Shoe Repair

What are the chances two Coast Guard Auxiliarists would wind up discussing TCT half way around the world? That’s exactly what happened recently in the former Soviet Republic of Azerbaijan where Rich Deininger of Flotilla 73, Madeira Beach, FL and Stu Soffer of Flotilla 15-4 in Pine Bluff, AR were serving as part of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) International Parliamentary Election Observer contingent.

Their selection for the mission had nothing to do with Coast Guard Auxiliary membership, but is indicative of the contributions Auxiliarists make to our country in many areas on a daily basis.

Azerbaijan is an oil-rich nation that lies between Iran and Russia along the Western border of the Caspian Sea. Although a predominantly Muslim nation, the locals were very friendly, hospitable and seemed to enjoy interfacing with the Americans and the numerous other nationalities from Europe that made up the observer corps.

Deininger and Soffer met by chance during the day-long briefing for observers prior to the group being formed into two-person teams and dispatched throughout the country along with their interpreters.

Once in place, they were assigned a driver and set out identifying voting locations in assigned areas. On Election Day, a Sunday, observer teams monitored opening and closing of a selected location and in-progress voting at as many locations as possible.

Comprehensive check list forms were completed for each aspect of the observation and periodically faxed to a central location in the capitol city of Baku as Election Day progressed. Based on observer input, at a Monday press conference, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly and other Western organizations, said the process fell short of international standards.

Soffer was teamed with an experienced observer from Helsinki, Finland and dispatched to Masalli, which is about 60 km (10 miles) from the border with Iran. He found the voters upbeat and enthusiastic but had problems eating the food. Although the dispatching agency prepared observers for everything from using bottled water even for brushing their teeth to appropriate clothing, Soffer was not prepared for the experience of using what is referred to as a “Turkish toilet” at rural locations.

Deininger, an experienced observer, was part of the team assigned to observing Baku collection centers overnight. He was teamed with a young Russian from Moscow who also spoke Turkish fluently so he was able to understand most of the Azeri people without an interpreter.

As is the case with many observers, Soffer used the return trip tickets to visit Istanbul, Turkey and Jerusalem. Deininger visited Vienna and Bratislava and a great time was had by all.

Shown in the photo is Stu Soffer, Flotilla 15-4 Pine Bluff, AR, taking a break to have new heels put on his shoes by a street vendor in Baku. The cost was 6,000 Manats, which is less than $1.50 U.S.