I have a had a few requests for the nature of Camp Life over here, ( and a few other thoughts) so here goes:
Camp Lemonier is actually pretty impressive, considering that the whole place was constructed on an old, deteriorated French base. For a remote area outside the main city-things are pretty good for us. The runway at the airfield is first rate, and its over 10,000 feet long, and the surface rivals any runway you would find in the states. It isn’t as well lit as runways in the States, but all in all not bad. (It makes flying in here at night one of those “black hole” approaches that the pilots out there will be familiar with).
The Camp itself is pretty nice, we get decent food and we have a few luxury items to keep us entertained on our off days. There is a gym, a little movie theater, and a coffee shop. They even have a little NEX (Navy Exchange). The gym is good enough that I have no excuse in not being in tip-top condition for the St. Anthony’s Triathlon when I get home. (well, that and Stacey has been riding her cute rear end off, so I better keep at it, or she might drop me on the bike like a bad habit).
Camp Lemonier is actually pretty impressive, considering that the whole place was constructed on an old, deteriorated French base. For a remote area outside the main city-things are pretty good for us. The runway at the airfield is first rate, and its over 10,000 feet long, and the surface rivals any runway you would find in the states. It isn’t as well lit as runways in the States, but all in all not bad. (It makes flying in here at night one of those “black hole” approaches that the pilots out there will be familiar with).
The Camp itself is pretty nice, we get decent food and we have a few luxury items to keep us entertained on our off days. There is a gym, a little movie theater, and a coffee shop. They even have a little NEX (Navy Exchange). The gym is good enough that I have no excuse in not being in tip-top condition for the St. Anthony’s Triathlon when I get home. (well, that and Stacey has been riding her cute rear end off, so I better keep at it, or she might drop me on the bike like a bad habit).
We actually stay pretty busy, and most weeks both aircraft are flying all over the horn. On our off days we try and catch up on admin duties, go to the gym, and keep ourselves entertained. We usually get up around 630 or so (some later than others!) hot breakfast and go the office…which is actually a tent with wooden floors. There we do mission planning, admin stuff or whatever. Poor John and Hardy get to go to a lot of official meetings-the Navy apparently loves meetings as much as the Army does.
Most nights we watch movies or surf the internet, and occasionally hit the Cantina for our officially sanctioned three (3 only!) beers. So all in all, life is good. Other than being over here in the first place I have no complaints at all. I just miss Stacey and everybody at home.
Having said that, please, keep in your thoughts and prayers those soldiers, marines, airmen, and sailors who are actually in combat in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other places. These kids are the true heros…they are making an enormous sacrifice, one that you cannot possibly imagine unless you have actually been in that situation. Talk to any Viet Nam veteran, and you will get a sense of what I am talking about.
Speaking of which, although I am a little late for this (Veteran’s Day) please take time out to thank any and all Viet Nam vets you might come across…they did a remarkable job in the face of a world and a nation that treated them with derision and disdain. They didn’t get the support that we are getting today. We all owe them tremendous thank yous. I firmly believe that their sacrifice was instrumental in eventually winning the Cold War.
To the Soldiers Before Us and After Us....
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Regarding the pictures on this post, from top to bottom:
Top picture is of Hardy and I flying to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia@21000 feet somewhere between Djibouti and Ethiopia.
Next picture is of the American Military Cemetary in Flornece, Italy, where many of the servicmen who fought and died in the Italian Campaign and the Invasion of Sicily are buried. If you look closely behind the trees, you can see the rows of white crosses marking each grave sloping down the hillside. It was a very humbling, very inspiring place-representing the true cost of freedom. We truly stand on the shoulders of giants.
On a lighter note, the next picture is of a monkey that was hanging out on Rob's Balconey in Mombassa Kenya.
The final picture is a tribute of Italian Wine we left to our fallen heros in the Cemetary at Florence. NEVER FORGET.
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