[Editor's Note: Jennifer Huntsman is a US Army Reserve Signal Captain stationed at MacDill Air Force Base with Joint Communication Support Element (JCSE). She is currently deployed in Qatar. Jenny will be writing for The Daily Loaf about life in the military.]
Did you ever see the movie Groundhog Day? Every day exactly the same, every day choices are limited. The movie is a soldier's reality when they are deployed to Qatar. I would like to say that as an Army officer I live an adventurous life of guts and danger, but my world is completely the opposite at the moment. True, the Army has shown me what I am physically and mentally capable of, and I have been sent to cool (Hooah) schools, but I am not using any of my "Hooah" skills out here. ("Hooah" meaning Army Cool - almost like Army Strong.)
Troops from MacDill Air Force Base sometimes deploy to Qatar. If you were not aware, Qatar is a country right next to Saudi Arabia and is located on the Persian Gulf. Qatar is a Muslim country, but unlike most of the conservative Muslim countries you can find Western hotels and spas such as the Westin and the Ritz Carlton. Also, you may dine at Applebee's, Chili's, you can find alcohol, and everyone here speaks English. Most Westerners agree that you can go through Doha, Qatar in your typical American clothing (t-shirt, jeans, tennis shoes) and no one will bother you and you will not be glared at. As a woman, I have walked through the malls of Qatar in civilian attire and I have not felt uncomfortable once.
