Infantry company has been validated for the East African Response Team deployment. What should I expect?

2018-02-01T19:02:28-05:00

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 1 at 2018 7:23 PM

2018-02-01T19:23:52-05:00

Patrolling on foot and MRAPs, guard duty, gate security, there is always a chance if a T.I.C . Good luck and god speed.

Response by SPC Mark Brown made Feb 1 at 2018 7:39 PM

2018-02-01T19:39:05-05:00

Practice your marksmanship and running ability.

Response by LTC John Mohor made Feb 1 at 2018 8:17 PM

2018-02-01T20:17:05-05:00

Pack some paperback books you'll be interested in reading. They don't require charging and you never now when you can save a little of your own sanity to escape the moments of hurry up and wait!

Response by SPC Erich Guenther made Feb 1 at 2018 9:33 PM

2018-02-01T21:33:52-05:00

You should be very very careful and alert and possibly expect to take fire. East Africa from Somalia all the way down to Kenya is in trouble with various insurgencies or roving terrorist groups.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 1 at 2018 9:50 PM

2018-02-01T21:50:18-05:00

I’m deploying to Djibouti in June of this year...what battalion you attached to?

Response by CPT Gurinder (Gene) Rana made Feb 2 at 2018 5:30 AM

2018-02-02T05:30:18-05:00

Jungles and urban areas; towns and villages; dusty tracks and charred racks; cheaters and eaters; oil and development, etc - normal stuff. Very helpful people, if you earn their respect.

Response by LTC Jason Mackay made Feb 2 at 2018 2:30 PM

2018-02-02T14:30:41-05:00

Your unit has been validated for deployment, didn't your MRE shed any light on it?

Response by 2LT Brian L. made Feb 3 at 2018 10:17 AM

2018-02-03T10:17:28-05:00

guarding the gate

Response by CPO Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 5 at 2018 4:23 PM

2018-02-05T16:23:21-05:00

I was in Djibouti in 2007 for an IA billet. I Spent 1.5 Months there then went to Ethiopia for 3 Months than back to Djibouti for an additional 1.5 Months then left.

Please keep in mind its been 10+ years. I lived in Tent city in Djibouti, but the CLU"s were just opening up as I left. Each CLU was a Conex box with its own AC and 2 Bunks lots of space. there was plans to move the base watering hole out near the CLU's (I don't know if they did or not) The Base had Wifi in 2007, wasn't great but I bet it has improved since then. There was an Exchange, a Barber shop, the Thunder dome (AC Cooled GYM) warrior pit, volleyball court and basket ball court. DEFAC was in 2 locations but food was good back then even the zommies liked it. I worked J6 Tac Comms, So we did Well drilling operations comms, Store keeper Comms (hence Ethiopia) Helo flight comms (I hate helos now thanks Condors lol) and an occasional convoy (My kidneys still hurt) All around I loved it. Depending on your MOS and local intel you could have a great time or be 100% miserable. Its probably the hottest place I have ever been, even with AC the temp didn't drop below 90, HYDRATE!!!! don't ever stop drinking bottled water (Don't drink from the tap) The locals were / are nice people. They did not have any issues with Americans when I was there. Watch out for taxi drivers chewing on Kaut (you will get briefed on it) Don't swim in the Ocean they don't do sewage treatment like we do just saying.

In Ethiopia I worked with a Group from Guam They called themselves Assassins I forget what unit. They were a blast to work with and I miss the Guam Kitchen and playing Pusoy Dos. Anyways here is a song by Tom Shepard about Djibouti that anyone who has been there can make them laugh.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcEjezfFKrQ

Thom Shepherd-Djibouti Song

Thom Shepherd was playing for the troops in the middle east, and near the end of the trip, they were sent to a place in Africa called Djibouti (juh booty)......