``It is one of the hottest inhabited areas on earth,'' Diaz said last week in a telephone interview with Tribune editorial writer Jim Beamguard. ``In August, the heat index was 135 or 140. When I come back to Florida, I'm sure I'll be freezing.''

His Marine Reserve unit in Tampa was deployed to Djibouti as part of the Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa.

Djibouti is a tiny country across the Red Sea from Yemen, between Somalia and Ethiopia.

On his background:

I was born in St. Petersburg and lived in Florida my whole life. I'm of Puerto Rican origin. I've been in the Marines [reserve] since June 2003. My day job is an electrician.

On his family:

My wife is Cassandra. The last time I saw her was Aug. 16. I'll be home sometime in March or April. She didn't like [that] I was going to be gone so long, but she's really proud of me. We have a daughter, 6 months old, Madison Elizabeth.

On why troops are in Djibouti:

It's a big breeding ground for terrorists. We're trying to win the hearts and minds, trying to show them we care, that we're really trying to help people, not necessarily trying to take over the world.

We're helping their militaries improve, helping them police their own borders.

My main job is logistics. Part of my job is to help train people through supply systems.

ST. PETERSBURG NATIVE 4

Our base is right next to an airfield. So we have supplies, food and mail shipped in through the air.

The road here are from like, 1900. They're nonexistent. Every vehicle has to be four-wheel drive.

They had a supply house that was totally unorganized. We ordered the materials, had them label everything, put it in place, A to Z. We gave them a computer so they could put all that stuff in there. They all know how to use a computer now.

On a typical day:

In the mornings I wake up early and go physically train. I shoot on the range. Go to training courses. We eat chow. In the afternoon, it's getting our logistics work done. Coordinating with other forward operating points. A lot of communicating around the area of operation.

[Living conditions] are very, very good for combat zone. I live in a tent that is air-conditioned. A bed of my own. Actually, at night I wake up very cold. An 8-by-8 living space with a foot locker.

[For recreation] we play volleyball tournaments, rugby games, soccer games, flag football sometimes. We have a 24-hour gym. I don't see the Bucs games, but I see the highlights.

On the hardest part:

Just surviving the heat and knowing something could happen. It's cooling down quite a bit now. It's only 99, but it feels a little hotter during the day.

On relations with Djiboutians:

The older generation, they're very standoffish. They're not used to new people. The younger generation is very accepting.

We're in a very safe area and we have a good relationship with the government. There are 800 to 900 Marines here, as well as Air Force, Navy and Army - about 1,500 service members.

There's a lot of poverty here. They don't have the money to fix some of the problems they have. We bring a lot of money to their economy. The local businesses appreciate it.

A lot of Djiboutians are very smart. They speak English, French and Arabic dialect, and a lot of them speak Somali because we're only 11 miles from Somalia.

It's a totally different atmosphere [from Somalia]. Somalia is a failed state. In the future we hope to help them.

Djibouti is willing to be helped. They're starting to grow bigger as a country.

It's pre-emptive, rather than waiting until the last minute, like we did in Iraq.

On the future for Djibouti:

The government shows all signs of improving. They're looking for sources of income. Honestly, they don't have any exports. They import everything. The land is very arid. They don't have any crops. They have to find a source of income.

On his message to the Tampa area:

We want to say hi to our loved ones and say we're doing our jobs. We're not over here just sitting on our butts.

I appreciate talking to you and knowing that you guys care about us over here.