VZCZCXYZ0005
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHWN #1389/01 3061702
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 021702Z NOV 07
FM AMEMBASSY BRIDGETOWN
TO RUMIAAA/HQ USSOUTHCOM J3 MIAMI FL
INFO RUMIAAA/HQ USSOUTHCOM J5 MIAMI FL
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC//DHO-5//
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5719

UNCLAS BRIDGETOWN 001389 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ASEC OTRA AC BB DO SC XL
SUBJECT:  COUNTRY CLEARANCE GRANTED TO CORDOVA FOR 
TRAVEL TO ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA BARBADOS DOMINICA AND 
SAINT KITTS AND NEVIS 
 
REF: 301151Z OCT 07 
 
¶1. Embassy Bridgetown warmly welcomes and grants 
country clearance to LtCol Kirk F. Cordova Major 
Edward R. Harvey, USMC for travel on the following 
dates of travel. The purpose of this travel is to 
conduct site surveys of USSOUTHCOM Humanitarian 
Assistance Program (HAP) projects within the Eastern 
Caribbean: 
 
 Barbados: November 06 ? November 07, 2007 
 Dominica: November 07 ? November 08, 2007 
 Antigua:  November 08, 2007 
 Nevis:    November 08 ? November 09, 2007 
 
¶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 TB547975. 
 
¶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. The exchange 
rate for Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, and Saint 
Kitts and Nevis 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 Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, 
Dominica, and Saint Kitts and Nevis.  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 Antigua and Barbuda is $50.00 
ECC (Eastern Caribbean Currency) or $19.00 USD. 
Departure tax for Barbados is BDS$60 or USD$30. 
Departure tax for Dominica is $60.00 XCD (Eastern 
Caribbean Currency) or $23.00 
 
¶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 immuizations (i.e. tetanus, 
diphtheria, and oral polo vaccine) are required 
when traveling to this rgion.  Barbados has the 
best medical facilities f all the island in the 
region and most of the edical specialties have 
practitioners here. 
 
OUISMAN