Isolated Duty

1947 Packard Clipper   Another Bath tub design.

(NOTE  I have lost or misplaced my major pics of GITMO)

 

More background:

There are many assignments where military personnel cannot take their families.  Shipboard is one of course then there is Adak Alaska and GITMO Cuba. If one takes their family to GITMO they must agree to stay 2-4 years, or they go without family and it is 1 year isolated duty.

I choose to go there because I could take my family and it was considered sea duty.  As a rule sailors are required to spend some time at sea. I served on Aircraft Carriers most. Two years on the USS Independence and a few years on an inspection team and was aboard all carriers of the East Coast. There are sailors who never go to sea.

Planes leave the ship by catapult, the fighter in the air is leaving via the Waist Cat, the ones in foreground.  are on or awaiting their turn on the forward CAts. My compartment for sleeping  was just below the Waist Cat. Noisy.  LOL  My working area was just below the flight deck, also noisy.

There are many things not taken into consideration for folks in places like GITMO. There are cars of course, so there is a gas station. There is a USN PX and one USMC PX plus one grocery store that is called ‘the Commissary.’

Most shopping closes @ 1800 (6PM), All are closed after 2100 (9PM).  It took me back to my childhood with things closed evenings and Sunday, etc.

One of the things you learn is that there are no Auto repair facilities. You or your friends have to ‘fix’ your cars. . ... One thing you learn very soon after arriving, Most everyone Shops at SEARS.  The Sears of GITMO is ‘The Dump,’ true dat.

Yep the garbage dump held treasures the handy man could use. Keep in mind there is no Auto Zone or Home Depot. I never bought a car part, there were junk cars of all types from which to pull parts. Most washing machine/dryers was repaired with parts accumulated over the years at SEARS, bicycles, scooters, trikes, cars and trucks also.

GITMO is also the world’s largest mine field. Very dangerous and marked well in different languages.

 All fresh water in GITMO comes from a huge desalination plant. The pipes serving barracks and housing are above ground in the sun.. Water is heated for desalination so your water at home is ALWAYS hot or very warm. YOU CANNOT drink from the faucet. So of course, you did not use the hot water handle when taking a shower. 

More GITMO next time. Thanks for stopping by, I appreciate it.

Nite Shipslog

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