Under the hot Djiboutian sun, life at Camp Lemonnier moves with a steady rhythm of military operations, shifting schedules and the lingering echo of home. More than 9,000 miles away from her own home, Red Cross Mobile Staff Member Angie Fie begins each day with one important question: What do service members need today?

Early in Angie’s time on base, constant shelter in place orders added another layer of uncertainty and stress for service members already living far from home. The Red Cross offers both critical support when emergencies arise and a space where service members can find connection, community and moments to recharge.

At Camp Lemonnier, Angie teaches Mindful Movement, CPR and Basic Life Skills classes while creating opportunities for service members to relax, recharge and connect. Activities range from dance, yoga and meditation to painting, movies and fitness challenges, with many programs led by service members themselves.

“Whether it's a commander or specialist after a day of work, they can come in their shorts and t-shirts and be all together. It's the one place they don't have everything on their shoulders,” she said.

For Angie, those moments of connection are crucial.

"You can't undermine the value small, joyful moments have to the service member's health” Angie said. “That’s the most challenging part for them – being completely disconnected from your system, your family network and your friend network at home. We become that replacement in time with one another, and it's where the impact is really made."

That sense of community extends beyond scheduled programs. Angie encourages service members to share skills and teach activities they enjoy, and even become Red Cross volunteers themselves. She says service members from different countries and backgrounds come together through cooking classes, music and other things they love.

“When service members come in, I ask if there’s something they love to do or a skill they could share with others with minimal preparation. Almost everyone says yes. We then put it on the schedule, and they become the teachers,” Angie said.

Sometimes, the simplest activities have the greatest impact. Whether it is a movie night or gathering around s’mores, service members are given the chance to build relationships that become important when challenges arise.

There is also plenty of flexibility. A typical day may include relaying emergency communication messages, wellness activities, command briefings, supply preparation and welcoming service members into the Red Cross center. But power outages, troop movements and unexpected needs can quickly change those plans.

"It brings people from different units together, and that's how they get to know each other. When the real work happens and they have to go into an SOS mode, they know each other and how each other works from being in classes or dancing together. And I can't tell you how important that is,” she said.

For Angie, that is the most rewarding part of the work.

Those relationships can last long after deployment ends. Angie recalled two service members who met during one of her deployments, fell in love and eventually married. Years later, they sent her a video of their baby.

Moments like this are why she continues to serve with the Red Cross.

“The biggest joy of teaching obviously isn't the paycheck. It’s hearing from the students later about how their lives unfold and blossom,” she said

Even while deployed thousands of miles away, Angie remains devoted to a purpose far greater than herself. She hopes to continue creating comfort, a sense of community, and belonging for service members far from home.

To support the U.S. military at sites worldwide, roughly 40 Red Cross mobile staff members deploy each year to deliver essential humanitarian care.