P-19

View outside my squadron this week...

They have 'dignified transfers' over here which is basically a where fallen soldiers are taken in their casket from the battlefield in a truck or helicopter and put onto a plane to be taken home.  They send out an email to my local military account whenever they're about to have one but it's never a big notice (like 2 hours or so).  I've been wanting to go to one of these before I left to pay my respects.  It's so hard because you have to check your email at just the right time and then have the time and the means to get there (it's on the other side of base from the squadron and I have no vehicle). 

Well, Tuesday, 23 August was my night.  I was able to make it for this one.  The email said that it would start at 1955L.  It was about1740L and they'd be a bus running to the other side of base in about 20 minutes.  I ended up getting there about 40 minutes early.  There were about 20 other Army dudes already there when I first showed.  We all waited there as more people showed up, about 150 total I'm guessing... it was pretty quiet while waiting.  There was a C-17 next to us with a power cart on (loud).  Suddenly the power cart was turned off as well as the lights on the plane.  It was now dark except for the blue taxiway lights next to the planes.  Flight line security dudes moved into position to the perimeter of the ramp as to seal off the ramp from any planes or vehicles entering or exiting.

Someone yelled for the E's (enlisted) to form up.  They made two lines and and marched to the rear of a C-130 that was waiting on the ramp with it's back gate down.  Then someone yelled for the O-6's and general officers to come with them.  Surprising to me there were about six of these dudes there.  Most of them were American but a few were from other NATO nations.  Then they walked the rest of us to the rear of the plane and asked us to form up in formation behind the plane.  Then an MRAP (Army tactical vehicle (Mine Resistant Ambush Protected) came down the taxi way with its flashers on.  It was driving at walking speed.  I know this because out the corner of my eye I saw a solider walking in from of it, the MRAP had it's back loading gate down and a casket sticking halfway out.  It drove to the far end of the two lines and parked.  Someone read the fallen soldiers name, rank and a bio on him.  He was an Army 1st Lt.  He was 25 years old.  He earned his commission in May 2009.  I earned mine in January 2009.  So it hit me pretty hard that he was a 1st Lt just like me.  Then I started wondering what kind of family he had back at home.... was he married....did he have kids....was anyone even notified or did this just happen today?  Amazing Grace started playing over the speakers.  I heard the soldiers short choppy steps carrying the casket in between the two lines.  It hit me when I saw the casket in front of my face.  And that's really the reason I wanted to go.  I fly everyday it what is said to be 'dangerous' airspace, but even though I go 'outside the fence' I never actually set foot 'outside the fence'.  That's where the real war is at.  I'm up high with A/C and a chilled Gatorade.  I wanted to re cage my bearings on what was really happening out there and that I'm really in a war zone.

We did a 3 second salute to the coffin (three seconds up and three seconds down).  That was interesting because Americans salute one way and dudes from other countries salute different ways, and kinda cool to see everyone pay respects in their own way.  There were even civilians there.  Some of them saluted and some didn't (my guess is that the ones who saluted were prior service).  The casket was silver, looked simple and it had an American Flag tightly tucked in on top of it.Amazing Grace stopped playing once the coffin made it on to the plane and Taps started.  I've heard Taps so many times before (every night on a military base) but it never sounded like this one.  This one was really loud to me and you couldn't hear anything else...., not even the sounds of the planes taking off and landing just a stones throw away.  I think I was just really zoned in.  After that they dismissed everyone.  The walk back to the tents was very quiet.  It felt like you should be exchanging normal pleasantries with people right next to you like normal..., but no one did.  If you caught eye contact with someone else you just quickly looked another direction.  Everyone kept to themselves.   

It was a sad night.  But I am glad that I made this one.  Since then there has been one more this week.  It was at 0400 and three hours into my sleep so I couldn't have gone even if knew about it.  But I'm sure it played out the same way.  Probably the same way every one of those happens every few days.  It's sad to think that we've been here for almost 10 years now. And I'll see a lot more of this at my next base.  I'll be in Dover, DE.  That where all of the fallen soldiers go to be repatriated.  They have a really nice hotel on base right next to my squadron where the military flies the families so they can receive their loved ones coming back home. So in a year or so I'll be on the other end of this scenario flying back soldiers for repatriation. 

I walked back to my tent slowly thinking of the fallen dude and his family.  I really wanted to go to one of these but at the same time I didn't.  I'm glad I went.  It renewed a lot of things for me out here.  And just think, this was for just one dude!  And that C-130 is not taking him all the way back.  He'll be transferred to a C-17 or C-5 to make it back to Dover AFB where his family will be waiting.  So this scene will replay itself on another ramp in another country until he makes it home.  I really like how many people showed up for just one dude and how we take death so serious and nothing for granted over here.  Everything tonight was 1st class.  It made me proud.  I just wanted to share.  If I have time I'll try to go to more of these.  They are usually every few days (I wish they were farther apart if any more at all).

Well that was a sad way to start the blog..., but I wanted to type it up so I would never forget about it.  I hope that it meant a little something or gave you an insight to what's over here. and happening.

Don't go below 181!!!

I'm down to P-19 this week.  It's a bitter sweet sort of feeling.  I want to leave this place but at the same time I want to get my 181 days!  So it's just a waiting game at this point.  I really have ZERO control over this so I should just sit back and watch but I like to be nerdy about stuff so here is a graph that I made with my guesses everyday as to how many days my deployment will last.  It's nothing official..., just a formula I came up with and recalculate everyday.  And this downward trend does not look good but I believe that I'm at the bottom of a bell curve so no worries.

A new scheduler came in this week.   Which means the old one left.  'Smooth', (that's his callsign) see ya'.  Smooth was cool as shit!  The new scheduler is from Laughlin AFB just like Smooth was so that's cool.  His name is 'Creepy'.....seriously.  That's his callsign.  He seems pretty cool also.  It sucks for guys like that because they're pilots and they are sent here for six months to do a desk job with no flying.....sucks!  My job is the scheduler here also..., but it's like a second duty for me.  I only work in that office about one day a week.

On a good note...., my 'pilot foot' is gone....for now!

The mothership

Doin' work son

I saw the C-Sexy on the ramp this week loading up an F-18 Hornet.....  THE C-5 IS A BEAST!!!  You're welcome Navy. 

My mustache is starting to look a little better (considering on what you think 'better' is).  It's growing a little more full since the haircut lady chopped off some of it.  My commander told me to shape it up a little (off the sides) so it was looking a little smaller than usual.... and not to mention hurting my confidence out here.
But things are looking really good for the mustache these days.  It really looks good on days right after my haircuts..... That's usually when I get the most compliments.  You read that correctly, COMPLIMENTS. 

Really?

I went to the bazaar again yesterday.  That place is fun.  I bought some souvenirs.  The cool thing to do over here is buy jem and precious stones.  They mine a lot of them right here in Afghanistan!  A bunch of people here buy diamonds and send them home and re sell them.  I'm to scared to do that kind of stuff.... But it's really cool.  I've seen loose black, champagne, blue, yellow and white diamonds.   That's pretty cool stuff.  I wish I would have came here before I proposed to Kristen!  Darn!

Diamonds and such... Those are rubies opened up I think....

I'd like to tell yall about Kristen's cruise but I think she'll do a blog post in the near future so I'll leave that up to her.

Kristen & Mrs. Denys and my Aunt Cathy sent me packages this week!  Thanks for the care packages....they were awesome!

Till next week........ See ya'!.......