Miss America, Spain and Ghana...it's been a busy 2 weeks

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Thanks for indulging me as I discussed the sale of our house in Saint Louis and the purchase of property in Arizona.  I know that neither has anything to do with "Exploring the European and African Unions" but had to share those important events.

It has been a whirlwind two weeks for me.  On Sunday May 9 I helped cover a visit by Miss America 2010 Caressa Cameron to U.S. Africa Command and Germany.  I wrote a story about her visit and took a video of her with GEN Ward, AFRICOM's commander.  She was supposed to sing the National Anthem and speak at a conference in Garmisch on the 9th but the Icelandic volcano had other plans.   Thus the video, which you can watch on YouTube.  A second story was done about her meeting with AFRICOM staff reference our HIV/AIDS work with African militaries.  Click here for that story.  

On Monday the 10th I drove to the airport and Tom and I switched places.  Tom was just arriving from an overnight flight, returning from the U.S. where he was at Maxwell’s graduation ceremony from Infantry School…he is now in the Pennsylvania National Guard.  We're very proud!  

So, Tom jumped in the car and went home, and I left for a four day trip to Rota, Spain.  Our naval component - Naval Forces Africa - was hosting a Hot Wash, basically an after action review, for the Africa Partnership Station's USS Gunston Hall.  Gunston Hall's staff just completed a 4 month mission, assisting in relief efforts in Haiti and then conducted two months of engagements and training with West African navies.  If you click on the Africa Partnership Station link it will take you to the vignette/fact sheet section of the Africa Command website.  There is a vignette on the work the Gunston Hall did in Haiti and also information about APS in general.    

The Gunston Hall was at port there in Rota, Spain and I asked the APS Public Affairs Officer if I might be able to get on the vessel.  I had never been on or even close to a U.S. Navy vessel.  Fortunately we were able to get out and see the Gunston Hall on Tuesday.

Here is a picture of the Gunston Hall.  The sunlight was pretty harsh so it's not exactly the best photo.
The Gunston Hall had an international staff on board that organized the various engagements in Africa.
















While onboard I noticed a peculiar flag flying on the ship.  It had red and white stripes and a snake on it.  At the bottom it said "Don't Tread on Me."  I recognized the flag from the HBO series "John Adams." 


I didn't really know the story behind the flag so I got on the internet and did some research.  Apparently it is the First Navy Jack, which Commodore Esek Hopkins first employed in the Fall of 1775 as he readied the Continental Navy.  One of his signals for the whole fleet to engage the enemy was flying the striped Jack in a designated place.  The Secretary of the Navy directed that all U.S. Navy ships raise this historic Jack beginning September 11, 2002 and continue to do so throughout the global war on terrorism.  

After my time in Rota, I flew home and was at work on Friday and then left again Sunday.  This time for Ghana.  I was attending and providing public affairs coverage for the command's first Africa Military Legal Conference.  Here is the link to my story on the AFRICOM website. 
 

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