Tuesday, December 14, 2004
Back in Iraq
December 8, 2004
Where to begin?
LetÂ’s see here.
Leave was great. Was home for Thanksgiving, the “boys” turning 9 years old, and my own birthday, as well.
One of my favorite things about being in Germany, from the little time that I have spent there, is the annual Christmas market downtown. We were able to go there, several times. Also, knocked out the bulk of our Christmas shopping at the market.
Went to all of my favorite restaurants, several of them, a couple of times. They recognized me at our favorite Italian place, welcomed me back, and congratulated Amy on my return.
Did no traveling. Did not really do any sight seeing. DidnÂ’t go to Garmisch, the Armed Forces Recreation center in Germany, that includes on itÂ’s grounds Berchtesgarden, and HitlerÂ’s old EagleÂ’s Nest.
Pretty much stayed around the apartment and just enjoyed being together as a family for a change.
It was absolutely fabulous.
But all good things must come to an end, and this did.
Traveling the Army way is interesting.
My trip back started by catching a bus on post in Bamberg at 0330 Tuesday morning. Yes, that is 3:30 AM. The bus was scheduled to head to Frankfurt at 4.
We had to be at the tent city on the air base by 7. They “manifested” us for our flight, and we did the “hurry up and wait” thing until about 10 in the morning. (Read that as I slept on the bus, and then, again, after they manifested us.)
The customs people showed up about 10 and went through everyoneÂ’s bags. Had to unpack, and re-pack everything.
IÂ’m not really sure of the purpose of that. What can you be carrying that is too dangerous to take to a combat zone? And, also, how practical is it to assume that someone might try to highjack the plane? I mean, come on. You are on a plane with roughly 200 soldiers. The only civilians are the flight crew. But, I still had to put my little pocket knife, and my leatherman in my checked bag. It was too dangerous to put in my carryon. Lord only knows what I could have done with those pliers on the plane, right? I might tighten something.
We were, finally, taken to the actual airport around noon. We, finally, took off about 3:30, and landed in Kuwait, at the civilian airport, at about 9:30 PM local time. I sat next to a field artillery lieutenant on the flight. When one of us wasn’t dozing off, we made small talk. I learned more than I ever wanted to know about the little base he is stationed on, and I am sure that he is saying the same thing about what he learned about being a musician for the Army. It was nice. It helped kill the time. I would have preferred, at the time, to read my book, but I can save that for the time I have to kill on the rest of the trip. I think I surprised the LT a bit. His wife is a history teacher. The book that I am reading on the trip is “The Guns of August”. It is considered the definitive text on the causes of WWI, and the first few months of the war. I don’t think the LT expected an enlisted person to be tackling that kind of a book just for enjoyment.
I told the guy sitting next to me on the bus (not the LT) that we would be done with the trip to the base, and the little bit of in processing that they would have us do about midnight.
I was wrong.
It was 11:15 when we finished.
I was starving. The chow hall opened for midnight chow at, amazingly enough, at midnight. So, I went and had a decent meal. Came back to the section of the warehouse that they have put me, and most of the people heading back to where I am going, read some and crashed.
Our first formation for the next day was 11:00 AM. I wouldnÂ’t need to get up before 10:00.
To make a long story short (too late).
From that point on, it was a formation every 5-8 hours for about 36 hours. Supposedly, these formations were to put out information. The information at each of these formations, except the last one, was: "There is no information. The next formation is at .... whatever."
The flushing toilets that were available to us were all stopped up. The showers ran out of water the second day. I had forgotten my toothbrush and deodorant in Germany. But, I did get to play my new computer games, and read.
We left for Speicher the afternoon of the second full day that I was in Kuwait. Arrived about 6 that night, and by 10 I was back on Danger.
Had the next day off to unpack, and get myself together after traveling.
It's Tuesday night, and I have been back to work since Saturday.
After being in Kuwait, I appreciate this place.
Where to begin?
LetÂ’s see here.
Leave was great. Was home for Thanksgiving, the “boys” turning 9 years old, and my own birthday, as well.
One of my favorite things about being in Germany, from the little time that I have spent there, is the annual Christmas market downtown. We were able to go there, several times. Also, knocked out the bulk of our Christmas shopping at the market.
Went to all of my favorite restaurants, several of them, a couple of times. They recognized me at our favorite Italian place, welcomed me back, and congratulated Amy on my return.
Did no traveling. Did not really do any sight seeing. DidnÂ’t go to Garmisch, the Armed Forces Recreation center in Germany, that includes on itÂ’s grounds Berchtesgarden, and HitlerÂ’s old EagleÂ’s Nest.
Pretty much stayed around the apartment and just enjoyed being together as a family for a change.
It was absolutely fabulous.
But all good things must come to an end, and this did.
Traveling the Army way is interesting.
My trip back started by catching a bus on post in Bamberg at 0330 Tuesday morning. Yes, that is 3:30 AM. The bus was scheduled to head to Frankfurt at 4.
We had to be at the tent city on the air base by 7. They “manifested” us for our flight, and we did the “hurry up and wait” thing until about 10 in the morning. (Read that as I slept on the bus, and then, again, after they manifested us.)
The customs people showed up about 10 and went through everyoneÂ’s bags. Had to unpack, and re-pack everything.
IÂ’m not really sure of the purpose of that. What can you be carrying that is too dangerous to take to a combat zone? And, also, how practical is it to assume that someone might try to highjack the plane? I mean, come on. You are on a plane with roughly 200 soldiers. The only civilians are the flight crew. But, I still had to put my little pocket knife, and my leatherman in my checked bag. It was too dangerous to put in my carryon. Lord only knows what I could have done with those pliers on the plane, right? I might tighten something.
We were, finally, taken to the actual airport around noon. We, finally, took off about 3:30, and landed in Kuwait, at the civilian airport, at about 9:30 PM local time. I sat next to a field artillery lieutenant on the flight. When one of us wasn’t dozing off, we made small talk. I learned more than I ever wanted to know about the little base he is stationed on, and I am sure that he is saying the same thing about what he learned about being a musician for the Army. It was nice. It helped kill the time. I would have preferred, at the time, to read my book, but I can save that for the time I have to kill on the rest of the trip. I think I surprised the LT a bit. His wife is a history teacher. The book that I am reading on the trip is “The Guns of August”. It is considered the definitive text on the causes of WWI, and the first few months of the war. I don’t think the LT expected an enlisted person to be tackling that kind of a book just for enjoyment.
I told the guy sitting next to me on the bus (not the LT) that we would be done with the trip to the base, and the little bit of in processing that they would have us do about midnight.
I was wrong.
It was 11:15 when we finished.
I was starving. The chow hall opened for midnight chow at, amazingly enough, at midnight. So, I went and had a decent meal. Came back to the section of the warehouse that they have put me, and most of the people heading back to where I am going, read some and crashed.
Our first formation for the next day was 11:00 AM. I wouldnÂ’t need to get up before 10:00.
To make a long story short (too late).
From that point on, it was a formation every 5-8 hours for about 36 hours. Supposedly, these formations were to put out information. The information at each of these formations, except the last one, was: "There is no information. The next formation is at .... whatever."
The flushing toilets that were available to us were all stopped up. The showers ran out of water the second day. I had forgotten my toothbrush and deodorant in Germany. But, I did get to play my new computer games, and read.
We left for Speicher the afternoon of the second full day that I was in Kuwait. Arrived about 6 that night, and by 10 I was back on Danger.
Had the next day off to unpack, and get myself together after traveling.
It's Tuesday night, and I have been back to work since Saturday.
After being in Kuwait, I appreciate this place.
