Brian's Coming Home!!

Djibouti World Cup Team circa 2020


We have less than two weeks until we head home, it is just a matter of spinning up our relief and then the semantics of the flight schedule. At the latest we should be home by the end of the month.

Soccer update: I have attached two pictures from our trip to hand out the soccer balls. The first place we went to was one of the schools that we had worked on in the last few weeks. We painted the classrooms, fixed the desks and provided every student with ample school supplies to get them through their college years. The students were very nice and the nuns who run the school accepted some of the soccer equipment for the students to use while they are at school.

We also went to the small shanty town I had been a few times on patrols. The kids always mob us and it’s kind of a stressful situation as they almost fight over the things we bring for them. The soccer balls went over really well.

I have not been to the orphanage yet as my schedule has been pretty busy. The only reason I was able to get out on the other trip was because it was considered to be duty by the command. I will get some more pictures from the orphanage asap.

On the weather front, we actually had some decent weather lately; we are told it is because the official summer is ending. One night after 16 hours of pouring rain it was even 79 degrees, with 75% humidity. The days have still been hot but nice, mostly just over 120.

We are ready to get home; our job here is almost finished. We are all looking forward to seeing our families, friends, dogs. The tour here has been tough, but looking back on all the good things we have accomplished while we were here changes my perspective on the whole deployment.

I’m sure that the Marines of the 4th Provisional Security Company made a positive impression on the people and especially on the kids of Djibouti. Many of my Djiboutian friends on base and in town have asked me to come back some day, not sure that will happen but who knows. I told them if they can get California weather I would consider it!

Thanks for all of the support, prayers and well wishes. I hope all is well with all of you!

Brian