VZCZCXYZ0020
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHWN #1349/01 2951359
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 221359Z OCT 07
FM AMEMBASSY BRIDGETOWN
TO RUEHBU/USMILGP BUENOS AIRES AR
INFO RUMIAAA/HQ USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC//DHO-5//
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5675

UNCLAS BRIDGETOWN 001349 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ASEC OTRA BB XL
SUBJECT:  COUNTRY CLEARANCE GRANTED TO MJR EDWARD R. 
HARVEY FOR TRAVEL TO BARBADOS 
 
REF: HARVEY/LINTON EMAIL DATED 10/12/07 
 
¶1. Embassy Bridgetown warmly welcomes and grants 
country clearance to Major Edward R. Harvey, USAF for 
travel to Barbados from October 31, 2007 to November 
03, 2007. The purpose of this travel is to have an 
orientation visit as the incoming Deputy Chief, 
Military Liaison Office, Barbados and Eastern 
Caribbean. 
 
¶2.  Embassy points of contact are CDR P. Kofi Aboagye, 
Chief, Military Liaison Office, (246) 227-4339 or cell 
(246) 230-2705 and LCDR Rene Cerda, Deputy Chief, 
Military Liaison Office, (246) 227-4166 or cell (246) 
230-2712. 
 
¶3. Hotel reservation has been confirmed at the Turtle 
Beach Resort, Dover, Christ Church, tel. 1-246-428- 
¶7131. Hotel confirmation number is TB547738. 
 
¶4. The United States Military Liaison Office (USMLO) 
is located at the United States Embassy Barbados, 
Wildey Business Park, Wildey, Saint Michael. 
 
¶5.  Post?s resources do not allow us the flexibility 
to meet and assist visitors at the airport.  However, 
Barbadian Customs and Immigration are visitor- 
friendly.  The taxi rate from the airport to the hotel 
is approximately BDS$30 (US$15).  The exchange rate is 
approximately 2 Barbados Dollars for 1 U.S. Dollar. 
You should bring enough U.S. Dollar bills to pay the 
taxi.  U.S. currency, traveler?s checks, and credit 
cards are routinely and widely accepted here. The 
exchange rate for Saint Lucia is approximately $2.70 
xcd (Eastern Caribbean) dollars for $1.00 U.S. dollar. 
U.S. currency, traveler?s checks, and credit cards are 
also routinely and widely accepted here. 
 
¶6.  Entry requirements:  A valid U.S. passport is 
required to enter Barbados.  No visa is required if 
your stay is under six months, including those 
travelers arriving with diplomatic or official 
passports.  For further information, travelers may 
contact the Embassy of Barbados, 2144 Wyoming Avenue 
N.W., Washington D.C. 20008, tel. 1-202-939-9200. 
 
¶7.  Restrictions: The laws of Barbados, Antigua and 
Barbuda, Saint Lucia, Grenada, Dominica, and Saint 
Kitts and Nevis prohibit non-military personnel from 
wearing any articles of camouflage clothing. 
Immigration officers in these countries randomly check 
visitor?s baggage on arrival at the airport; if items 
of restriction are found, you will be asked to 
surrender them to the officers. 
 
¶8.  Departure tax for Barbados is BDS$60 or USD$30. 
 
¶9.  ICASS TDY Policy: Each visitor, regardless of 
length of stay, must bring/forward fiscal data to pay 
for direct costs of the visit.  Each agency, 
organization or visiting delegation will be charged 
for the actual costs attributed to its visit.  Direct 
charge costs include, but are not limited to:  airport 
transportation and expediting; driving services; 
American and LES overtime (for such services as 
airport expediting, cashier accommodation exchange, 
control room staffing, representational event 
support); travel and per diem costs incurred by post 
personnel in support of visitor?s field travel; rental 
of vehicles and other equipment; long distance 
telephone calls; office supplies, procurement/small 
purchasing; departure tax and other airport fees. 
Post will not provide service if fiscal data is not 
provided for the direct charges. 
 
For TDYers remaining at post over 30 days, there is a 
charge for ICASS support services.  This charge is for 
the following ICASS services:  Basic Package, CLO and 
Health Services.  Agencies will not be billed until 
the accumulated invoice cost for TDY support exceeds 
$2,500 for the fiscal year.  If your sponsoring agency 
is not signed up for ICASS services at post, please be 
prepared to sign a Memorandum of Understanding for 
ICASS support services upon arrival.  The agency 
should provide post with a written communication, 
generated by the traveler?s headquarters, that 
confirms the agency will pay ICASS charges for the 
TDYer, provides the agency ICASS billing code to which 
the TDY support charges should be applied, and 
 
authorizes the traveler to sign the ICASS invoice 
generated by the TDY module.  Where travel is urgent, 
the TDYer should bring this documentation with him/her 
to ensure there are no interruptions in the provision 
of service.  Post will not provide any service to a 
TDYer staying in excess of thirty days without 
provision of this documentation before day 31 of the 
TDY.? 
 
¶10.  The following is general information pertaining 
to security and health considerations throughout the 
Eastern Caribbean: 
 
Security 
-------- 
In the Eastern Caribbean, foot travel outside of well- 
established tourist areas is not generally 
recommended, especially at night.  Be vigilant when 
using public telephones or ATM machines near roadsides 
or quiet areas.  As in many U.S. metropolitan areas, 
wearing expensive jewelry, carrying expensive objects, 
or carrying large amounts of cash should be avoided. 
Visitors should also safeguard valuables while at the 
beach.  While hotels are generally safe, many visitors 
have experienced loss of unattended items.  Hotel 
burglaries are not uncommon and all valuables should 
be locked in room safes if possible. 
 
Health Information 
------------------ 
Throughout the Eastern Caribbean, the most likely 
threat to a visitor?s health is sunburn.  It takes 
several weeks to become accustomed to the heat and 
humidity.  Prolonged exposure to the sun, without 
protection, causes sunburn and may ultimately result 
in sun-damaged skin or even skin cancer.  Sunscreens 
should be used for protection.  In Barbados, St. 
Lucia, and St. Vincent the major health threat is 
dengue fever, transmitted by mosquito.  Dengue cases 
are most often seen in the summer months.  Persons 
should therefore protect themselves with insect 
repellant.  There is also a growing number of HIV/AIDS 
cases reported.  The Eastern Caribbean enjoys clean 
and safe drinking water.  Only routine boosters for 
immunizations (i.e. tetanus, diphtheria, and oral 
polio vaccine) are required when traveling to this 
region.  Barbados has the best medical facilities of 
all the islands in the region and most of the medical 
specialties have practitioners here. 
 
OURISMAN