A Visit With Sergeant Major Kent and Lieutenant General Sattler

A Visit With Sergeant Major Kent and Lieutenant General Sattler, QRF Lot of Camp Lemonier, Djibouti

Still Life

Still Life - Camp Lemonier, Djibouti

Monster Garage, Djibouti (Part II)

Monster Garage, Djibouti (Part II)

More Scenes Around Camp

More scenes around camp - Camp Lemonier, Djibouti

Doc's Office (Part II)

Doc's Office (Part II) - Camp Lemonier, Djibouti

Another Hot Day

"Black Flag" (Intense Heat) up by 10 AM...

Yes, that's 120 degrees in the shade...

"When they said Africa Hot, they were not kidding!" - "The Lion" on the overabundance of heat in the region

Cheetah Refuge (Part II)

More pictures of the Cheetah Refuge - Djibouti, Africa

Cheetah Refuge (Part I)

"It was a particularly hot day out for everyone - even the cheetahs" - "The Lion" on the Cheetah Refuge - Djibouti, Africa

Doc's Office (Part I)

Doc's Office - Camp Lemonier, Djibouti

It's An iPod Nation

"The iPod is a brand of portable media players designed and marketed by Apple Computer. Devices in the iPod family provide a simple user interface designed around a central scroll wheel (with the exception of the iPod shuffle). The standard iPod model stores media on a built-in hard drive, while the smaller iPod shuffle and iPod nano use flash memory. Like most digital audio players, an iPod can serve as an external data storage device when connected to a computer...The iPod's mainstream use and popularity worldwide in the MP3 player market has led to iPod becoming one of the world's most popular brands of MP3 player." - Source "Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia" online at http://en.wikipedia.org

Pool Party

Pool Party - Hospital Corps Birthday, Camp Lemonier, Djobouti

108th Hospital Corps Birthday Celebration

Hospital Corpsmen in Djibouti Celebrate 108th Birthday
Story Number: NNS060620-09 Release Date: 6/20/2006 1:19:00 PM
By Chief Journalist Robert Palomares, Commander, Joint Task Force Horn of Africa Public Affairs

CAMP LEMONIER, Djibouti (NNS) -- A small but enthusiastic gathering of hospital corpsmen and their Marines and Sailors gathered in the small chapel aboard Camp Lemonier here June 17 to celebrate the 108th anniversary of the establishment of the Hospital Corpsman rate.

It also was a time to recognize the bond between the corpsmen and Marines and Sailors they care for.

A special bond exists between the corpsman and the Marines they serve with, "and we’re here to celebrate and reinforce that bond," said Marine Col. Gerard W. Fischer, commanding officer of the Marine Corps Forces, Central Command, Djibouti at Camp Lemonier.

"All Marines love their ‘Docs,’" Fischer said. "They give us inspiration and confidence to do our job. During this long war we are currently in, Marines know there are IEDs (improvised explosive devices) waiting, and without the confidence of knowing they are going to be taken care of by you corpsmen, they can’t do the job."

Most times, the corpsmen are right beside the Marines, and if not, they’re in front of the Marines going into battle, Fischer said.

"Just this last week, 54 Marines were injured in fighting in Iraq. And without you with us, we wouldn’t have that sense of confidence we need to do the job," he said. "That’s the real gift you give the Marine Corps and the Navy."

Although the Navy rate was officially established in 1898 when President William McKinley signed the bill into law, the Hospital Corps has been around since 1799, when Congress mandated that all Navy ships provide an area where sick and injured men could be brought an cared for by other crew members.

The Hospital Corps is the most decorated branch of the U.S. Navy and has been on the front lines of every battle in the U.S. history. There have been 22 Medal of Honor award recipients from the Hospital Corps - half of all Medals of Honor awarded to the Department of the Navy. In addition, there have been 174 Navy Crosses, 31 Distinguished Service Medals, 943 Silver Stars, and 1,553 Bronze Stars awarded to Navy Hospital corpsmen, since the establishment of the rate.

As part of the ceremony, the newest Hospital Corpsman Third Class was frocked. Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Kari McCleaf, of the Camp Lemonier Expeditionary Medical Force, was officially recognized.

Hazy Dusk Patrol

Hazy Dusk Patrol - Somewhere in Djibouti, Horn of Africa

Oasis Movie House

The New Oasis Movie House - Camp Lemonier, Djibouti

MCMAP "Fight Night" - The Aftermath

SSGT's Lopez & Flynn ham it up for the camera aftere an eventful night of MCMAP training at the Warrior Pit

"The Marine Corps Martial Arts Program (MCMAP) molds the Mental, Character and Physical Disciplines for the Marine Corps in order to imbed Marines with the ability to honoranly deal with the moral dimensions of conflict and to make ethical decisions in life, whether on or off the battlefield...The program is a relection fo the warrior ethos and provides a superb tool to increase a Marine's self-worth and to enhance unit cohesion."

Smoke and Mirrors

"Smoke and Mirrors" - Camp Lemonier, Djibouti

Tent Life

Scenes from Tent Delta 23, Camp Lemonier - Horn of Africa

Your 4th Provisional Security Company Medical Staff

4th Provisional Security Company Medical Staff

"primum non nocere" - first do no harm

(L-R) HM3 Jonathan "J.C." Coleman, EMT-P (Lead EMT)

HM3 Frederick "Tunnel Rat" Espejo (Admin Guru)

HM2 Carlos "Gato Negro" Zavala (EMF Liaison/OFP and Sickcall Lead)

HM2 Peter "Guts" Gutierrez (Medical Chief)

The Nightlife in Djiboutiville

"You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough" - Mae West