Carsten Dombrowski - here is the homepage of his CAPSARIUS ACADEMY, which delivers the excellent "Callsign Doc" newsletter - was deployed as a Military Observer of the German Bundeswehr in the West Sahara. After training, he arrived in the mission area. Here are his experiences: For my mission, I was assigned to the SMARA team site. In total, there are nine team sites under the MINURSO mandate (Mission des Nations Unies pour l'organisation d'un referendum au Sahara occidental). Four are to the west and five are to the east of the so-called BERM. BERM, according to Wikipedia: "Berm" is the Arabic name for the Moroccan sand wall in the Western Sahara, which separates the part of the territory administered and controlled by Morocco from the so-called Free Zone, largely controlled by the Polisario rebels or the government of the only partially recognized Democratic Arab Republic of Sahara (DARS). The advantage of the team site is that it borders the city of SMARA or El SMARA, giving at least a hint of civilization. A factor not to be underestimated during such long mission periods. The other team sites are sometimes really in the middle of nowhere and have very few opportunities for balance. They are also very difficult to reach. However, the disadvantage of the team site is also its function as a logistical hub for personnel and material in the northern part of the mission area. This meant there was always a lot of additional work and unrest due to logistical movements.

15 square meters of privacy

Upon arrival at the military airfield in SMARA, I was taken by vehicle to the adjacent camp, the UN Camp SMARA. Everything was quiet in the midday sun when I arrived, and I first settled into my container. 15 square meters of privacy. Sandy, dusty, equipped with a dripping and humming air conditioner, I began to set up my new home. After about two hours of basic cleaning, I could finally feel some satisfaction. However, I didn't have much time to dwell on the initial shortcomings. After a short night, I had my first briefing on daily life and duty schedule. The 50 kilowatt power generator that supplied the camp with electricity and ran 24/7 was one of my initial tasks. All newcomers must take turns "generator duty", which involves servicing this noisy large machine. It was an ungrateful task, as it was loud and dirty. Unfortunately, this monster stood about 50 meters from my accommodation container, leading to restless and short nights. This situation persisted throughout the entire mission, resulting in almost chronic sleep deprivation. Imagine sleeping almost directly next to a running truck engine. In addition to the briefing on the property, I was assigned two more side tasks. Firstly, I became the first hygiene officer, and additionally, the second camp officer. I took on the first role mainly, and the second role served as a backup for the main responsible person. In addition to the actual activity of patrolling, all tasks within the team site were carried out by the military observers in secondary functions. Additional personnel as in NATO missions are not available here. Because these activities can be very time-consuming, the potential leisure time is significantly reduced. The first look at the stock of my hygiene storeroom, in conjunction with the initial impressions of the field camp facilities, showed me that there was a lot of work to be done. More on this in a later report. More or less derelict hygiene situations accompanied me throughout the entire time of my mission.

Always following the dust trail

After this initial briefing, I prepared for the first patrol. Orders given, route planned, and individual preparation. Each patrol consists of at least two vehicles, manned by four military observers. For me, as a "Greenhorn," my first role was to drive the second vehicle.

“Following the Dust”. Simply put, I just had to drive, follow the instructions of my co-driver and vehicle commander, and not lose sight of the dust trail of the vehicle in front of me. Sounds simple, but it wasn't. Technical service before departure, meaning checking the technical readiness following a checklist, equipping survival gear, checking radios and navigation devices, took a long time especially at the beginning of the mission. This shortened my already short night by another 1-2 hours. Breakfast was also skipped, as the local bakery delivers fresh bread only after departure. Instant coffee and stale bread leftovers from the day before had to suffice. After a final radio check, we set off on our first drive.

Anyone who imagines that a desert like the Sahara consists exclusively of sand is mistaken. At least the part of the desert where I mainly operated was stony desert with sandy areas. The surface resembled more of a moonscape than the images of sand dunes I had in mind. Accordingly rough, or rather rustic, was the drive. Constant impacts on the vehicle and crew quickly left their marks. Despite significantly reduced speed, around 20 to 30 km/h, the crews quickly became tired and exhausted. Malfunctioning vehicle air conditioners at an outside temperature of about 40 degrees also took their toll. Therefore, it is not surprising that a driving distance of about 80 kilometers takes up the entire day. If something goes wrong, like a flat tire or getting stuck in the mud, then everything takes even longer. A tire change was necessary on every patrol. With some practice, we were able to change it even during a sandstorm in under 10 minutes.

With the setting sun, we reached our camp exhausted to begin the post-mission debrief. Writing reports on what we saw and checked during our journey, technical service on the vehicles, disarming the vehicles, and finally, after a long day, taking a refreshing shower if water was available. However, the water supply was fragile, the sanitary containers were old and dilapidated, and the UN logistics were cumbersome, so very often a 1.5 liter water bottle had to serve as a shower.

After dinner, (cooked) by Moroccan kitchen soldiers, it was quickly time to go to bed to be somewhat rested for the next day. I usually had at least two to three hours of "free time", unless a problem in my additional responsibilities torpedoed this goal. This happened when, for example, travelers from other teamsides took quarters with us, and I had to provide them with bedding and cleaning supplies, or when a toilet broke and I had to arrange for repairs at the distant headquarters since I had no time during the day. After all, I was on the move, and a civilian technical service of the UN does not work in the evenings. So, my email asking for assistance usually went out at night, and I hoped to find a willing and competent contact person somewhere who would send a maintenance team to us. Unfortunately, such processes always took a long time, and we had to wait for a visit to be worthwhile, meaning several things needed to be repaired at once. This always meant living for weeks with significantly reduced infrastructure. In extreme cases, several weeks without a shower and only with local toilets (hole in the ground). Enough complaining.

More reports on mission drives and the training to become a PAPA LIMA, the patrol leader, will follow in the next report.

Military Observer in Western Sahara - Read more:

Part 1: The Selection

Part 2: The Training

Part 3: Helipatrol and False Tanks

Part 4: In the Land of the Puszta and Magyars

Part 5: When German Soldiers Go Traveling

Questions? Contact the CAPSARIUS ACADEMY at our [email protected] with the subject "Morocco".

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