Judge Hunt reflects on deployment, earning medal
Judge Brian Hunt served as a major in Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti in support of Opera- tion Enduring Freedom, Horn of Africa, and earned the Meritorious Service Medal for his collaborations with other countries’ militaries in the region.
Hunt served at Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti in support of Operation Enduring Freedom – Horn of Africa, earning the Meritorious Service Medal for his collaboration with militaries from countries in the region.
His work involved operations and partnerships in Kenya, Chad, Morocco, Mozambique, and other nations, according to Army documents related to his award.
“It was a great experience; I’m thankful I was able to go and thankful everyone came back safely,” Hunt said in a recent interview with The Courier News. He said he felt honored to receive the medal.
Hunt said the most-rewarding aspect of his service was “just the camaraderie and the team,” including both U.S. troops and foreign personnel.
He described bonding with fellow Americans by sharing memories of home, and he enjoyed learning about the different training and knowledge foreign troops brought with them.
“It’s not often you can sit down with someone who’s from Tanzania or Kenya and just talk to them,” he said, reflecting on his interactions with military attorneys from other countries.
Hunt also noted that traveling to remote areas sometimes posed challenges, as did navigating different cultural norms.
He worked with people from a variety of African cultures and nationalities, including Muslim and Christian communities. One challenge involved knowing how to greet people properly and understanding if they appreciated shaking hands.
Food was another area of cultural difference. Hunt said he enjoyed trying fresh lentil and bean dishes, and he said lamb was a common meal.
He noted that although he saw people eat camel meat, he never tried it himself.
“Not a lot of processed food like you’ll find in the West or U.S.,” Hunt said. “Lots of times I wasn’t sure what I was eating, but it tasted pretty good.”
While deployed, Hunt said he missed his daughter, dogs, parents, and colleagues at Anderson County Juvenile Court. He also missed the convenience of fast food.
However, now that he’s back, he said he’ll miss “being in the know, in the loop.”
“I’ll miss that kind of excitement,” Hunt said. “You just kind of see things play out in real time.”
He mentioned working in Cyprus on plans to assist troops if the situation in Lebanon escalated, as an example.
Hunt was impressed by the extent of the U.S. military’s work in Africa that the public is largely unaware of.
“Our main goal is to instill stability and counter-terrorist activities,” he said.
He explained that the U.S. aims to support legitimate governments in Africa and prevent terrorist groups from “getting rooted,” which in turn helps safeguard the U.S.
He added that the military is also working to counter the influence of Russia and China on the continent.
“We want to make sure America has a good foothold in the continent of Africa,” Hunt said.