Camp Lejeune, NC

Sunset over New River, seen from the parking lot of my temp lodging in Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, NC. My mobilization to active duty began on Monday, Jan 2 here. I arrived by plane from New York that afternoon, to a base that was a virtual ghost town since they were all on the New Year's long weekend holiday. The hurry-up-and-wait begins already.
I conducted various check-in processing with the Mobilization Support Battalion all week, from getting issued my gear and weapon to receiving more vaccinations and bloodwork than I can remember. The Marines here are adaptable and mostly skilled at getting us through the process quickly, despite a ton of regulations. If all can go well Mon morning, I'll be heading to MacDill Air Force Base for the next round of check-in. They don't make it too easy to get to Afghanistan for vacation!