Jan 5
Well- 40 hours from bag drop to landing- WOW! Not sure what I wrote in my stupor, so hope this isn't redundant. Just a few random observations:
SFC Cohen is gone! He left CRC around noon and headed back to Ft. Dix- his home. I am seeking solace with a group of doctors who have adopted me; looking forward to going OUT to dinner with them tonight!
When we went through customs in Kuwait, we had to dump the contents of every single bag we had and go over it with a Navy Customs person. Among the interesting stories- last week an officer was found with pieces of a grenade stashed at the bottom of his Camelback. Now they understand that some random bullets may be rattling around, but they don't look kindly on people deliberately trying to smuggle contraband. He got a one-way ticket back to theatre to explain this to his boss. The Sergeant Major in our group lost a Cuban cigar, despite swearing he would smoke it during what turned out to be 19 1/2 hours of waiting!!!
On previous deployments I have heard of C-4 explosive material being placed in silly putty containers, and bullets extracted from bars of soap.
While we were waiting, I was talking with a former federal law enforcement agent who now does contract counter-terrorism contract work. He mentioned that there was not a night that he didn't hear some young soldier on the phone crying over relationship issues back home- the casualties of war. His eyes teared up, this big, tough dude, as he told me of his own wife who left their 23 year marriage after he was gone only 3 months.
File this under amazing coincidences- on the bus ride to the airport, I sat with the only other female COL on our flight. We were chatting about the good old days and the old women's uniforms, and discovered that we were both commissioned on the exact same date- same day, month and year!!!!
When we arrived, we had some welcome home stuff and then went directly to CIF- Central Issuing Facility, to turn in all the equipment that was issued to us and they wanted back. SFC Cohen and I had stashed stuff in the chaplain's office, so we got a ride back to reclaim it. This allowed me to get the bags while he picked up some beer from our little shoppette, which would have been closed by the time we finished.
They really stress NOT to leave stuff, as the plan is to go directly to CIF from the plane. This is roundly ignored. There were people going to UPS, having friends bring stuff, going to off site storage facilities and other offices. The only wonder (not really) is that they haven't figured out a system of NOT issuing all this stuff, so that everyone doesn't NEED a plan of where to hide it and not have to shlep it all around the theatre. The best story we heard- someone wrapped a duffle bag with a trash bag, walked 1/4 mile into the woods, and chained it to a tree!
By 9:00 p.m. we were in line for rooms- yes- another line. Believe it or not, the Staff Duty Officer said the following to me, "We're very crowded- I have a room for you but it may not be satisfactory. If it's not, come back and I'll change it." I politely replied, "I am a tired, cranky O-6- could we just skip to the next step where you give me a satisfactory room now?" I have a single!!!!
The insanity continued- come in at 0530 for a PPD (T
test. Well, I and the doctors have paperwork proving we don't need a test. I took it all the way up the chain of command and the answer came back- you still have to be there. (I just met with the Battalion Commander to pass along a whole list of issues from myself and the rest of the group.) To add insult to injury, at 0530 we got an apology- come back at 0615. What makes this completely lunatic is that we have 0530 again tomorrow a.m. for MEDICAL.
One of the docs said- "It's a good thing I don't have bullets." He's the same one who demonstrated during the Traumatic Brain Injury brief by banging his head against the table.
I made a flight reservation for Wed. eve.; David will have to cover my adult BBM class. Will work in Phx. Thurs. and Fri., get through drill Sat./Sun./Mon., then really looking forward to what passes for normalcy in my life!
SFC Cohen is gone! He left CRC around noon and headed back to Ft. Dix- his home. I am seeking solace with a group of doctors who have adopted me; looking forward to going OUT to dinner with them tonight!
When we went through customs in Kuwait, we had to dump the contents of every single bag we had and go over it with a Navy Customs person. Among the interesting stories- last week an officer was found with pieces of a grenade stashed at the bottom of his Camelback. Now they understand that some random bullets may be rattling around, but they don't look kindly on people deliberately trying to smuggle contraband. He got a one-way ticket back to theatre to explain this to his boss. The Sergeant Major in our group lost a Cuban cigar, despite swearing he would smoke it during what turned out to be 19 1/2 hours of waiting!!!
On previous deployments I have heard of C-4 explosive material being placed in silly putty containers, and bullets extracted from bars of soap.
While we were waiting, I was talking with a former federal law enforcement agent who now does contract counter-terrorism contract work. He mentioned that there was not a night that he didn't hear some young soldier on the phone crying over relationship issues back home- the casualties of war. His eyes teared up, this big, tough dude, as he told me of his own wife who left their 23 year marriage after he was gone only 3 months.
File this under amazing coincidences- on the bus ride to the airport, I sat with the only other female COL on our flight. We were chatting about the good old days and the old women's uniforms, and discovered that we were both commissioned on the exact same date- same day, month and year!!!!
When we arrived, we had some welcome home stuff and then went directly to CIF- Central Issuing Facility, to turn in all the equipment that was issued to us and they wanted back. SFC Cohen and I had stashed stuff in the chaplain's office, so we got a ride back to reclaim it. This allowed me to get the bags while he picked up some beer from our little shoppette, which would have been closed by the time we finished.
They really stress NOT to leave stuff, as the plan is to go directly to CIF from the plane. This is roundly ignored. There were people going to UPS, having friends bring stuff, going to off site storage facilities and other offices. The only wonder (not really) is that they haven't figured out a system of NOT issuing all this stuff, so that everyone doesn't NEED a plan of where to hide it and not have to shlep it all around the theatre. The best story we heard- someone wrapped a duffle bag with a trash bag, walked 1/4 mile into the woods, and chained it to a tree!
By 9:00 p.m. we were in line for rooms- yes- another line. Believe it or not, the Staff Duty Officer said the following to me, "We're very crowded- I have a room for you but it may not be satisfactory. If it's not, come back and I'll change it." I politely replied, "I am a tired, cranky O-6- could we just skip to the next step where you give me a satisfactory room now?" I have a single!!!!
The insanity continued- come in at 0530 for a PPD (T
test. Well, I and the doctors have paperwork proving we don't need a test. I took it all the way up the chain of command and the answer came back- you still have to be there. (I just met with the Battalion Commander to pass along a whole list of issues from myself and the rest of the group.) To add insult to injury, at 0530 we got an apology- come back at 0615. What makes this completely lunatic is that we have 0530 again tomorrow a.m. for MEDICAL. One of the docs said- "It's a good thing I don't have bullets." He's the same one who demonstrated during the Traumatic Brain Injury brief by banging his head against the table.
I made a flight reservation for Wed. eve.; David will have to cover my adult BBM class. Will work in Phx. Thurs. and Fri., get through drill Sat./Sun./Mon., then really looking forward to what passes for normalcy in my life!
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