CAMP ARIFJAN LIVING

Hard to believe it is already time to update the blog. Seems like just yesterday I arrived here and now the unit we relieved is on their way home and we have the mission. The last of our group arrived so we are now working full force. This week I wanted to hit on the living at my base to give everyone a feel for life at Camp Arifjan.

Overall the base has everything you could ask for and in some instances the amenities are better than most stateside bases. I live in a PCB (Pre-Constructed Building) in the “1400 Block” neighborhood. It is like a “suburb” of tract housing with a bunch of buildings, all exactly the same, for berthing. Each one holds up to 50+ people so the troops are really packed in. As an Officer, we have more room and I even get a corner since I am the senior person in my building. There are bunk beds galore and a bunk of wall lockers that I was able to use for privacy screening. I created a little pod and even put my Seabee Flag over the entry for a little more privacy. All the lights are on one switch so you have to get used to sleeping with lights on or getting ready in the dark, but it should not be too terrible.

The gym is very nice. It is a large building with tons of equipment. So far it seems to get very busy in the mornings, but that is the only time I have made it so far. I am working on getting into a routine, but it has been hard so far. The DFAC (Dining Facility) is fine with decent food. Nothing great, but more than you could ever eat (they just keep scooping it on even after you tell them to stop) with the typical meat, vegetables, and salad. The chapel is a nice small tent with a wooden floor and pews. There is a small Exchange (shopping area) with the necessities. Not always the brand you want, but they will have the essentials. The other side of the base (Zone 1) has a pool that I checked out last weekend. It had five lanes and a general swim area. There is a movie theater, tv room, phones, and internet in the Community Center. A FREE laundry service that will clean anything you give them in two to three days and best of all a Starbucks. The outside is the same trailers as everything else, but the inside looks like a normal Starbucks (lights, bar, tables, chairs). I made a deal with one of my co-workers that if I shaved my head, he would buy me a Starbucks for every week I kept it clean. Well, today was the day so I am going to start drinking free coffee tomorrow. Just as easy to keep it completely shaved rather than deal with trims.

My office is a tent with some walls/doors built into it for offices. We have a couple of us working in the tent, but I can even close my door for meetings or just to get away. I did install a sliding door in one of the walls so my Assistant Operations Officer and I can communicate without getting up every five minutes. So far we really like it.