Around 1230 on Friday, 14 October RP1 and I were preparing to pack to go to attend the CENTCOM (US Central Command) Chaplains Conference for the senior chaplains and chaplain assistants serving in Iraq, Afghanistan and Horn of Africa when my pager vibrated. One of our Seabees (Navy Construction Battalion personnel) had been killed and another injured in a vehicular accident in Manda Bay, Kenya. Within about 2 hours I was on a C-130 (Air Force cargo plane) flying to Nairobi with the HOA Surgeon, Seabee Officer-in-Charge, Master Chief, and Safety Chief, and a PAO (Public Affairs Office) Marine. Our Kenyan Embassy staff contacts met us at the airport and got us to the hotel while we awaited the arrival of the injured who was being flown from Manda Bay. By 2100 we were able to go visit our Seabee in the hospital. He was battered and bruised physically and shaken emotionally at the loss of his friend, but deemed stable enough to be transported back to Djibouti in a couple of days. Then it was back to the hotel to get some dinner and some sleep.
Ancient BaobabTree, Manda Bay
We departed for Manda Bay around 0700 on Saturday aboard a chartered 8-passenger airplane that was able to land on the airstrip near Camp Simba the Seabees had been clearing. Once we got to the camp, after the OIC and Master Chief had the opportunity to speak to their troops, I conducted a Critical Incident Stress Debriefing to get them talking about the accident and the loss of their shipmate. I concluded the session with a time of prayer. During the course of the day I had opportunities to do some one-on-one counseling with some of the Seabees as well as the other personnel located at the camp.
My next task was to figure how I could still get to my conference in Bahrain. The generators were broken and there was no electricity in the camp. Fortunately, I was able to get hold of a satellite cell phone and call my RP2 back in Djibouti to get him to start working on having my orders modified so I could fly from Kenya to Bahrain without having to return to Djibouti. During the day I learned that the body of the deceased Seabee would be shipped back to Djibouti and all of Camp Le Monier would turn out to receive our fallen comrade before his body was returned home. The chaplains back at the Camp had been providing counsel and support to personnel back there.
As we approached bed time, the generators were repaired and power restored. Thank you Jesus! That meant we had light and air-conditioning in the sleeping tents and email and TV in the MWR (Morale, Welfare, Recreation) tent. Yes, technology does allow us some amenities. Sunday morning I checked my email and found that RP2 had forwarded me an electronic ticket for a flight from Nairobi to Bahrain for 0045 Monday morning. I responded, that was great except I was still in Manda Bay. Before time for the morning service I had received a cell phone call from our contact at the embassy, informing me a flight from Lamu to Nairobi was being arranged.
Dhow Sailing Manda Bay
At 1000 I conducted a worship service with a memorial emphasis for the Camp upon the deck the Seabees had built for the camp. This deck that sits beside the MWR tent has become the camp gathering place for meetings, socializing, playing darts or other leisure activities. I told them about the African tale of the Sankofa bird that flies forward while looking backward. I tied this to the story of Caleb as an example of one who looked back at the source of his passion as he moved forward to fulfill his purpose when he claimed the hill country of the Promised Land. (Joshua 14). I encouraged them to look back and remember their fallen comrade and to look back and remember the passion that had caused them to volunteer to serve. Then I challenged them to discover their purpose and move forward to fulfill their unit's and life's mission.
At 1400 we began the half hour ride past small villages into Mokowe Lamu where I boarded a small outboard motor boat that zipped me across Manda Bay to the Lamu Airfield. As we traversed the deep blue waters we passed several triangular sailed dhows transporting passengers or fishing. By 1545 I was in the air headed for Nairobi. Once in Nairobi I met up with some other HOA folks transiting through Nairobi. There was time for me to shop for some more civilian clothes, which I would need to wear at the conference. I had only grabbed one extra shirt in addition to what I wore for traveling when I left Djibouti. After a very nice dinner ( VERY NICE - fried sea trout with a dill sauce and grilled vegetables.) I was taken to the airport.
My flight on Emirates Airline to Bahrain took me through Dubai, an amazingly modern city in the United Arab Emirates along the Persian Gulf. The airport is like a large duty- free shopping mall with a luxury hotel. It was fascinating watching Muslims from many nations, outfitted in all white or various colored outfits, observing the prayers and rituals of Ramadan while I awaited my flight. When I arrived in Bahrain, my RP1 was waiting for me at the airport. We had dinner at the hotel then I was able to send an email from the hotel business center before heading to bed.
The conference was held aboard the Naval Support Activity Bahrain for about 30 of us. I had missed Monday's lectures about interaction in a Muslim world but was there in time to hear all the briefings from the chaplains in Iraq and Afghanistan and to present my briefing of HOA ministry. On Thursday morning I had the opportunity to bring the opening devotional, so I used the Sankofa and Caleb stories again with a different twist on the passion/purpose part. The conference concluded on Thursday.
Cityscape - Manama, Bahrain
Because of agreement with the Bahrain government, the work week at NSA Bahrain is Sunday-Thursday with Friday being the day of worship on base. The chaplain at Bahrain was gracious enough to extend me the opportunity to preach for their Protestant service. Whoa, what a rocking and vibrant service! They began with a few traditional hymns and responsive reading, then shifted gears with the praise team leading more congregational singing and the prayer time, before the Gospel choir sang prior to the preaching. I preached "What! Me Worry!" from Philippians 4:4-9. Oh we had a glorious service. Following the service the chapel has coupons for brunch at the restaurant on base. Later on the Chaplain took RP1 and I to the homes of one the congregation were a bunch of folks from Louisiana and Mississippi served up some gumbo and fellowship. The whole day was a "down home" experience that ended when we had to get to the airport around 2300.
We returned to Djibouti on the "Rotator," the regularly scheduled chartered flight that starts at Naval Air Station Norfolk and makes several stops along the way ending in Djibouti. The Rotator is how I originally came to Djibouti and how I will eventually return to CONUS. On Sunday afternoon we held the official Memorial Service for our Seabee. The chaplain assigned to the Seabee Battalion came down from Fallujah, Iraq to provide the eulogy and spend some time with his folks here in the Horn of Africa. There is nothing like a pastor taking care of his own folk. His sheep know his voice.
God bless you, real good!
Holy Man of the Horn