I am Mobilizing to Kuwait next month. Any advice?

Hydrate hydrate hydrate, you're going in right around Ramadan time and at first the heat will be unbearable. DO NOT I repeat DO NOT sent your cold weather gear home. Although it's hot when you first get there the temperature drops like crazy once it gets to winter time.
Lastly, if they still haven't allowed Liberty off base (I was there in 2008-2009, things might have changed) make sure you try and get yourself into one of the MWR trips off base.

That place sucks. Drunk fn water....lots of it. It gets ridiculously hot amd the sand storms are aweful. If you're goin to AJ, take swim trunks....sit back, collect that paycheck. Easiest deployment in the world. I was at Buehring....very boring.

Kuwait is just like any garrison that's think's it is driving the war. Too much brass licking not enough focus on the fight. Expect your big challenge is to get your job to actually assist the war effort verses the normal Army admin BS. Make your tour matter, good luck.

And wear your pt belt everywhere!!!! Seriously, even if it is daylight, wear it. If it gets dark outside and some CSM, First Sergeant, or CO, see you without one......well let us just say that you will be posted outside the gym checking to make sure everyone else has theirs. If you get caught multiple times, then you can get paperwork up to an Article 15. I am not joking.

But if you remember that and keep a positive attitude then you will be fine. You cannot take the bootleg DVD's that you buy back home with you so do not go crazy.

Also be careful on the outlets that you use. You do not want to fry your laptop.

But since you are a junior NCO Like myself, I want you to know since you will be supervising troops, that leadership has nothing better to do than walk around and make some people's lives miserable. I am not being a negative Nancy, I am speaking the truth whether they like it or not. So you will have to deal with some really dumb s##t.......even mow dumber than on Post. Good luck bro and if opsec allows it, send your address in a private message and we can send you some care packages.

I was in Arifjan in 2011-2012. It wasn't bad. It depends on your mission; if you are supporting the Kuwaiti Army then your tour will be different than if you are supporting the TSC or one of the tenant units. The gyms on Arifjan are amazing; there is a lot going on regarding MWR activities. If you are going to spend a year away from your friends, family, and home, there are far worse places to go than Kuwait.

A lot of rank and saluting. Hot but can get really cold during winter months, especially after you've acclimated. Plenty of things to do when down time is available. 24 hour gyms were implemented and are awesome. I just got back from Kuwait. Feel free to ask more if you would like. This is just some BLUF.

Get sunglasses with the flaps around the sides. You can get corneal abrasions from blowing sand during sandstorms. And now it's time to bring War & Peace and all those other books you've been intending to read.

First enjoy the cooler weather as soon as the heat hits you will acclimate to the heat at night you will feel cold even when you see the temp is 90-100 degrees so keep a lite jacket handy in the evening . Second watch your surroundings and remember bright colored reptiles are dangerous pink and purple looking snakes in the sand dunes are poisonous and also watch for the desert monitors

I'm guessing you're going one of two places: Arifjan or Buehring.

I've only been to Arifjan once for a few hours. It reminded me of a stateside Air Force Base. I've spent a fair amount of time at Buehring. It wasn't all that much different from a FOB in Iraq, minus the mortar attacks.

I'll have to check my hard drive, I may have some stuff from my deployment I can pass on.

I'm here now. The months of May, June, July, and August is the hot months. It not bad. It was sand storm at time