Posted on Mar 10, 2017
Sgt Team Leader
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1SG Civil Affairs Specialist
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It is a weird base with an odd culture. Run by the Navy, so expect some new terms like Quarterdeck and liberty chit.
It is ungodly hot there. I typically ran at midnight to avoid the heat in the afternoon and the humidity in the morning.
There are dozens of sub missions there, and each sort of keeps in their own box. Base support is the biggest one. Then there is physical security, regional QRF, Civil Affairs, anti-piracy, JTF-HOA, SOF stuff... etc.

In my opinion, the best gig there is the rotational training missions done in support of AMISOM. ACOTA and otherwise funded missions that send a handful of Soldiers to Uganda, Kenya, Burundi, and other countries that deploy forces to Somalia in support of the peacekeeping mission there. You get to train the African Soldiers on tactical stuff, Counter-insurgency, first aid... all sorts of things are in the POI. And when the day is done, you often (not always) have an opportunity to look around and check out the scenery.
I will tell you that it is what you make of it. If you just mark time there going to the gym and surfing the internet, you are missing an opportunity.
Good luck.
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1SG Civil Affairs Specialist
1SG (Join to see)
>1 y
Sgt (Join to see) - That would be gate and roving security for the CLDJ base complex - actually three different installations.
Members of that element typically didn't get much chance to leave Djibouti, aside from the four days passes. Check out the MWR there to find pretty sweet tours to Zanzibar, Egypt, and other interesting places.
You should have some opportunity to do joint training with the French, Djiboutian, and more rarely other forces stationed there. The French Commando Badge is a great opportunity to go out, do something challenging, and earn some cool-guy bling.
If your command allows off-base travel, there is exceptional SCUBA diving spots in the Gulf of Tadjourah.
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SSG Unit Administrative Technician
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>1 y
I went there back in 03-04. I remember it being extremely hot! I'm sure it's changed a lot since then, but it wasn't a bad trip. My company built a 3 story shoot house, poured a bunch of the concrete there, pulled guard duty and fixed up some of the local schools. Then again, that's been a while ago.
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Angela Stanley
Angela Stanley
>1 y
My boyfriend is possibly going to be deploying to Djibouti soon and I'm wondering how much danger he will be in? If their is any possibility he could be killed or hurt? He is an E-5 Sergeant and I'm worried to death. Could anyone give me any insights on this.
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1SG Civil Affairs Specialist
1SG (Join to see)
>1 y
Angela Stanley - I wouldn't worry too much. Of all of the places he could be sent, this is one of the safer ones. You have more threat from the environment - lots of critters want to eat you; lots of diseases that you aren't prepared for - than muldoons trying to shoot you.
Having said that, it is Africa and there are numerous shooting wars and insurgencies in the area of operations that we have varying degrees of involvement in. S Sudan, Somalia, and Yemen are pretty hot, other places much less so.
What does you boyfriend do in the military?
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WO1 CH-47F Pilot
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I was there in '12. Nothing left to say that hasn't been said. I'll just leave you with this shot of my Kestrel. Heat index: 132.4°F.
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SPC Corbin Doades
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Everyone there now has better living conditions than what was originally there. I was there in 2004-2005. This is where we slept. Granted we made some minor changes (added partitions). I will admit though, for being a tent with a/c, it stayed a nice 72*F even in the middle of the day.
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Anyone have a recent NG deployment to Djibouti? How was it?
MAJ Operations Officer (S3)
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I'm there now. I'm guessing you're part of the unit relieving us. The "Camp Lemonnier Survival Guide" would be a good start. If you can't find it send me an email on Enterprise and I'll send you the 2016 version I have. Deployment to CLDJ is a good opportunity to do PT, take college classes, do volunteer work, etc. My BN is planning to do two EIB events while we're here, along with sending people to the French Desert Commando Course. Your experience here will depend on what mission set you end up with. Generally speaking you'll have shift work and then the rest of the day to do whatever. It's not much of a war zone. I haven't touch my rifle since mobilization.
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MAJ Operations Officer (S3)
MAJ (Join to see)
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CPT (Join to see) -
Interestingly enough, it is an accompanied tour for the French. It is not for the U.S. You'll actually receive "combat" pay while being stationed at CLDJ.
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Haylee Ramsey
Haylee Ramsey
8 y
WO1 (Join to see) - Do you know when you might be deploying? I know someone that is currently deployed there now.
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WO1 Customer Service Engineer
WO1 (Join to see)
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Haylee Ramsey - Very soon
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Deron Bell
Deron Bell
7 y
Do anyone know of the civilian quarters, I'm going as a civilian to work on base and will be living there how are the quarters for us.
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SGT Team Leader
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I was there, it was pretty easy. I was a PFC when I went and for the most part enjoyed the stay. Our battalion had each of it's batteries performing a different aspect of the forcepro mission (ecp, erf, qrf, flightline, port, random strips in the middle of nowhere) and we never swapped.

If you have the forcepro mission, be prepared man, there is nothing glamorous about it. However, unlike doing FA stuff or sapper stuff where you are never officially free whilst training, at Lemonnier as soon as your shift is done, and your weapon is clean, the rest of the day is yours. So be sure to try and go out into the city every chance you get and take advantage of your four days by going and doing some MWR stuff.

It is very hot there. I'm talking about the humidity making it feel like its 130 plus during the summer, so try to acclimate as much as you can and hope you don't get screwed by leaving in the winter.

Look out for the different missions. We had mil to mil and SST that were better than just forcepro. SST in particular was something somebody that wants to look into SOF might want to investigate because of the units you will be attached to whilst training.

It isn't entirely without danger. I think it was about the midway point of 1stIDs stay in country (they relieved us) suicide bombers blew themselves up and killed about three people at a restaurant we used to eat at.

I really stopped eating in town once they opened up that Subway on post though.

All in all wasn't a bad experience, and I am told it was a good opening deployment for young soldiers.
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SPC Soldier
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It's was nice when I deployed, but I was active duty but it's all the same to me when you deploy. Just be ready for hot winds
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LCDR Vice President
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Not much of a tourist spot but the base has grown a lot and has all the amenities you would expect. Have not deployed there in a long time but we maintain the master base plan for the Navy.
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SGT Ben Keen
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What is going on in Djibouti? This is seriously the third or fourth post I saw today asking about things in Djibouti.
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MAJ Operations (S3)
MAJ (Join to see)
>1 y
There is a large contingent of US military in Djibouti with constant rotation depending on what branch of the service you're in. Anyone not there in the past three years is typically sharing pretty dated info as its grown and changed significantly in the past few years.
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