CAMP LEMONIER, Djibouti –
Name: Lt. Col. Timothy Dweylan Wilson
Home Unit: Air Commbat Command Operations Directorate
What do you do? I am Chief, Theater Security Cooperation. My office has six to 10 officers and civilians at any one time representing 11 countries as desk and foreign affairs officers in the Horn of Africa.
What's a day in the life like ... while in Djibouti? Our team is responsible for planning and programming all theater programs which are prioritized annually on behalf of U.S. Africa Command. We work as many as 12 hour days ensuring that U.S. Africa Command mission objectives and initiatives are synchronized with U.S. Africa Command and co-components security capacity, relationship building and civil affair activities on the continent.
What will you remember about your deployment 20 years from now? That I was a part of assisting Africans with solving African problems in association with the first US based command function on the continent of Africa.
What's the most useful item you packed? A book on the history of Ethiopia titled "Layers of Time" by Paul B. Henze.
When did you realize you "weren't in Kansas anymore;" aka your "Dorothy" moment? The very first day I stepped foot on the continent. It was a cool 100 degrees.
What has been the highlight of your tour? Visiting the Ethiopia National museum in Addis Ababa and seeing the replica fossilized remains of Lucy; the first identified human on earth. She is over 3.6 million years old and was found in Hadar Ethiopia which is in the Afar region of east Ethiopia's Rift Valley. Her partial skeletal bones are currently being displayed on tour in the U.S. The importance of her discovery in 1973 has set the tone for understanding Homo sapiens and human species development.
What's the best part of the deployment? The best part of the deployment was being assigned to the plans division and knowing that I participated in the first documented long range planning effort for the 11 countries identified as the Horn of Africa. In addition, meeting and communicating with a myriad of indigenous people that blanket the exterior parts of Djibouti, Tanzania, Zanzibar, Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia has provided an understanding of our fellow man that you simply cannot get from books.
The worst part? Not being home to participate in the inauguration of President Barack Obama in Washington, D.C. in person.
What new survival skill have you learned? I have improved my French, Arabic and Amharic skills.
What do you do during down time? I am writing a fiction spy thriller based loosely on my experiences in country. I hope to release the book at the end of 2009.
What is the first thing you will do when you return? Fly home to visit my family in Augusta, Ga. and attend the final round of the Masters tournament.
What is the first thing you will eat when you return? Anything my mother or sister puts on my plate.
What insight/experience will you take away from your time over there? Africa has its own pace and will eventually solve their own problems the way the Africans decide. Africa is a very big place and has over 2,000 languages and dialects. The continent is three times the size of the United States. All coalition forces play a supporting role to assist and enhance requirements the Africans request. I am very proud to play an important role in Africa's continued development as an emerging continent and economy. Likewise, their successful development ensures that America's interest are safe and secure for future generations.
What do you miss the most? I will miss the mystic nature, diverse culture and indigenous warm people who love the continent and understand its importance to the beginning of mankind. Most are extremely poor and content with their basic way of life. Africans are tremendously proud and desire the right to self-determination. The history of Africa is the oldest on planet earth and is responsible for much of the development and maturation of its sister continents. Africa is rich in resources and people and will play a much larger role in the future development and expansion of all nations.
How is your job that you are doing now different from the job back stateside? I am a traditional active duty air traffic control officer. I have never worked as a strategic plans officer, however I have learned a great deal about how the U.S .military plans for future and long term theater operations in a combat environment. It certainly has helped me understand the nature of a joint environment.
Have you tried the local cuisine? .Absolutely. The variety of spices, food preparation and culture presentation is unlike any other place I have been assigned in over 20 years. Africa has a much larger footprint and culture diversity so there is no such thing as an African cuisine because of the nomadic nature of its people.
What do you think about what you hear on the news from what is going on stateside?
We have access to cable and satellite television which features all the major networks and the Armed Forces network. We only have to stay up in the early morning hours to ensure we see the programming live.
Do you have plans for any extra money that you might be making from this deployment? No.
If so, what will you buy? Save, save, save,