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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend August 22, 2005 Duty in Djibouti A Marine from Central Point joins in the task of giving an orphanage a makeover in this tiny east African nation By PARIS ACHEN Mail Tribune A dust storm had left a thick coating of dirt on the books, the shelves, the desks and the floors of the girls orphanage in Djibouti, the capital of the small nation of Djibouti on the eastern African coast. Carrying buckets of water, pails of paint and tools, Marine Lance Cpl. Justin Kuhnhausen of Central Point and about 15 other Marines on tour along the African eastern seaboard stopped Wednesday at the orphanage to give it a makeover. "I knew I would be traveling when I joined the military, but I didn’t know I would be doing this," Kuhnhausen, 22, said in a telephone interview from Djibouti. Since late 2001, the spotlight has been on U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq. Meanwhile, some of the country’s enlisted have been volunteering their free time to do small humanitarian projects around the world. Advertisement "People at home tend to only see the bad things we do; they don’t see or hear anything good," said Marine Sgt. Jonathan Besier of Houston. "That brings (the soldiers) down, so when we do stuff like fixing up this (orphanage), it makes us feel a whole lot better." When Marines go on tour, military chaplain aides usually scout out stops in advance to identify community needs and then suggest humanitarian projects to the unit commander, Besier said. The commander includes the optional projects in the schedule, he said. On Wednesday, Kuhnhausen and the other Marines scrubbed floors and furniture at the orphanage in Djibouti, dusted books, painted interior walls, plastered exterior walls and repaired doors and windows. Two weeks ago, Kuhnhausen was part of a 20-Marine team that built the foundation for a school dormitory in a small town near the capital of Djibouti. "I had never done humanitarian work before," Kuhnhausen said. "I wanted to see what it would be like to go out and make a difference and help people who are less fortunate than myself. It was an experience I’ll never forget." The students, ages 6-13, watched the Marines while they worked on the dormitory. The children looked malnourished and wore rags, Kuhnhausen said. "On breaks, we would play with them, go swimming and tell them we were there to help them build a school, help them with their education and see how they are living," Kuhnhausen said. "They seemed very appreciative," he said. "They smiled and laughed a lot." Kuhnhausen joined the Marine Corps in May 2002, a year after graduating from Crater High School. When his enlistment ends in May 2006, he plans to return to Oregon and study to become a firefighter. Kuhnhausen’s tour, which includes three ships and about 1,500 Marines and sailors, began in March in Jacksonville, N.C. "We got sent out to sea, so if there are any terrorist acts, we’ll be the first to respond," Kuhnhausen said. The fleet has stopped in Italy, Kuwait and Iraq, where soldiers built U.S. military administrative offices at Camp Bucca. The soldiers set sail for Spain on Friday. The tour will end in late September. Kuhnhausen said he plans to visit his family in Central Point during his leave. "I’m very excited," he said. "I have tons of pictures, and I can’t wait to show them." Reach reporter Paris Achen at 776-4496 or e-mail Duty in Djibouti ">[email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker dvd-r Distance Education Computer Security Ztech Media Hosting Sports Equipment Online Casino Student Loans tcg student loan consolidation Online Pharmacy Online Casino Reviews Myspace Home Equity Loans Windermere Van Vleet Rogue Valley Travel Discount Hotel Reservations Southern Oregon Loans Online Casino News Casino Gambling Sites Budget Website Templates Online Bingo Entertainment Guide Advertisement s