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Letter from Bahrain
A Redondo reservist writes home
Capt. Jeff Cameron of the Redondo Police Department is a Naval reserve officer who was called to serve just two weeks ago. Easy Reader will publish his occasional dispatches in the months to come.
Family & Friends:
Greetings from Bahrain. I have been here since Friday evening. The flight was about 18 hours in the air and 9 hours on the ground.
I have commenced work in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, the War on Terrorism. I am working evenings, assigned a rental car and cell phone, and live out of a deluxe hotel. As of November 5, 6,533 Naval Reservists have been called to active duty.
We have been admonished: "To put it simply, don't post anything to an official or personal website or include it in an e-mail that you wouldn't share with terrorists and foreign nations' intelligence services. They are watching and listening. It's their job and they do it well. Loose lips sink ships." Well, Mr. Taliban, if you are reading this, with all due disrespect, I would like to ask, "How is your day?" I understand that you are just having a blast!
You may know that I was here for a month last year. I have already renewed a couple of friendships developed then. One is with a very kind and gentle Arab, Mutahar the carpet dealer. His business is flourishing with a steady stream of military personnel through the store looking for a good deal on high quality Persian carpets. Last night I returned to Jim's Restaurant, owned by, you guessed it, Jim, who is an ex-pat from Ireland. Following my last trip here I wrote a letter to Jim thanking him for his "lovely" (a word he likes to use, a lot) hospitality and fine food. To my surprise I found the letter, framed and hanging on a wall in the restaurant prominently displayed with other clients' memoirs. OK, to be honest, it can be found hanging on a wall in the men’s bathroom but it is next to a similar letter signed by an admiral.
And I found Alex Gayson, a former RBPD community service officer, now on active duty as a petty officer with the USCG. Alex is part of a contingent operating small boats providing protection to our ships that are tied up on a pier.
Two officers with the Ministry of Interior are FBI National Academy graduates (as foreign students). I may pay a visit on them too.
As you might imagine, I am staying busy, on-duty and off-duty. Obviously I would rather be home with you but we have an important job to do here and I am happy to be a part of that. I will be in touch.
In the meantime, you know what you can do - just KWTF.
Agent/CDR Jeff Cameron
PSC 451 NCIS
FPO, AE 09834-2800