severe winter storms impacting Northern Europe the relief flight crew was delayed in Germany. Omni Air International booked everyone a room at a 4-star hotel in Rota with lunch and dinner buffets included. We all had time to sleep and have a shower or bath. We left the hotel at 04:00 and the flight resumed at 07:30.

The Hotel had a wonderful display of the Holy Family. It is a Spanish business tradition to display the Christmas Manger in great detail. There are vendors all over Madrid's Plaza Major selling Christmas Display materials.

The plane landed at NAS Sigonella around 11:30 and had a normal 2-hour ground stop. The next leg was to Bahrain where we landed at 21:00 and after another 2-hour ground stop we took off for Djibouti.

Camp McCrady - Convoy Training

Our last exercise before heading overseas. Another very early start to get to the range. While waiting to do the actual convoy exercise our group gets instructions on conducting a "Sand Table"

mission rehearsal, followed by instruction on counter-IED (Improvised Explosive Device) electronic equipment, followed by a walk through what is euphemistically called the "Petting Zoo" - a series of stations featuring different types of IEDs (victim actuated, command actuated, suicide bomber, etc.). Out last set of instructions before our convoy exercise started covered manning a checkpoint and training on searching people and vehicles. For the exercise I was the Truck Commander of the lead vehicle. We simulated encountering an IED that knocked me unconscious and injured my ear. The final exam would be the next day and we would then just have to turn in our loner weapons and clean the barracks.

Camp McCrady - Buddy Carries

Because our group was not able to finish the first-aid training from yesterday, we started first thiung in the morning and resumed the first aid class. The Drill Instructors wanted to get everyone motivated so the class mustered outside to have series of relays practicing various combat buddy carries - fireman's lift, piggy-back lift, and two-man seated carry. This was lot's of fun but also quite tiring carrying someone who weighs as much or maybe more than you do.

Camp McCrady - Drill Instructors & Chow

Camp McCrady has its own Dining Facility, known as the DFAC to the Army and known as the Galley to the Navy. The food was served fast to accommodate so many people in training.

The Drill Instructors were all excellent - patient and knowledgeable, and humorous as well. They liked training us Navy guys.

Camp McCrady - Heavy Weapons Familiarization

Another wicked cold morning spent freezing our asses of in the bleachers as we waited for the range to open up - operators, ammunition, etc. Time we felt could have been better spent getting more sleep. However, since this range was named the Bastogne Range, and knowing that Bastogne was surrounded in Battle of the Bulge in December 1944, I felt I would stop complaining and be thankful I am not deploying to a real combat zone.

The actual amount of firing was limited to a couple of short bursts with each weapon - the 50mm caliber Heavy Machine Gun, and two types of 30mm caliber Squad Automatic Weapons. Aimed my shots at an Armored Personnel Carrier located about 800m downrange. The Drill Instructors encouraged folks to yell out "motivational" sayings as one fired the 50 cal HMG. One woman in front of me yelled "Its Plastic, its not Recyclable!" Another guy yelled "Yeahaw, Jester's Dead!" recalling a famous line from the movie Top Gun. Not having anything particularly pithy in mind, I just yelled out a line from a bumper sticker I once saw that is meant to offend everyone - something about Nukes, Whales, etc.

Camp McCrady - Reflex Fire & Stress Test Range

This day was dedicated to qualifying in the reflexive fire discipline - close range, quick reaction shooting. The second part of the training was a simulated, high stress shoot where the Drill Instructors would yell and keep you unverved all while you ere trying to shoot at targets from different firing positions - standing, kneeling, and lying (prone) on the ground. One had to run to each station and conduct an ammo reload during the exercise. Each person starts from inside a Humvee and the fun begins!

My Short Haircut

My hair started getting itchy under the helmet and so I got a haircut. Needless to say the barber went to town and gave me the shortest haircut I have had in my life. My lack of sleep is beginning to take its toll. Very dry and dusty air.

I hope I can qualify on the M-16. I have qualified on the M-9 pistol and that is enough for my billet in Africa.

Camp McCrady - 9mm Qualification

As an officer deploying to Djibouti, I am required to qualify with the 9mm pistol. The qualification range starts back at 25m. The qualifier needs to jog in place for 2 minutes to get their heart rate up then the shooting sequence begins - Shots from Standing position (braced against a post), prone or lying down on your belly, crouching stance looking through a window frame, kneeling stance behind a barrier and then a final point-blank shot from 3m away. In between there is two ammo reloads. The process is repeated. The weather again was very cold, but once we got going the adrenaline kicks in. Luckily I qualified at the middle Sharp-Shooter level.

Camp McCrady - M16 Firing Range with IBA

An earlier morning start ~04:30 wake up, 05:30 breakfast, 0600 board buses. Arrive at firing range ~06:30, sit in the cold for about an hour then receive a safety brief and then the training really begins. While one group is shooting the other groups are waiting to shoot or receive Chemical/Biological/Radiation suit training. Lunch time consists of Meals Ready to Eat (MREs) standing up.

"Battle Rattle"

We spent the day at Ft Jackson picking up 3 more Seabags of gear - the worst being the Individual Body Armor (IBA).

The vest contains Kevlar lined metal plates and is very heavy. If it does not fit right it begins to wear down your neck and shoulders. For our combat training we are required to wear this full set of stuff - or our "battle rattle"

(Helmet, IBA, knee pads, elbow pads, gloves, eye protection, pistol & holster, and M-16).

We will be carrying this stuff everywhere.

Camp McCrady - Beginning 3 weeks of Army Training

After one week mobilization processing at NMPS Gulfport, MS my wife and I shared an hour long drive from Home to the Gulfport Airport where I caught my flight to Columbia, SC. Our group arrived late in the evening and waited about an hour or so for the shuttle to take us to Camp McCrady. We checked into the Navy Quarterdeck, got our linens and head over to our assigned barracks. My bunk was this lower one, third from the bathroom. All my stuff is either in the trunk beneath the bunk or in a standing locker across from the chair. Here comes Army training ready or not.

NMPS Gulfport - Gas Mask Fitting

First photos using my iPhone4.