2 Aug 07 - PROMOTE ME!

Well, my birthday is in 10 days. Get to celebrate my 21st birthday in Africa, weird.

Probably 10-13 days until I hear about E5 results, I hope I make it! If not me, at least Piper, he would make a good NCO, but I think we are both pretty damn deserving.

We should be heading back to camp in about 13 days. I only have 50 days left in this place, so it will be just over a month left once I get back to camp.

Most people get an Achievement medal out of here. I hope the leadership doesn't get lazy on me!

I'm going to try to call my mom and sister tonight. I hope to get ahold of one of them. It's been pretty boring lately. I'm really only responsible for my two SITREPs a day, and I try to help out wherever I can, but between not knowing how to drill wells, and my two SITREPs, I pretty much don't do much.

30 Jul 07 - You look fresh

Yesterday we went in for a resupply. I got a nice shower, but didn't have enough time for laundry. Maybe the Djiboutian women will be out there tomorrow.

"You look fresh! Get to work."

I went to the Cantina tonight and played a little spades. Kiki and I kicked ass as always.

I don't really have much to say tonight, because it has been the same old thing these last few days.

E5 results come out on the 15th. I'm hoping I made it but I'm not feeling super confident. I deserve the promotion, let's just hope the Air Force sees it that way as well.

27 Jul 07 - Gardens, Somalia, and Baboons, Oh my!

So I'm trying to quit smoking. I cheated already. Two cigarettes in one day isn't bad for the 20+ a day I had been smoking. I'm glad SSG Hipp is here, kind of like my conscience, but at the same time, he doesn't rub it in if I cheat.


Today we walked about 11 miles from camp to visit a local who has a garden with some guava. We're all dying for some fresh fruit. His place turned out to be amazing! Built completely out of stone, mud, and old construction junk left by the French.

Djiboutian's home/garden

There are buildings with thatch roofs, and a huge wall made of stone overlooking a large garden in a valley between two mountains. It was beautiful, but every rose has its thorn.

200ft to the south is the dreaded border to Somalia with an armed guard waving his AK-47 around like it's a damn toy.

We made our way back without much of an altercation and came across a baboon. It nearly massacred SSG Hipp's face, and it stole my pop-tart. Bastard ass baboon fuck, I was looking forward to my pop tart.

Bastard ass Baboon fuck.

Anyways, our orders got extended once more, we're now looking at Aug 15th before we head back to camp, hell yeah. The longer the better. I am not looking forward to going back to Camp Lemonier, not a big fan of politics. Then again, they do have pop-tarts.