Which Bright Star did you deploy for, and what were your impressions of the duty, living conditions, and of our host countries in general?

2016-02-03T14:58:05-05:00

Response by TSgt Bret Whitmore made Feb 3 at 2016 3:22 PM

2016-02-03T15:22:13-05:00

The photo at the start of this whole thread shows Yours Truly-- then just a young USAF Buck Sergeant-- serving as the 28th Bombardment Wing (SAC) Historian at Cairo West Airbase, Egypt, in the sweltering heat of mid-Aug 1985. In the pic I'm attempting to extol the virtues of my G.I. cot and other glorious 5-Star accommodations in one corner of a G.P. Medium Squad tent. (It was already close to 130 degrees in the shade on that particular day, and the photo was taken by a self-timer on my Minolta X-700.) As part of the ADVON for the 28th BMW, I was one of many on the teams that set up of over 80 of those very same GP Med tents immediately upon our arrival in the desert. After that the real work began as we prepared for the first-ever landing of a 3-ship cell of our very own B-52s from Ellsworth. They were the first such USAF bombers ever to land in that Middle-Eastern country, and proof of America's commitment to earlier alliances in that region. As I recall, they caused quite a stir among our local Egyptian Air Force hosts, but it was a huge source of pride for SAC and all of us from Ellsworth to be making history with everything we did during that deployment.

Response by LTC Stephen C. made Feb 3 at 2016 3:44 PM

2016-02-03T15:44:08-05:00

TSgt Bret Whitmore, I participated in Operation Bright Star '87, during August 1987. At the time, I was there to support the G3 operation of the 377th TAACOM (now TSC). I was at Cairo West Air Base for about three weeks. Compared to many, we had a decent situation. Since we were at the TAACOM HQ, we could shower everyday and chow was not bad.
We didn't have much time off, but I did get to go to Alexandria for the day, which I found to be one of the most foul smelling cities on earth.
We were able to visit the pyramids and the Sphinx, and spent a day or two in Cairo. We took an evening dinner trip down (north) the Nile and back with belly dancers to entertain us.
The Egyptian guards weren't so nice, as they stuck AKs in our faces as we drove off base, even with U.S. and Egyptian credentials. SFC William Farrell
Overall, it was interesting trip, but I wouldn't want to return. (I'm pictured in the middle.)

Response by SSG James Arlington made Feb 3 at 2016 9:20 PM

2016-02-03T21:20:10-05:00

There in '85. Provided security. Egypt loved us and they treated us great.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 5 at 2016 12:19 PM

2016-02-05T12:19:04-05:00

I was there in 1997, it was where I encountered my PTSD, the place was wild, intense, the other people were nice. I was the 'advon' party, so i went there EARLY with about two dozen of my fellow company mates and set up the hospital, cuz you know, I WAS ONE OF THE FEW WHO KNEW HOW...sigh.

Response by MAJ Bill Whitman made Feb 5 at 2016 12:44 PM

2016-02-05T12:44:50-05:00

I did BS in 2001. Moved into a barracks bldg. after cleaning the crap and dirt out. Hot and dirty but been in worse. I was on the third floor so the mosquitos were able to fly up to eat us first and left the higher ranking folks above alone. People from all over and various countries were awesome though. Sucked being in Egypt and locked down at FP Con Delta.

Response by SPC Kurt Clement made Feb 8 at 2016 12:06 AM

2016-02-08T00:06:44-05:00

I was there in 87 with 24 th inf division supporting 1/64 arm our, as a forward observer for a battery of 155

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 19 at 2016 5:01 PM

2016-02-19T17:01:45-05:00

Was there in '93 my platoon ran the Port Ops in Alexandria. Was able to see a lot of the country since we did convoy escorts to and from the port, but I drove every damn mile. Was cool being the only white person (team leader was black-Muslim American which helped me a lot with the culture) a few times way out where the nomads roam. They were very interested in me and some of them had never seen a white person before. Had a port full of equipment & personnel capable of freeing the trapped Rangers in Mogadishu...but the orders were no! My first experience with the profiteers of war at the expense of a non-elite's 'Merican kid(s)! And, the Transportation Co.(Ft. Lee I think) that loads this one USN ship that the Merchant Marines operate for us had one of their own fall into the empty back end where the Conex's went (4 stories deep) while they were working (heavy strap caught his glove and pulled him down in) to load the vessel (held 1300 pieces of military hardware; tanks and helicopters went inside into special places) for its next voyage. That taught me a lot about life on just one deployment!

Response by MSG Nicholas Raben made Feb 20 at 2016 7:38 PM

2016-02-20T19:38:18-05:00

I deployed iso Bright Star 97 with the 194th MP Co. 101st ABN Div. Our company was separated after arriving to the Cairo West air base where we lived in large rug tents. Later a small group stayed at Cairo West with an Air Force Det, and lived in air conditioned tents. My platoon moved up to the Port of Dekheila and slept in another rug tent. We assisted with port operations and did convoy ops to the MMC until complete. My platoon then set up a MP station out of a GP small at Burg al Arab air base for the duration of the training. After the joint training was over, we moved to MMC and conducted customs operations for all vehicles prior to them convoying back to the port. Overall, it wasn't bad. We did an MWR trip to Cairo and visited the pyramids.
I didn't realized the pyramids were not guarded. They had graffiti all over the stones, at least at ground level; disappointed in that actually.
Also, the flies were pretty bad during the day. I'm glad we were issued insect bars. The small mosquitoes would hit anything up against the insect bar. Those that tossed and turned on their cots got chewed up. Also, who knew Burg al Arab had so many wild dogs. They attacked our tent the very first night.
The amphibious operations with the Marines on the Mediteranean with the use of the hover craft was the best part of the deployment.

Response by SFC William Farrell made Sep 13 at 2016 9:29 PM

2016-09-13T21:29:26-04:00

I did Bright Star in 85 or 86 TSgt Bret Whitmore. We were stationed as MP's on an Egyptian air base in the middle of the desert. Every day the sand storm came in on time and it was just lousy conditions. When they asked for volunteers, I usually didn't raise my hand but I figured anything had to be better than the desert. Turns out I was tasked to run the MP desk in Alexandria. We were running the desk out of a hotel where we were also quartered with hot meals not that I ate very many hot meals at the hotel provided by the Army. I usually went to a very nice Italian restaurant in the embassy district that also had beer! I couldn't have asked for a better assignment. I loved it. We even got invited to a party at the embassy quarters. The one pic is me sitting on the sea wall in Alexandria and the other coming up from the burial chamber in the Great Pyramid. The plane in the one picture is supposedly Anwar Sadat's plane that never made it off the ground during the Israeli Arab War. Now the Egyptian soldiers were living in it. We can't knock our Army!

Response by MSgt Mark Bucher made Sep 21 at 2016 9:46 PM

2016-09-21T21:46:14-04:00

93 and 95. Advon in 93, spent about 90 days there. Ton of work, but wasn't too bad.

Response by SrA Tammy Shampine-Harvey made May 20 at 2017 7:28 AM

2017-05-20T07:28:30-04:00

1987

Response by SPC Christopher Benson made Jun 4 at 2017 10:59 PM

2017-06-04T22:59:35-04:00

Bright Star 87, 35th Signal Brigade

Response by LTC John Griscom made Oct 9 at 2017 11:02 AM

2017-10-09T11:02:33-04:00

Operation Bright Star 87. One of four Bright Stars participated in. Duty was good. Living in tents with fine sand getting in everything not sealed up. Other than the exercise site and a little touring/shopping, not much contact with Host Nation.

Response by SPC Kimberly Martinek made Sep 26 at 2018 7:56 PM

2018-09-26T19:56:17-04:00

I was in Bright star 86. I was running field PX for troops. I was from Fort Bragg .

Response by SrA John Johnson made May 10 at 2019 4:12 AM

2019-05-10T04:12:22-04:00

Yup I remember those tents and the heat and flies in them.

Response by CPO Bruce Stein made Aug 21 at 2019 9:42 PM

2019-08-21T21:42:22-04:00

Hot and dusty. We were at the Coast Guard base sleeping in 4 man tents on springs with no mattresses.

Response by SSG Dietrich Ramsey made Dec 2 at 2019 11:34 PM

2019-12-02T23:34:13-05:00

I was at Ft Stewart back in 1987 deployed to bright star Egypt very hot .

Response by SSG Dietrich Ramsey made Dec 2 at 2019 11:36 PM

2019-12-02T23:36:14-05:00

Flies. We're bad funky hot whether I remember big tall funky camels and going to take a piss in a crappy man mad e bathroom or dig a cat hole to take a crap

Response by SPC M Braz made Dec 27 at 2020 8:01 PM

2020-12-27T20:01:44-05:00

2001. MP. Started in Cairo but mostly stayed at a so called resort in Alexandria. Our mission was force protection. Checking id’s entering the compound or port. Saw the Giza Pyramids. Had no idea a Pizza Hut and Taco Bell would be in walking distance. It was an ok deployment but glad to leave. 12 hr shifts with no days off while it looked like everyone else was chillin and what not.

Response by CPL Lori Baker made Feb 6 at 2021 2:36 PM

2021-02-06T14:36:35-05:00

Operation Bright Star '85 - Egypt