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What To
Expect
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WHAT
TO EXPECT WHEN YOU ARRIVE
Once
you finish processing through the CPC in Germany, you will fly to Tuzla Air Base on a military transport. You'll
most likely be suffering from jet lag when you get here, unless you're
coming from Europe. After walking off the plane, you'll be bused to the
personnel contingency office (PERSCO), where you will in process and find
out which Southeast Asia hut will be your home during your TDY. You'll
also be issued your ammunition and your Stabilization Force (SFOR) ID
badge. The SFOR badge must be in your possession at all times and should
be protected like your weapon and your ammo.
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Before arriving here, you should have already had contact with the person
you're replacing or the unit you'll be assigned to here. This means that
someone will be at the passenger terminal to greet you and, more
importantly, that you won't have to drag your bags down the road to
Falcon's Nest, the Air Force living area. If you are not able to find out
who you are replacing at Tuzla, try looking in the phone list, or send an e-mail to
IM with what you do know concerning your assignment here and the e-mail will
be forwarded to your new section.
You
will be expected to hit the ground running. This is why it is wise to make
contact with your predecessor before you arrive. While you can expect your
fellow Air Force members to help you out with some of the day-to-day
things -- like clearing your weapon before going into the dining facility
or pointing out where the nearest bunker is -- prior contact with your
predecessor will help in making your job easier.
The
uniform of the day here is BDUs, and you must carry your weapon and
ammunition with you at all times. Your Kevlar helmet and vest must be
readily available at all times. All of this equipment must be in
serviceable condition prior to your air travel from Rhein-Main Air Base,
Germany, to Tuzla Air Base. You need to be in possession of your weapon,
web belt, Kevlar helmet, and vest on the flight from Ramstein.
Everyone
is required to wear the gold-bordered, reverse-field (stars forward),
multi-colored American flag patch on the right shoulder of their BDUs.
It's a good idea to have your flag patches sewn on your uniforms before
you arrive. Officers should bring subdued metal rank for their Kevlar helmet covers and attach subdued metal rank on the flap of their flak
vest. Officers wear "Shiny Rank" on their BDU soft caps.
Gortex
top and bottom are required all year round. If most of your tour falls between
15 November to 15 March, you will be
required to bring cold weather gear.
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Many newcomers are pleasantly surprised at the progress we have made
toward making Tuzla Air Base comfortable. To get an overview of the
services available here, check out the Living
at Tuzla AB page of this website. The recreational facilities of the
Falcon's Nest area are known as "Rock City" and seem to improve
with each passing day. In addition to the outstanding recreational
facilities the Army offers, there is a wide range of MWR facilities and
activities available on the Air Force side of the base. The Army offers a
complete chapel services team and excellent off-duty education
opportunities.
Check
out the Recommended
Personal Items page for suggestions on what items you should bring
with you. Eagle Base has a relatively large post exchange on the Army side
(a 15-minute walk) and a small base exchange in Rock City. Both carry most
of the necessities you might need, including undergarments, soap, film,
snacks, CDs and videos, and a modest selection of clothing. Note:
The power here is 220V/50Hz, only, with German-style (round prongs) plugs.
If you are planning to use American electronic equipment and appliances,
make sure they are convertible or that you have a transformer of
sufficient wattage. Some of the SEA huts have transformers available in
them.
WHAT
90 DAYS MEANS
For
most of us, deployment means separation from loved ones. Many of us are
told "You're deploying to Bosnia for 90 days." However, it's not
quite that simple. You need to understand what 90 days really means.
When you were notified of your deployment, you were advised of a Date
Required In, otherwise known as a DRI. That is the date you will use to
begin your tour countdown. For example, if your DRI is May 4 and you
arrive May 1, your clock doesn't start until your actual DRI. That
is because the person replacing you is not due in to Tuzla Air Base until
May 4 plus the number of days of your rotation 90 days. Every
position here requires some overlap between the new and departing
personnel.
By the time you figure in a couple of days at the CPC inbound for training
and processing, then a couple more days outbound for equipment turn-in,
medical screening, etc., you will probably be deployed a week or two
longer than the tour length you were given.
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