ARRIVED BAGRAM
Details- Had a great night's sleep on the loveseat in the counseling office. Got up in time for a good breakfast and a peek at the email. Did the duffle bag drag, loaded the bags into the bag of the pickup where they got nice and damp in the drizzle. Walked in to be told- no 0900 show time- 0645 was cancelled, come back at 1215. We drove around to some other places looking for other options. 101st Airborne is winding down and not flying here, but the Special Ops. had a flight planned and were delighted to take us.
BTW- Talk about a gated compound. You have to drive past a "Lethal Force Authorized" sign to gain entrance! I must say I was super-excited to fly with them. How cool would that have been! This is the type of flight where they want not only your name, rank and social, but your blood type!
Unloaded the bags and did some errands; felt the need for more Dutch cigars and returned the new PT pants- too small.
Reloaded the bags. Drove back at 1215 where, sadly, they said that- yes- we could fly to Jalalabad then Kabul then Bagram! Unloaded the bags. Good news was they were palletizing the luggage, which means that we did not have to haul them individually to the aircraft. Loaded up in a relatively timely fashion, watched the pallet get loaded, watched the back close up, sat for a while, got the word that the flight was cancelled!
But- they had some other scheme and were gonna rotate us up to Bagram.
Then they announced that, no, they did have another aircraft.
By then it was 1430, and we asked and were told we had time for a DFAC run. We knew the DFACS were closed, but they usually let you come in and get a sandwich to go. Went to the nearest DFAC- no go. They directed us to a 2nd one- no go. By then I was worried that our bags were going to Bagram without us, so we just ran to Burger King and I bought meals for the entourage.
Back to the PAX terminal. Waited and waited some more. Why? Waiting for Sen. John Kerry to arrive to catch our flight. Probably better not to describe the precise security measures-but- trust me- not your ordinary security.
Finally we got jammed on to this C-130 like sardines. One guy commented- "This is OLD school- Ft. Bragg old school". (Airborne reference- you know all those photos you see of guys sitting facing each other with their knees interlaced- that was us. You better not care about personal space.) SFC Cohen, who has been to jump school, was very excited about the opportunity to LAND in a C-130; he's only gone up in them previously and then jumped out! I won't write down what the Airman in charge of the flight commented about the wait- ask me when you see me. I WILL say that it would have been nice for the Senator to notice that there was an aircraft full of people waiting for him and said something like- "Thanks for your service," or, "Sorry to keep you waiting." Meanwhile, he and his party had to be invited to sit down and stop jabbering so that we could finally take off. Which we did! Stopped in Kabul and here we are. One more duffle bag shuffle and all my bags are actually in my own little room which has heat and a light on the headboard. (This is a HUGE quality of life issue to me, so that I can read in bed and then not have to get out to turn out the light.)
We are in a great little building with 4 individual rooms and a common lounge area. SFC Cohen has a room and my old friend, the Greek Orthodox Priest- COL Alex Webster is in another one. He head to Kandahar in a few days, but it will be nice to catch up with him. I said it's the Ritz Carlton- SFC Cohen says it's only the Crowne Plaze, lacking, as it is, in indoor plumbing. He's right. (BTW-Here I am desperately trying to finish this email and Alex showed up- 45 mins. later. . . . but- great conversation!)
I'm trying to get a lot done tonight because Friday is bazaar day- once a week- and hoping to do some shopping.
SFC Cohen said he thought Bagram was the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. I told him it was the pot of gelt! He laughed his head off
The analysis is- Kandahar has indoor plumbing but more mortar attacks; Bagram you have to hike to the latrine, but fewer attacks.
Fun comments of the moment:
SFC Cohen comes back last night and says- BTW- in case you didn't know, we're under attack. I saw some flares in the distance. I'm sorry I didn't get a photo.
We're total tourists- I took a photo of him lounging on the plane this eve. in Kabul.
Second discussion of the day- driving around with a young SPC- he and SFC Cohen were discussing their favorite thing to listen to when they're on a helicopter. One favored- Born to Be Wild, the other argued for War- What is it Good For. SPC said, "It's all about the soundtrack when you're on a helicopter."
Still feel like I'm on a plane.
Can't wait to unpack!
Going to midnight chow in a few.
We are 11 1/2 hours time off from Phoenix time, minus one day. That half hour thing messes with my mind.
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