So many kids, so few balls. This picture if from the village of Agung, Uganda.
Susan from Tanzanite Jet, receiving a ball for the Tanzanian Women’s Team.
Monday, March 3, 2008
Soccer Balls Galore!
So many kids, so few balls. This picture if from the village of Agung, Uganda. Susan from Tanzanite Jet, receiving a ball for the Tanzanian Women’s Team.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Letter from Civil Affairs Team:
Chief,
Here are some photos of the balls that got handed out to Mama Hani's orphanage by one of the 402d Civil Affairs teams (SSG Countermine).Approximately half of the 80 children that she takes care of are either mentally or physically disabled. It is located in Garissa Kenya. The CA team goes there weekly. They also are organizing a soccer ball tournament in Garissa where they will hand out balls as prizes. The 350th is in Lamu, Kenya and they are also handing out balls. I will get something from them early next month. I am still waiting for the team in Yemen to send pix.
Thank you for your help by donating the balls to the CA teams to use.
v/r
LTC Largeman
THANK YOU! Soccer Ball Drive Contributors!
Janet Abazzia and Matt Petzel
Albany Brick Company, NAWIC
Athens Gourmet
Athens Red Hat Sweeties
Marie Battaglioli, Foster & Company
Janice Francis, Heery
Susan Carson, NAWIC
Stacey Chapman
Glenn & Linda Chapman
Dr. and Carol Cuff
Ashley Dale, Barton Malow
Stephanie & Glenn Golias
Mike & Nicole Hovis
Nancy Juneau, Juneau Construction
Jeff Mason, Heery
Renee Johnson, Running Gazelle
National Association of Women in Construction - NAWIC
Brent & Anna Norman, Running Gazelle
Frank Riggs
Linda Smith, Heery
Society for Marketing Professional Services - SMPS
Diane Taylor, Sawhorse
Kim, Pete and Trent Waldrop
Sharon Whitfield, Heery
And more…
Athens Gourmet
Athens Red Hat Sweeties
Marie Battaglioli, Foster & Company
Janice Francis, Heery
Susan Carson, NAWIC
Stacey Chapman
Glenn & Linda Chapman
Dr. and Carol Cuff
Ashley Dale, Barton Malow
Stephanie & Glenn Golias
Mike & Nicole Hovis
Nancy Juneau, Juneau Construction
Jeff Mason, Heery
Renee Johnson, Running Gazelle
National Association of Women in Construction - NAWIC
Brent & Anna Norman, Running Gazelle
Frank Riggs
Linda Smith, Heery
Society for Marketing Professional Services - SMPS
Diane Taylor, Sawhorse
Kim, Pete and Trent Waldrop
Sharon Whitfield, Heery
And more…
Monday, February 25, 2008
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Uganda Pet Monkey
A kid with his pet monkey in Acet, Uganda. Nothing to do with the Soccer Drive (well, this kid did get to play) but cute and blogworthy anyway.
Let's All Play Football
LETS ALL PLAY FOOTBALL (That’s African for Soccer). Here is the local team on the ‘pitch’ at Atiak, Uganda. Note the soldier showing off his skills!
The Success of the Soccer Ball Drive
Greetings, readers, and here is a long overdue Soccer Ball update. I am sure that you all are eagerly awaiting some feedback on all your time and effort in getting the balls shipped and donated.
At this point, over 200 soccer balls, various pumps, and several dozen shin guards and a tremendous amount of goodwill have been distributed to the following nations: Djibouti, Tanzania, Kenya, Comoros, Ethiopia, and Uganda. The generosity and time that you folks have contributed to the Soccer Drive have made this effort a smashing success. Giving out the soccer balls may seem like a small thing, but this is the sort of good will that will lead to feelings of good will towards the United States and our people. The balls given out during this drive represent a tremendous gift to the people living in the nations of the Horn of Africa by helping us out with this mission, YOU, the reader, has contributed DIRECTLY to the war effort by providing the donations for this Soccer Ball Drive.
The following pictures were taken by a Civil Affairs /VETCP team who were in Uganda for the entire month of January. During their assistance visit there, these folks treated something on the order of 30,000 head of cattle, and vaccinated countless goats, cats, dogs and even a few monkeys. Oh, and they also managed to give out a few soccer balls. The team went to over twenty different villages in northern Uganda, villages that are technically refugee camps left over from Uganda’s civil unrest of the early 80’s. In some areas, these camps hold as many 100,000 people.
At this point, over 200 soccer balls, various pumps, and several dozen shin guards and a tremendous amount of goodwill have been distributed to the following nations: Djibouti, Tanzania, Kenya, Comoros, Ethiopia, and Uganda. The generosity and time that you folks have contributed to the Soccer Drive have made this effort a smashing success. Giving out the soccer balls may seem like a small thing, but this is the sort of good will that will lead to feelings of good will towards the United States and our people. The balls given out during this drive represent a tremendous gift to the people living in the nations of the Horn of Africa by helping us out with this mission, YOU, the reader, has contributed DIRECTLY to the war effort by providing the donations for this Soccer Ball Drive.
The following pictures were taken by a Civil Affairs /VETCP team who were in Uganda for the entire month of January. During their assistance visit there, these folks treated something on the order of 30,000 head of cattle, and vaccinated countless goats, cats, dogs and even a few monkeys. Oh, and they also managed to give out a few soccer balls. The team went to over twenty different villages in northern Uganda, villages that are technically refugee camps left over from Uganda’s civil unrest of the early 80’s. In some areas, these camps hold as many 100,000 people.
The Kids from the Ugandan Village of Olwiyo with a couple of the VETCAP security guys.
The Kids with their new soccer ball and one of the Vets at the Ugandan Village of Abili. Often, it was necessary to give the ball to the village elder (standing next to the vet) to prevent a “ruckus”.
Friday, February 15, 2008
Guest blog
Command, Family and Friends,
Though we have only completed just over half of our six month rotation it has been a very successful and fulfilling rotation. CW4 Webb our instructor pilot, SFC Whitfield, operations NCO, and myself arrived in Djibouti on September 6th in relief of the Arkansas flight detachment. The addition of the second aircraft soon after, has more than doubled the monthly flight hours previously flown, and provided redundancy for critical missions. We are now flying over 110 hours a month and we expect this average to increase. The trans-Atlantic C-26 crossing was accomplished when CW4 Hardy Hay, operations officer, CW3 Robert Negron, safety officer and CW2 Alton Chapman, pilot extraordinaire flew over 8,385 miles. We have now flown in almost every country in the Horn of Africa including: Comoros, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Seychelles, Tanzania, Uganda and Yemen. We have also flown to Madagascar and Rwanda in support of the expanding HOA mission. You will note most of our flights are conducted in civilian clothes; this is Foreign Clearance guide and U.S. Embassy requirement for most of Africa.
We are continually amazed at the immensity and grandeur of Africa, the richness of its peoples and the changing beauty of the land. We have many opportunities to interact with the African people on our missions and throughout our travels. CW2 Alton Chapman and CW4 Jeff Webb both have had very generous friends and church groups that have sent them soccer balls and other equipment which we have had the pleasure of distributing to some very sincere and grateful people.
I am impressed with the leadership of HOA and how they conduct the mission. There is always a sincerity of purpose. They care for soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines. Their demonstration of care for the US tax dollar and Africans is evident in all they do. They believe in their mission statement and seek every day to make Africa a better place for Africans and the world. I truly believe that they are “Helping African’s Help African’s.”
The HOA mission is a lasting presence. They are helping to build schools, roads, water wells and help create infrastructure. I see enthusiasm and a true commitment and dedication from these soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines down range making all of this happen. This is a very rewarding mission. Additional information on the horn of Africa mission (HOA) can be found on the following website: www.hoa.centcom.mil.
Our unit will redeploy by the end of March, we look forward to our return to our friends and families. Thanks you for your continued support.
CW5 John Ely
GAARNG, AV
Detachment 9 OSA, Commanding
Though we have only completed just over half of our six month rotation it has been a very successful and fulfilling rotation. CW4 Webb our instructor pilot, SFC Whitfield, operations NCO, and myself arrived in Djibouti on September 6th in relief of the Arkansas flight detachment. The addition of the second aircraft soon after, has more than doubled the monthly flight hours previously flown, and provided redundancy for critical missions. We are now flying over 110 hours a month and we expect this average to increase. The trans-Atlantic C-26 crossing was accomplished when CW4 Hardy Hay, operations officer, CW3 Robert Negron, safety officer and CW2 Alton Chapman, pilot extraordinaire flew over 8,385 miles. We have now flown in almost every country in the Horn of Africa including: Comoros, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Seychelles, Tanzania, Uganda and Yemen. We have also flown to Madagascar and Rwanda in support of the expanding HOA mission. You will note most of our flights are conducted in civilian clothes; this is Foreign Clearance guide and U.S. Embassy requirement for most of Africa.
We are continually amazed at the immensity and grandeur of Africa, the richness of its peoples and the changing beauty of the land. We have many opportunities to interact with the African people on our missions and throughout our travels. CW2 Alton Chapman and CW4 Jeff Webb both have had very generous friends and church groups that have sent them soccer balls and other equipment which we have had the pleasure of distributing to some very sincere and grateful people.
I am impressed with the leadership of HOA and how they conduct the mission. There is always a sincerity of purpose. They care for soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines. Their demonstration of care for the US tax dollar and Africans is evident in all they do. They believe in their mission statement and seek every day to make Africa a better place for Africans and the world. I truly believe that they are “Helping African’s Help African’s.”
The HOA mission is a lasting presence. They are helping to build schools, roads, water wells and help create infrastructure. I see enthusiasm and a true commitment and dedication from these soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines down range making all of this happen. This is a very rewarding mission. Additional information on the horn of Africa mission (HOA) can be found on the following website: www.hoa.centcom.mil.
Our unit will redeploy by the end of March, we look forward to our return to our friends and families. Thanks you for your continued support.
CW5 John Ely
GAARNG, AV
Detachment 9 OSA, Commanding
Sorry for Delay
Folks,
We have been flying so much that it has been hard to find time to let you know what is going on. We are scheduled to come home sometime in March. The exact timeframe keeps changing, so once we know for sure I will let you know.
Thank you for your continued support.
We have been flying so much that it has been hard to find time to let you know what is going on. We are scheduled to come home sometime in March. The exact timeframe keeps changing, so once we know for sure I will let you know.
Thank you for your continued support.
Monday, January 14, 2008
A few more of Gulu
This is a view of the houses in Gulu. These particular homes were located right next to the runway across the street from the airfield. In addition to all the kids that came out to greet us, the place was just bustling with activity, with lots of people moving up and down the road to and from the market. You would see the local women coming back from shopping balancing these impossible loads up on their heads. I guess that is what you do in Uganda when you don't have the luxury of SUV's and a cart. I am hoping that on our return trip to Gulu I will be able to get some pictures of the kids playing with their new soccer balls that you all donated.
More Pictures of the kids in Gulu
As promised, here are the pictures of the kids at Gulu, Uganda. They were really having a great time, smiling and laughing and just being kids. This of course proves my theory that kids in general can tune out the reality of their everyday situation and just concentrate…..on having fun. What a concept, the world woud be a better place if adults could learn to do that more often. Especially politicians and third world dictators.
Here I am handing out sodas. May their parents please forgive me! Although, my guess is that these little guys do not need to be told to “Put up the ^%$# video games and go play outside!”
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Gulu Pictures
Above: Village at Gulu Above: The Kids at Gulu hamming it up!
These photos were taken at Gulu, and are of the village just across from the air strip.
I have more pictures, but I am having trouble uploading them. More to follow.
Sunday, January 6, 2008
The Sunset View over the Mozambique Channel
I snapped this picture while at 23,000 feet on our way to Madacascar. Looks like I am getting the hang of this picture taking thing!Friday, January 4, 2008
Gulu and Entebbe Uganda
Earlier in December, Hardy and I had a three day trip down to Uganda. It was a fascinating trip, as we got to stay in a hotel right next to Lake Victoria, which is the second largest lake in all of Africa, and is also the head waters for the mighty Nile River.
Our first stop on this trip was airport at Entebbe. Entebbe, if you remember your history, was the location of the famous Israeli raid to free a hijacked airliner from terrorists working for the Ugandan dictator at the time, Idi Amin. This raid took place in the summer of 1977-and was remarkable for the speed and accuracy with which the Israeli commandos accomplished their mission. The commandos flew non-stop from Israel in C-130’s and executed an assault on the airfield that resulted in none of the hostages at the airfield being killed. The Israeli’s managed to kill all the terrorists (always a good thing in my book) while they themselves sustained only one casualty, the man who lead the raid. Sadly, (and in true to their cowardly nature) the terrorists murdered the only hostage that was not at the airport at the time. This man was in a Ugandan Hospital and Idi Amin ordered him killed after the success of the raid.
The old control tower is still there, and you can still see the bullet holes left by the Israeli heavy weapons during the assault. The Ugandans have erected a plaque there to honor those killed in the raid, and to condemn the rule of Idi Amin.
Later in the same trip, we got to play the part of true African Bush Pilots. We had to drop some passengers to a remote airfield to the north of Entebbe called Gulu. It’s a nice, long runway, and it’s even paved (although the surface is somewhat questionable) but it’s truly out in the bush. No runway lights, no instrument approaches, no control tower. The airfield information said to beware of animals on the runway. So when we made approach into Gulu, we left the gear up and did a low level pass over the runway at about 300 feet above ground level. We didn’t see any animals, but we sure did scare the heck out of a local who was riding down the runway on a moped for some reason. As it turns out, this fellow was just doing his job ensuring that the runway was clear of animals for our arrival. We sure got his attention with the low pass though.
Gulu is what I always imagined that the African Bush would look like. It is a lush green place, located on a high flat plain, surrounded by tall grass and trees. To the east of the runway, right outside the fence was a thatched hut village. Upon landing we got a very friendly welcome from the folks there, and had a lot of fun passing sodas to the kids just outside the fence line. They congregated quickly after our arrival, hamming it up for the camera and generally having a great time just like kids anywhere else. I am guessing that they probably had not ever seen a Metroliner before.
Our first stop on this trip was airport at Entebbe. Entebbe, if you remember your history, was the location of the famous Israeli raid to free a hijacked airliner from terrorists working for the Ugandan dictator at the time, Idi Amin. This raid took place in the summer of 1977-and was remarkable for the speed and accuracy with which the Israeli commandos accomplished their mission. The commandos flew non-stop from Israel in C-130’s and executed an assault on the airfield that resulted in none of the hostages at the airfield being killed. The Israeli’s managed to kill all the terrorists (always a good thing in my book) while they themselves sustained only one casualty, the man who lead the raid. Sadly, (and in true to their cowardly nature) the terrorists murdered the only hostage that was not at the airport at the time. This man was in a Ugandan Hospital and Idi Amin ordered him killed after the success of the raid.
The old control tower is still there, and you can still see the bullet holes left by the Israeli heavy weapons during the assault. The Ugandans have erected a plaque there to honor those killed in the raid, and to condemn the rule of Idi Amin.
Later in the same trip, we got to play the part of true African Bush Pilots. We had to drop some passengers to a remote airfield to the north of Entebbe called Gulu. It’s a nice, long runway, and it’s even paved (although the surface is somewhat questionable) but it’s truly out in the bush. No runway lights, no instrument approaches, no control tower. The airfield information said to beware of animals on the runway. So when we made approach into Gulu, we left the gear up and did a low level pass over the runway at about 300 feet above ground level. We didn’t see any animals, but we sure did scare the heck out of a local who was riding down the runway on a moped for some reason. As it turns out, this fellow was just doing his job ensuring that the runway was clear of animals for our arrival. We sure got his attention with the low pass though.
Gulu is what I always imagined that the African Bush would look like. It is a lush green place, located on a high flat plain, surrounded by tall grass and trees. To the east of the runway, right outside the fence was a thatched hut village. Upon landing we got a very friendly welcome from the folks there, and had a lot of fun passing sodas to the kids just outside the fence line. They congregated quickly after our arrival, hamming it up for the camera and generally having a great time just like kids anywhere else. I am guessing that they probably had not ever seen a Metroliner before.
All of this kind of makes our ‘hanging chads’ look silly, doesn’t it?
Hey folks….I do not know if this has garnered much attention back home, but I wanted to let you all know about the current situation ongoing in Kenya as you are reading this. Kenya is currently experiencing some pretty bad violence associated with their presidential election. As of this writing, (according to the AP) approximately 135 people have been killed in post election fighting between rival supporters of the two candidates. The cause of the initial violence was the disputed victory of the incumbent president. Apparently he had been trailing in all the Election Day polls, but when the official results were declared, he had retaken the lead, and the government declared him the winner. However, the opposition refused to accept this outcome, and declared their candidate the winner.
I have been told the actual policy differences between the two politicians is quite minor, but there supporters are split down ethnic and tribal lines. Tribal and ethnic affiliations play a large role in African affairs, and it is difficult for me as a westerner to understand why this election has sparked so much unrest.
At any event I feel for Kenya…especially the innocent victims of the clashing tribes. Kenya is a fantastic nation, and a strong ally of the United States. They have probably the fastest growing economy in Africa, with a nation rich in natural resources and rich in human resources as well. Kenya is a spectacularly beautiful place-a vast hilly green land, with everything from tropical savannahs to desert in the north.
Please keep Kenya in your prayers and thoughts as her people struggle to come to grips with this election. The people of Kenya have always treated us well, and I can only hope that those folks have managed to avoid the current trouble down there. On a positive note, I have heard from people in the know (sorry I cannot reveal more about who told me this) that despite the violence there is a sense among the people there that this will pass relatively quickly and things will return back to normal. One can only hope so.
All of this kind of makes our ‘hanging chads’ look silly, doesn’t it?
I have been told the actual policy differences between the two politicians is quite minor, but there supporters are split down ethnic and tribal lines. Tribal and ethnic affiliations play a large role in African affairs, and it is difficult for me as a westerner to understand why this election has sparked so much unrest.
At any event I feel for Kenya…especially the innocent victims of the clashing tribes. Kenya is a fantastic nation, and a strong ally of the United States. They have probably the fastest growing economy in Africa, with a nation rich in natural resources and rich in human resources as well. Kenya is a spectacularly beautiful place-a vast hilly green land, with everything from tropical savannahs to desert in the north.
Please keep Kenya in your prayers and thoughts as her people struggle to come to grips with this election. The people of Kenya have always treated us well, and I can only hope that those folks have managed to avoid the current trouble down there. On a positive note, I have heard from people in the know (sorry I cannot reveal more about who told me this) that despite the violence there is a sense among the people there that this will pass relatively quickly and things will return back to normal. One can only hope so.
All of this kind of makes our ‘hanging chads’ look silly, doesn’t it?
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WHALE SHARKS
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The late fall and early winter time mean one thing in the coastal waters of Djibouti: WHALE SHARK time. Every winter, these truly magnificent fish swim west bound up the bay in Djiboutian coastal waters (well, actually, I am told this is the time of year that they migrate all around the eastern coast of Africa…at least in the waters just to the north and south of the equator.) I must confess that I am ignorant as to exactly why they are migrating but they do. And in doing so, the swim relatively close to shore in the coastal waters around here, feeding on plankton as they go.
The fortunate thing for those of us out here in CJTF-HOA is that the good folks at MWR (Morale Welfare and Recreation) managed to lay on some charter boats to allow us the opportunity to swim with the Whale Sharks. So, naturally, there wasn’t any way I was going to pass up a chance to actually see these guys in the wild.
We had to depart Camp Lemonier early in the morning, So Rob, Kim and I caught the charter bus with the sunrise out to the docks in the Port Of Djibouti. Once there, we loaded up and were headed out along the coast for our big adventure. The Chartered boat was a large traditional Djiboutian fishing boat that had been converted for charter and dive operations, and we were joined by approximately 20 other folks from the camp.
The trip out was awesome….calm waters, slight cool breeze blowing and not a cloud in the sky. It took us about an hour and half to get to the initial point, where we anchored at got a chance to dive on a shallow reef while awaiting the arrival of the sharks. The reef was probably the most pristine I have seen since coming on this trip. I saw all sorts of fish, a moray eel, and blue spotted ray and a sea turtle. It was incredible.
We soon got the call that whale sharks had been spotted, so we loaded up in the boat and headed up the coast line to find them. About ten minutes later….one of the guides saw the tale tell signs of the tall dorsal fins protruding just above the water while the sharks swim slowly along, feeding. It was time to swim with the sharks.
We loaded up into smaller, faster boats with outboard motors and quickly took off after the sharks. While waiting for the boats to get to the sharks, we all put on our snorkeling gear, to be ready to jump overboard as quickly as possible. As soon as a guide would spot the sharks, the little boats would speed up ahead of them, cut the power to the motor and we would jump of the boat into the path of the sharks. (Yeah, I know, it sounds a bit strange to be jumping out of a perfectly good boat into the path of oncoming sharks…).
SPLASH! You would hit the water…wait for all the bubbles to clear, and then,…..looming out of the dark, deep blue color of the sea, this HUGE creature would be swimming right towards you. It was amazing-these animals are so big, and so beautiful, and they just don’t care that you are there. They are busy eating the plankton…and you just have to get out of the way.
The first shark I saw had to be at least 18 feet long. She was just swimming along, seeming effortless, with her big tail swinging gracefully back and forth. I quickly changed direction and began to swim parallel with her, less than a foot from pectoral fins and gills. I could see her looking at me with her eye…simply amazing. I had to really swim pretty quickly to keep up, even though this shark looked like she was just swimming along with no effort. Every now and then, she would find a dense pocket of plankton, and she would open her mouth wide, arch her back and filter a tremendous amount of sea water through her gills, getting a nice mouthful of the tiny creatures. One could think of this as a sort of whale shark floating buffet, I guess.
All in all it was a fantastic day. I love the water as it is, and having to opportunity to swim with these animals is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Rob and Kim had a blast as well….getting the same chance as I did to swim up close and personal with a whale shark.
It is times like these that make me thankful that I signed my name on the dotted line. Sometimes, the military opens up doors that would otherwise never been open to you…and it makes you realize that in the big scheme of things, this is a pretty good job!
The fortunate thing for those of us out here in CJTF-HOA is that the good folks at MWR (Morale Welfare and Recreation) managed to lay on some charter boats to allow us the opportunity to swim with the Whale Sharks. So, naturally, there wasn’t any way I was going to pass up a chance to actually see these guys in the wild.
We had to depart Camp Lemonier early in the morning, So Rob, Kim and I caught the charter bus with the sunrise out to the docks in the Port Of Djibouti. Once there, we loaded up and were headed out along the coast for our big adventure. The Chartered boat was a large traditional Djiboutian fishing boat that had been converted for charter and dive operations, and we were joined by approximately 20 other folks from the camp.
The trip out was awesome….calm waters, slight cool breeze blowing and not a cloud in the sky. It took us about an hour and half to get to the initial point, where we anchored at got a chance to dive on a shallow reef while awaiting the arrival of the sharks. The reef was probably the most pristine I have seen since coming on this trip. I saw all sorts of fish, a moray eel, and blue spotted ray and a sea turtle. It was incredible.
We soon got the call that whale sharks had been spotted, so we loaded up in the boat and headed up the coast line to find them. About ten minutes later….one of the guides saw the tale tell signs of the tall dorsal fins protruding just above the water while the sharks swim slowly along, feeding. It was time to swim with the sharks.
We loaded up into smaller, faster boats with outboard motors and quickly took off after the sharks. While waiting for the boats to get to the sharks, we all put on our snorkeling gear, to be ready to jump overboard as quickly as possible. As soon as a guide would spot the sharks, the little boats would speed up ahead of them, cut the power to the motor and we would jump of the boat into the path of the sharks. (Yeah, I know, it sounds a bit strange to be jumping out of a perfectly good boat into the path of oncoming sharks…).
SPLASH! You would hit the water…wait for all the bubbles to clear, and then,…..looming out of the dark, deep blue color of the sea, this HUGE creature would be swimming right towards you. It was amazing-these animals are so big, and so beautiful, and they just don’t care that you are there. They are busy eating the plankton…and you just have to get out of the way.
The first shark I saw had to be at least 18 feet long. She was just swimming along, seeming effortless, with her big tail swinging gracefully back and forth. I quickly changed direction and began to swim parallel with her, less than a foot from pectoral fins and gills. I could see her looking at me with her eye…simply amazing. I had to really swim pretty quickly to keep up, even though this shark looked like she was just swimming along with no effort. Every now and then, she would find a dense pocket of plankton, and she would open her mouth wide, arch her back and filter a tremendous amount of sea water through her gills, getting a nice mouthful of the tiny creatures. One could think of this as a sort of whale shark floating buffet, I guess.
All in all it was a fantastic day. I love the water as it is, and having to opportunity to swim with these animals is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Rob and Kim had a blast as well….getting the same chance as I did to swim up close and personal with a whale shark.
It is times like these that make me thankful that I signed my name on the dotted line. Sometimes, the military opens up doors that would otherwise never been open to you…and it makes you realize that in the big scheme of things, this is a pretty good job!
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!!! I cannot believe that the busy holiday season has come and gone. I wanted to take a moment to wish everybody out there in blog land a long overdue MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY NEW YEAR. I hope that everyone back home had a truly happy holiday season. I am hoping that somebody out there even got a white Christmas. Having a white Christmas is something that we don’t really have to worry about here in Djibouti. I think the daytime high on Christmas Day here was a chilly 88 degrees F. You might even say that we have been having a Djiboutian cold snap.
We have been busy flying all around the horn. Since I last updated you folks, we have had numerous missions –flying to places like Aden, Yemen, Addis Ababa Ethiopia, Gulu and Entebbe Uganda, and back down to the Comoros. I even managed to get in an overnight in Madagascar. (And no, sorry to disappoint but there were no animated animals running around) It’s been busy-but that’s ok, we are doing what we came here to do. Not to mention the view from 20000 feet gets pretty spectacular.
Everyone in the office got lots of support from the folks back home. Packages, cards, and almost daily reminders from you all at home helped us keep our spirits up over the holiday season. Thank you all very much!
We have been busy flying all around the horn. Since I last updated you folks, we have had numerous missions –flying to places like Aden, Yemen, Addis Ababa Ethiopia, Gulu and Entebbe Uganda, and back down to the Comoros. I even managed to get in an overnight in Madagascar. (And no, sorry to disappoint but there were no animated animals running around) It’s been busy-but that’s ok, we are doing what we came here to do. Not to mention the view from 20000 feet gets pretty spectacular.
Everyone in the office got lots of support from the folks back home. Packages, cards, and almost daily reminders from you all at home helped us keep our spirits up over the holiday season. Thank you all very much!
Soccer Ball Drive UPDATE:
Hey folks, just a quick note to let you know the first shipment of soccer balls have been uploaded to the Civil Affairs. They are leaving here soon to do a mission downrange. I don’t want to disclose the where and when’s just yet, but it will be a remote location out in the ‘bush’ as we call it here in Africa. The CA team will be conducting a VETCAP as well as other missions. The CA folks have promised me pictures and possibly a guest blogging, so I will keep you posted.
Today Jeff and John departed for a mission with a fuel stop in Dar-Es-Salaam, Tanzania. Jeff Webb’s church has put together a soccer drive as well, and they have collected approximately 200 balls. We loaded some of these balls, the shin guards you guys sent, and some pumps in the aircraft. Our Handler (a handler is somebody who takes care of filing our flight plans, coordinating for fuel, parking, customs, basically anything that we might need as a crew) at Dar is woman named Susan. She is on the cutting edge of women in business in Africa- She has a remarkable story. She was born in Tanzania, but educated in the US. She gained experience as an aircraft maintainer for Comair. (Comair is ASA’s sister Delta Connection Carrier, based in Cincinnati Ohio.) She worked on numerous airframes for a number of years before returning to Tanzania to found her business, Tanzanite Jet. Now her company provides Handling Services for every major air port in Tanzania. This is a remarkable accomplishment for anyone, let alone a woman starting a business in a male dominant society located in Africa that is approximately fifty per cent Muslim. She is going to take Jeff’s soccer balls to a local orphanage there in Dar to be distributed to the children. Again she promised pictures so I will keep you all posted.
Today Jeff and John departed for a mission with a fuel stop in Dar-Es-Salaam, Tanzania. Jeff Webb’s church has put together a soccer drive as well, and they have collected approximately 200 balls. We loaded some of these balls, the shin guards you guys sent, and some pumps in the aircraft. Our Handler (a handler is somebody who takes care of filing our flight plans, coordinating for fuel, parking, customs, basically anything that we might need as a crew) at Dar is woman named Susan. She is on the cutting edge of women in business in Africa- She has a remarkable story. She was born in Tanzania, but educated in the US. She gained experience as an aircraft maintainer for Comair. (Comair is ASA’s sister Delta Connection Carrier, based in Cincinnati Ohio.) She worked on numerous airframes for a number of years before returning to Tanzania to found her business, Tanzanite Jet. Now her company provides Handling Services for every major air port in Tanzania. This is a remarkable accomplishment for anyone, let alone a woman starting a business in a male dominant society located in Africa that is approximately fifty per cent Muslim. She is going to take Jeff’s soccer balls to a local orphanage there in Dar to be distributed to the children. Again she promised pictures so I will keep you all posted.
Monday, December 17, 2007
School Construction
School Construction Assessment with the Sea Bees in Comoros. The two civilians are from the State Department. 
Faces of the the Soccer Ball Drive
Children of Djibouti
Chaplain’s Assistant at School dedication, shaking hands with the future grads
Outside the Wire
The Navy Chaplain having story time with the kids.
Well Dedication ceremony, Djibouti.
REALITY CHECK
I have had more than a few comments on how this particular deployment resembles more a vacation or a documentary one might see on the Travel Channel. Ok. You got me with that one. I won’t spend one minute denying that we in the C26 Detachment have it pretty good here. Primarily any deployment where the locals aren’t shooting at you or detonating car bombs in your immediate vicinity, then one cannot complain. In fact, as much as I hate to admit it, the US Navy has put a tremendous effort in taking care of us. They have really done an outstanding job. Our job is easy…but not everybody has it as good as we do.
I cannot begin to describe the poverty I have seen here. It is a overwhelming, crushing type of poverty that robs people of the will to live. Lack of water, lack of basic infrastructure, lack of food, medicine…the list goes on and on. We live in a completely different world. In fact, we might as well be on another planet all together. There is untold violence here, such as the ethnic cleansing in Sudan, and diseases and parasites we in the West have never seen before. It is not a pretty picture. Outside the major cities there are no malls, drive through restruants, a general lack of paved roads, electricity, sewage service.
Yet, despite all the hardship the people here (particularly the Djiboutians) are friendly and maintain an upbeat attitude. It’s like that in many of the countries I have been too-they just keep working against overwhelming obstacles to get the same thing we want back in the U.S.-having a family, and the pursuit of happiness. It is a truly humbling thing to view the world through this perspective.
You folks out there in Blog land actually reading this should know of the efforts of the other personnel on here at CJTF-HOA. These folks are here doing the real work. This is truly a combined effort here, with military personnel as diverse as combat engineers, civil affairs teams, The Sea Bee’s (the US Navy’s combat engineers…although, don’t tell them they are in the Navy. They consider themselves to be their own entity, and let me tell you…they are some of the hardest working people I have ever met) Combat Camera (and Air Force media unit) Military Vets, Doctors and the Chaplin Corp. We also have some US Army Infantry units from Guam and some Marine Infantry working with the Task Force. (These folks not only provide us with force protection and security, but they also train with the forces of the nations we are working with here in Africa). All of these soldiers, sailors, marines, and airmen are actually out in the ‘bush’ as we call it-working hand in hand with local populations. It is tough, hard work that is rarely if ever mentioned in the mass media. While these folks are not chasing down terrorists, what they are doing is a vital relevant mission.
Most of these service people spend very limited time here in Camp Lemonier. The vast majority of their time is spent outside the wire, enduring the same harsh conditions as the locals (no hotel rooms for them…most of them live in tents or locally aqquired housing) eating MRE’s if they are lucky. They have little or no access to the luxuries we take for granted here at Camp Lemonier. But, despite the conditions, I rarely if ever hear them complain.
The missions are almost too numerous to mention. Some of the major ones include drilling wells, building schools and infrastructure projects, medical missions and vet missions call MEDCAPS or VETCAPS (performing simple medical procedures on people and animals that you and I take for granted but are almost unheard of here in Africa). It is hard, thankless work. But, to a man (or woman) they all LOVE the mission they are doing. Many of these people tell me it is quite rewarding to be hands on involved in helping the people from the host nations attain a better life. It is an amazing display of the American Spirit….and it is an important tool in the fight against extremism. You should all be very proud of what the military is doing here. Watching these young service people at work here really does put a dent in the media portrayal of the youth of America as wholly lost and stuck on watching MTV all the time.
It is my intent to document more of this, and get some more of the gritty stuff so you all can see a little better picture of reality here on the ground in Africa instead of documenting all the different hotel overnights of we C26 Guys.
I cannot begin to describe the poverty I have seen here. It is a overwhelming, crushing type of poverty that robs people of the will to live. Lack of water, lack of basic infrastructure, lack of food, medicine…the list goes on and on. We live in a completely different world. In fact, we might as well be on another planet all together. There is untold violence here, such as the ethnic cleansing in Sudan, and diseases and parasites we in the West have never seen before. It is not a pretty picture. Outside the major cities there are no malls, drive through restruants, a general lack of paved roads, electricity, sewage service.
Yet, despite all the hardship the people here (particularly the Djiboutians) are friendly and maintain an upbeat attitude. It’s like that in many of the countries I have been too-they just keep working against overwhelming obstacles to get the same thing we want back in the U.S.-having a family, and the pursuit of happiness. It is a truly humbling thing to view the world through this perspective.
You folks out there in Blog land actually reading this should know of the efforts of the other personnel on here at CJTF-HOA. These folks are here doing the real work. This is truly a combined effort here, with military personnel as diverse as combat engineers, civil affairs teams, The Sea Bee’s (the US Navy’s combat engineers…although, don’t tell them they are in the Navy. They consider themselves to be their own entity, and let me tell you…they are some of the hardest working people I have ever met) Combat Camera (and Air Force media unit) Military Vets, Doctors and the Chaplin Corp. We also have some US Army Infantry units from Guam and some Marine Infantry working with the Task Force. (These folks not only provide us with force protection and security, but they also train with the forces of the nations we are working with here in Africa). All of these soldiers, sailors, marines, and airmen are actually out in the ‘bush’ as we call it-working hand in hand with local populations. It is tough, hard work that is rarely if ever mentioned in the mass media. While these folks are not chasing down terrorists, what they are doing is a vital relevant mission.
Most of these service people spend very limited time here in Camp Lemonier. The vast majority of their time is spent outside the wire, enduring the same harsh conditions as the locals (no hotel rooms for them…most of them live in tents or locally aqquired housing) eating MRE’s if they are lucky. They have little or no access to the luxuries we take for granted here at Camp Lemonier. But, despite the conditions, I rarely if ever hear them complain.
The missions are almost too numerous to mention. Some of the major ones include drilling wells, building schools and infrastructure projects, medical missions and vet missions call MEDCAPS or VETCAPS (performing simple medical procedures on people and animals that you and I take for granted but are almost unheard of here in Africa). It is hard, thankless work. But, to a man (or woman) they all LOVE the mission they are doing. Many of these people tell me it is quite rewarding to be hands on involved in helping the people from the host nations attain a better life. It is an amazing display of the American Spirit….and it is an important tool in the fight against extremism. You should all be very proud of what the military is doing here. Watching these young service people at work here really does put a dent in the media portrayal of the youth of America as wholly lost and stuck on watching MTV all the time.
It is my intent to document more of this, and get some more of the gritty stuff so you all can see a little better picture of reality here on the ground in Africa instead of documenting all the different hotel overnights of we C26 Guys.
Soccer Ball Drive Update
Well folks, A quick update on the Soccer Ball drive: Two days ago(on the 12th of December ) we received our first two boxes of soccer balls from you folks back home. We received one box from Super Stacey and another from Janet Abbazzia. So that gives us a total of 18 balls received so far. So we are well on the way to the start of a great Soccer Ball Drive!
A quick admin note: The Navy has informed me of an address change. Our new address is:
CW2 Alton G Chapman
C26 DET
FPO, AE 09363-9998
FPO, AE 09363-9998
It goes into effect in approximately sixty days, so you should be good if you use the old address until then. However, I think that using the new address will be fine. After 60 days you will have to use the new address. Thanks for all your support! It is going to be a great drive!
Friday, December 14, 2007
Another Djibouti Poem by the Stump (AKA Mr. Hovis)
So what the hell, I think its swell, that you're full of Christmas Cheer.
But you're there in Djibouti, doing your duty, and I know you'd rather be here.
The guys in Iraq are given no slack, and the same can be said of you.
You can still go jog or work on your blog, and still be serving too.
No matter the task, they have only to ask, and the Guard will be ready to go.
Your lives on the line, for your country and mine, ready to fight any foe.
Our Christmas, I fear, will lose some of its cheer, knowing that you won't be at the table,We're proud of you all, for standing so tall, you've been ready, willing, and able.
So MERRY CHRISTMAS to you, THANKS for all that you do,
Don't cut those bad guys no slack. Have fun in Djibouti; you're doing your duty,
Be careful! We want you all back!
But you're there in Djibouti, doing your duty, and I know you'd rather be here.
The guys in Iraq are given no slack, and the same can be said of you.
You can still go jog or work on your blog, and still be serving too.
No matter the task, they have only to ask, and the Guard will be ready to go.
Your lives on the line, for your country and mine, ready to fight any foe.
Our Christmas, I fear, will lose some of its cheer, knowing that you won't be at the table,We're proud of you all, for standing so tall, you've been ready, willing, and able.
So MERRY CHRISTMAS to you, THANKS for all that you do,
Don't cut those bad guys no slack. Have fun in Djibouti; you're doing your duty,
Be careful! We want you all back!
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Twas the Night Before Christmas - Djibouti Style
Twas the night before Christmas - Santa wanted to hide,He had just taken and failed his yearly check-ride.
The examiner said, trying not to sound sappy,
Your takeoff was fine, but your landing was crappy.
“The children!” said Santa, “will have nothing to savor,
What's the chance, just this once, of getting a waiver?”
“No way!” Said the FAA-man; you must make other plans,
To deliver your toys to all of the lands.
While down in Djibouti, all snug in their beds,
With visions of home going round in their heads,
Was a unit from Georgia of the Army National Guard,
No mission too small, No mission too hard.
While Santa was thinking, this is a heck of a fix,
When he suddenly thought of the C26
I'll bet that this unit is looking for action,
And I with their help, I'll get satisfaction.
Santa reached for the hot line, and his eyes got all steely,
And he said to himself, I'll just call John Ely.
There are children all over from Djibouti to Fargo,
Looking to you guys to carry my cargo.
Then Chief John told the group, we will do what we can,
To deliver their toys to kids all over the land.
Then Jeff told Hardy, I'm feeling down cast,
Cause to cover the world, we can't fly that fast.
Then Kimberly said, don't be an old Grinch,
I'll tweak up the engine with elf dust and this wrench.
You can depend on me to do my duty,
I'll have this thing ready to fly from Djibouti.
Big Al and Dupree got their maps in a pile,
And both of them said, "This might take a while"
Then Al had a thought that was very pleasant,
I have a GPS I was giving as a present.
We will do what we can, and do our darn best,
We will start in Djibouti and then deliver the rest
Al said, “I will run, swim or fly
Whatever it takes, I will give it a TRI
They pushed up the throttle, and started their roll,
It looked like the guys had it under control.
The plane started airborne and away it flew,
With a plane full of toys and St. Nicolas too.
While Santa, in back was checking his list,
Thank God for the Guard, no child will be missed.
Then I heard him exclaim as they flew out of sight,
“Merry Christmas from Djibouti…Ya'll have a good night!”
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