Phone Home

My DH and I just served our first shift as USO volunteers at the port of Dubai.  A big Navy aircraft carrier pulled in, disgorging over a thousand sailors into the compound built for their recreational use.  It's a big square surrounded by trailers that house restaurants, laundry and other services.

We worked in the phone center for a four hour shift.  The USO provides free cell phones for the guys and gals to use with their AT&T calling cards.  You can imagine how many of the darlings wanted to get a hold of a phone and call home to touch base with loved ones over the holidays.

For the first hour and a half we were there, the network was down (at AT&T, some kind of satellite problem) and we had to turn all the folks away.  Then it came back up and the crush started.

The USO has over 200 handsets.  Small inexpensive, simple cell phones that will work all over the compound. So they can carry them off, find a little privacy and make their calls.  They also provide walls of chargers and electrical outlets so the sailors can get on their laptops and Skype.

I wish I could show you pictures of the setup and all the guys making use of the facilities, but if I snapped ANY pictures at the port, the USO would fire me as a volunteer... not just in Dubai, but worldwide!!  It's a big no-no.

So, imagine a bazillion (or thereabouts) trailers in a big square, all with stuff that young folks need and want.  Buses and taxis are ferrying groups into town to shop or sightsee.  The security station is intense.  We have to clear both the port security checkpoint and the USO security that is provided by the military.  Within this cocoon of concrete bunkers and look out points, sits this open square with tents and patio furniture.  While the ship is in port, there's live music provided--a quite good cover band was performing tonight.  The guys were roaming from place to place, exchanging money, hitting the tailors, grabbing Subway or Burger King, utilizing the charging stations, playing games in the rec center.  It's like a small town that gets mobbed with a wave of people.  When there are no ships in port, the vendors close up and it's just the office workers in the compound.

It's quite a set up.  And it's a lot of work.  For instance, the phone center is open from nine o'clock in the morning until two o'clock in the morning.  They have volunteers that man the desks until 2 AM!!  Apparently, there are better people than me working as volunteers, because I cannot see myself working that late a shift for free.

It felt good.  It felt nice to provide those young people with a little taste of home.  They are far away from friends and family and the holidays will be especially hard on them.  So, if you think of it, offer up a little prayer for all the US men and women who are serving their country and away from family during the holidays.  I won't be able to forget the smiles on some faces, and the tears others shed when no one picked up at the other end.

--Sandee Wagner