Latest news from the Rocketeer household..After the wife spent November in the land of the fresh planted poppies and the daughter is now into week two of her ' training exercise' in the land of Oz comes the word that son No. 1 is to deploy to that wondrous vacation spot off the beaten path, known as Sierra Leone, beginning in May...

anyone know a good brand of bug spray??

Ahhhh...Sierra Leone, it's lovely this time of year!
Have him brush up on the Kriol.
Halo.
Howdi bodi?

Why is it that military men know how to ask for booze and women in the language of the country to which they are assigned?

How many can ask to see the nearest art museum or opera is?

Good luck to your son, Rocketeer.

Rocket,
I don't know what you've got available in the frozen word of Canada, but we send "Off" insect repellant with Deet in it. The more Deet...the better.

Hope your son doesn't get chewed up too bad.

:-)
C-Mom

quote:

Originally posted by HarryP:
Why is it that military men know how to ask for booze and women in the language of the country to which they are assigned?

How many can ask to see the nearest art museum or opera is?

Good luck to your son, Rocketeer.

Actually, that's "Hello. How are you?". But, yes, that's what many believe. Alcohol and women are what many believe they learn, but not in my experience. My first and most dominant phrase (meaning I still remember it) in several different languages is: "Get Back!"

Mine was “Becoupe Dein Ca Cao! which means very crazy and stupid.

its called "peso-nality"

Well. trust the mucky-mucks to do something without asking... Son got his walking papers for Africa and almost dropped them when he saw the fine print..
No Sierra Leone after all [ where he was slated to be an 'advisor' and train government troops ]
instead he's headed for Somalia!! as a COCom of a UN Observer Unit monitoring the 'cease fire ' between ' Darfur Rebels ' and the Whackymujadeen Government Proxy nutbars..

daughter-in-law less than enthused that he'll be posted to some mudhut in no man's land counting which side shoots more bullets and throws more grenades instead of bunking down in a one star hotel teaching soldiers what human rights mean...
apparently change of government up here means change of priorites...

ours is not to reason why...

this is not good. recommend a really good bullet proof vest be taken along and worn.

Yeah...we've been checking out Kevlar undies to add to his kit.. Looks like he'll be leaving May 12-13 ..he gets some leave end of September, then back again to count more ' infractions '...

Daughter's back from Aussieland [ brought me a T-shirt ] and is reviewing for her next assignment - back prepping newbies on how not to be scared falling off jump towers and cliffs and how not to drown in full kit when thrown out of watercraft- until the Fall when she's being transferred to Public Affairs duties [ military finally got wise to having a cute female who looks fab in combats as a ' spokesperson ' - she says she doesn't mind trading cam sticks for lipstick ]

As for the Good Padre -she's being bumped upstairs- looks like she'll be Deputy Area Chaplain in charge of 3 brigades [ instead of 1 ] and may make Light Colonel before mandatory retirement [ got to keep at least one promotion ahead of the kids don't want Mom having to salute the children - LOL]

Meanwhile the ol' Rocketeer is polishing shoes and ironing shirts to look spiffy for a series of lectures/dissertations [-puts pocket change in the old piggybank.]

Got to meet the Consul General of the US at a recent VIP dinner with the Chief of Defence Staff, Chief of the Air Command and various dignitaries/politicians.. very smart and interesting lady..also picked up some revealing gossip re: Afghanistan operations which, sadly, I can't recount in any detail on public forums...though I do have one or two short stories I will post under another thread...

juicy tidbits about afganistan? (like what was the real reason we invaded and took over the place?)

World's largest producer of opium; cultivation of opium poppy reached unprecedented level of 206,700 hectares in 2004; counterdrug efforts largely unsuccessful; potential opium production of 4,950 metric tons; potential heroin production of 582 metric tons if all opium was processed; source of hashish; many narcotics-processing labs throughout the country; drug trade source of instability and some antigovernment groups profit from the trade; 80-90% of the heroin consumed in Europe comes from Afghan opium; vulnerable to narcotics money laundering through informal financial networks

What can I say?
Just got off the phone with my son who informs me that he's been reassigned yet again!!.. Still going as a UN Observer attached to multi-national force but not Somalia..nope.. The Sudan.. leaves June 1st..
He's off to the Med Station to get his pre-op pills and jabs and fill out the requisite reams of paperwork so I guess, this time, there won't be any more bait and switch tactics by the higher ups...

At least its still Africa...

Sudan huh? Ilemi Triangle, Hala'ib Triangle, along with the Lord's Resistance Army will make for an interesting deployment. Strongly recommend the kevlar undies.....

Things are gearing up fast...After a pre-deployment briefing in May, son is off to Khartoum for some ' orientation ' then ships out to the Nuba Mountains..He's been assigned to Sector IV in Kadugli in Kordofan Province.. right smack dab in the middle of the Sudan..Supposed to ' observe ' violations of the CPA [ Comprehensive Peace Agreement ] between the Muslim north and the Animist/Christian south..and, [ bugger this ] ROE calls for no weapons!! Unarmed Observers to tally potentiqal conflict in a 21 year old civil war??? WTF??? 32 Canadian service personnel are assigned as part of the 539 member UN patrols across the country...
Needless to say, his wife and Mom, the Padre, are a little apprehensive..though there have been no ' incidents' of problems reported since the UN Force was set up last year...

So that pretty blue helmet is gonna keep him safe? If this was me or my son, I'd slip in a small compact pistol to keep handy. (just in case) rather have it and not need it, ......u know the rest.

Geez, there are places in the US where I wouldn't venture unarmed, much less the middle of Sudan!