Captains Cup

A few of the scenes from the most recent Captains Cup. The required island-wide event takes place on the last Friday of every month and participants earnestly compete for the trophy in a series of field events, hosted by the previous winning command. The November games were hosted by the British Royal Commandos. For those of you who have never had the pleasure of meeting a Commando, I will just say these guys are the real deal: they collectively boast more tatoos per square inch of skin than any other organization in the world and I am glad that they are on my side. Hence, the uncertainty was palpable this month as our British friends prepared the field for the coming events: Dutiful corpsmen dug in deep as high-rise structures were erected, weighted burlap bags tested for appropriate impact, and jousting stirrups fashioned. I even verified our supply of jaw fracture kits for the impending misadventure. In all aspects, our expectations were elevated from the previous Cup hosted by Supply - the Diego Garcia equivalent of Animal House - today there would be no tug of war, no frisbee toss. In the end, the day was a sweeping success and a new bar of excellence was set for competition combining athleticism and barbarism. So there you have it...your tax dollars at work helping the rest of us relax.

This may look more like a scene from MTV Spring Break than an ultimate test of balance and will. But I can assure you this was not taken in March.

Cory and CJ..."working"

Dizzy Kayak Slalom: Spin around the pole 10 times, expectorate remains of breakfast, zig-zag through the cones, hop in the waiting kayak, and navigate the floating buoys. Right up my alley.

Halloween Pics

The hair was on loan from "Ginger." We might be approaching the limits of good taste.

Mary Ann, Ginger, Gilligan and the Skipper too.

HM3 Demarais and Demeler. No wonder people have such a hard time keeping these two straight.

Navy Ball

It was a pretty big weekend here on the island. We celebrated the 233rd anniversary of the US Navy in high fashion complete with ceremontial tradition and entertainment galore.

More Chickens

More chickens by popular demand, although I am not sure you would feel the same way about them if they lived outside your door.

Monsoon Season

One of the realities of life on the island is Monsoon Season. After 45 straight days of rain and gale force winds, you come to love the routine: sunny mornings, deluge on the way to lunch, and a comforting howling wind that lulls you to sleep at night. The storm fronts can also make for interesting sailing trips. I almost took an unscheduled trip to Madagascar this past weekend.

Where it all began...

This is actually from Newport, RI last summer during Officer Indoctrination. Looking back, it was one of the best times in my life (just don't tell Chief Barnes). From left: LT Ben Crowley, LT Andrew Himm, LT Ben Lago, LT Daniel Smith, and LT Billy Turley.

Cheesy Work Picture

After 30 years, my own office. I'm re-taking the picture when I get more medals (for posterity of course).

Air Force Ball

Junior Officers at the recent Air Force Ball. From left: LT Aull, ENS Larivee, LT Tellington, LT Pyle, ENS Feury, LT Crowley, LT Adams.

There is nothing like a care package!

Importing goods to DG can be difficult at times, so the Exchange often has a limited selection of useful items. They sell things like soap, milk, bread, badmitton racquets, bicycle derailers, etc. You know, the bare essentials. While the scenery is nice and there are plenty of fun things to do, sometimes you start to miss being home and having access to some of the finer things in life. This is where friends and family are key. Is it childish that my favorite cereal of all time remains Fruity Pebbles? Yes. Is this a shameless plug? Absolutely!

For those of you feeling inspired:
LT Ben Crowley
PSC 466, Box 3
FPO-AP 96595-0003

Cocky Chickens

Ferile chickens are the Diego Garcia equivalent of squirrels. They are everywhere. As with all other forms of life on the island these chickens enjoy implicit protection from the Queen of England. Violations result in a court martial and a trip to the brig! Consequently, they are pretty tame and seem to have the right of way whenever paths cross.

Diego Garcia Recreation

Morale, Welfare, and Recreation subsidizes almost all of the recreation opportunities in Diego Garcia. The fleet of boats at our disposal is substantial and there are plenty of opportunities for recreation on the water. I wakeboard if there is no wind and the lagoon is glassy and sail in the other case. The key is to stay busy and the time flies by.

The smile on my face is actually from a sense of poetic justice. Like all good Wahoos, this one was formidable and put up a good fight, but in the end was not a match. Guess what I will be eating this Thanksgiving day weekend? Victory will never taste so sweet!

My newest roomate

Some places have roach problems, in DG they have bountiful reptilia. This one woke me up whilst I was taking a mid-day nap.

Turtle Cove

These are a few pictures from a recent trip to Turtle Cove. The British government maintains this and a few other areas on the island as a wildlife sanctuary, so swimming and fishing are not allowed. As it turned out, this was a solid policy because among the sea turtles, tropical fish, and rays we saw while we were here, was a shark that I didn't mind observing from a distance.

Sunset in Diego Garcia

I'm not trying to make anyone jealous here, but you should be jealous. The picture looks out over the lagoon, just a few doors down from where I live.

Where I live...

So here it is...sunny, tropical Diego Garcia. If you like cold weather and traffic, then you probably wouldn't like this place too much.