CAMP AS SAYLIYAH, Qatar –The life of a Soldier deployed differs greatly from that of a civilian in matters of workplace policy.
Deployed Soldiers soon find they work 24-hour shifts. It’s a life of constant vigilance, sacrificed rights and necessary hardships, where the competition works overtime, the company car is a humvee and there is a noticeable absence of casual Fridays.
In order to combat the pressures of deployment, units are given the opportunity to send their Soldiers for Rest and Relaxation at Camp As Sayliyah in Qatar.
The program offers deployed Soldiers four days of fun in the sun and sand. It’s an opportunity for Soldiers to recharge, reload and head back into the fight with lightened shoulders and clear eyes.
“The mission of the four-day pass program is to allow Soldiers the opportunity to get away from the everyday stressors of war,” said Staff Sgt. Bradley Hass, a Woodbury, Minn., native and 34th “Red Bull” Infantry Division liaison stationed in Qatar.
Soldiers are literally allowed to shed the reminders of their Army life. Within established guidelines, they are allowed to wear civilian clothes, and they are told to call each other by first names in order to expunge those annoying workplace memories – this is a place for relaxing, not saluting.
Camp As Sayliyah tempts Soldiers with a bowling alley, video games and movies to rent, pool tables and karaoke for the brave ones. And that’s just in one building.
Throughout the base, Soldiers can find a swimming pool, two gyms, a massage parlor, a mini-golf course, commercial restaurants and an Astroturf football field.
For the adventurous, the program allows selected excursions off-base, including trips to the beach, tours of nearby Doha and opportunities to Jet Ski.
In addition, Soldiers can purchase a maximum of three alcoholic beverages each day from one of three sanctioned bars on post.
“It was a refreshing break from the military life,” said Sgt. William Boyd, an Owensboro, Ky., native and enlisted leader of the 34th Red Bull Infantry Division’s administrative law section.
“I didn’t have any responsibilities. I got to do what I wanted,” remarked Sgt. Travis Johnson, a Hanover, Minn., native and an information assurance security officer with the 34th Inf. Div.
“A military mental break,” said Spc. Shawn O’Brien, a St. Paul, Minn., native and “Red Bull” supply specialist. “Four days. No work. No worries. No stress.”
Experts emphasize the importance of stress outlets. Workplace stress costs U.S. employers an estimated $300 billion per year in lower productivity, staff turnover and absenteeism.
In addition, scientists have proven that stress makes people more vulnerable to sickness. A group of Australian researchers found stress triggers the release of the hormone “neuropeptide Y,” which is known to stop the immune system from functioning properly.
In the Army, where there is no quitting, where the mission always comes first, where defeat is never acceptable, the dangers of stress are amplified. So, the Army is banking that these four-day getaways will provide Soldiers with adequate outlets for stress.
“It was nice,” said Maj. Jennifer Flikke, a Fertile, Minn., native and a logistics officer with the 34th Inf. Div., “to be able to get away from here and not be encumbered by the everyday stressors of our job.”
