Whirl-Wind Tour

2 days 3 countries the whirl-wind tour
The mission was fly to Tallil pick up uneeded equipment and handle any property book issues possible. First step the Airport. The regular soldier departure terminal was just now beginning to dry out from the three-day rain we have several days earlier in the week. We were mixed in with the dignitaries in their terminal. Amidst all of the passengers I ran into a friend who had retired from the unit several years back. He came over to work as a civilian and make big money doing it. After we visited for a while we were sent to the waiting tent. Amidst all of the passengers in the tent I noted an NCO lying on a cot reading a book. It seemed normal until he got up. He was a soldier in full uniform wearing handcuffs. What possible crime could this soldier have committed to be paraded around in his uniform with handcuffs on? Maybe this was one of the soldiers involved in a stabbing at the MWR show earlier in the week. Did the stress and environment some how make him snap and do something he would come to regret for the rest of his life? Will we have soldiers in our unit who snap and follow the same path? Only time will tell.
The Plane. An Iraqi owned C-130. What were we thinking giving them a plane? What if they decide to use it as a weapon against us or if a madman takes over again? These planes were given to the Iraqis by the US just a few months back. Now the US pilots are tasked to train the Iraqis how to fly. Our crew consisted of 3 Iraqis and 4 US servicemen. The American pilots come from all over but several were from our very own Dyess AFB. Small world I remember thinking to myself after finding this out. We were assured that the Iraqis are being well trained and can handle it but some of my fears are multiplied by knowing that these people cannot fly. I don’t think they got a plane off the ground, during the first stages of the war. As we waiting we finally found out why we had to wait so long. A US senator (Oregon) was flying out and he takes priority over the working people of the country. I am not sure what they come here for but they keep coming. I am sure it is not for votes because the elections are over. The training flight begins. Oh my God we are going to die I remember thinking. Is this a roller coaster or an airplane? First up and then way way down. Then something I have never experienced, a fish tail. I did not think this was possible but I was wrong and starting to turn green at the gills. At times it was hard to lift my head. I think as soldiers we are owed the decency of knowing what we are getting into before we get on the plane. After this flight from hell I am certain that Iraqis are not meant to fly. With all property book issues handled and equipment gathered up we had time to take a tourist trip. The Birthplace of Abraham. This was awesome. We went here while in Tallil. Finally after all these years I believe. I believe the Bible. Being a new Christian away from my church and my family I begin to feel myself fade from my religion as well as my faith. Today it hit home. I stood at the Birthplace of Abraham. I marveled at this place that had stood the tests of time. God has a plan for me in life. It was his plan for me to stand where I stood today and feel what I felt. This feeling evolved into a discussion of religion without people who I would have never thought had a shred of God in their hearts. I even talked to one who was not involved in our conversation. Four soldiers in full battle gear with weapons and loads of AMMO standing where Abraham was born so many years ago.
After our little tour was over it was time to check into our flight home. We were told that one was leaving this evening but it is not going directly to Baghdad. After checking to see if it was a training flight, it wasn’t, we scheduled. This flight would prove to be a disaster. The Air Force sergeant at the terminal told us that this flight would go to Kuwait and then we should arrive in Baghdad around 1:30. This would have been great however things changed. 2 hours late we touched down in Kuwait. The pilots then informed us that they were short of time. After much deliberation it was decided that the trip back to Baghdad was cancelled and we would not make it to Baghdad tonight. The choice is stay in Kuwait and wait for a flight or fly to Qatar and try from there. We were told that we would have a better shot from Qatar. So myself my buddy and 7 new friends all decided to make the flight to Qatar. It was 4 am when we arrived. We were unsure where we were or what next. We checked in and found out that the next flight to Baghdad was not until 8 o’clock in the evening. What are we going to do? By now all I want to do is sleep. Just lay down on the floor on the ground anywhere and sleep. We found out that if we left the airport we could get a temporary trailer to stay in until our flight time. We all decided that this would be the thing to do. We then found out that no weapons are allowed outside of the airport in Qatar. We walked up to a table to turn in our weapons and AMMO and I remember feeling like a gangster going to a rap concert. I had bullets in 5 pockets and two weapons to check in. I am sure glad they did not ask for my knives cause I was carrying two of those too. Finally around 6 o’clock we had our rooms and went to eat. Chow hall was nice and the food well it is still all the same. After we ate we laid down for some much needed rest. Head hit the pillow and out went the lights. I awoke only 2 and half hours later. Completely rested and ready for the day. I finally got a shower and relaxed a bit. I walked the camp but there was really not much to see. I returned to the room and managed another 2 hour nap. Then it was time to get to the terminal and wait on the flight. For some reason you have to be there three hours before the flight is scheduled to land. This makes no sense. They say that it is incase the flight arrives early. I have not been on an early military flight yet, but I guess there is always a first time. The plane ride home was about 2 hours and 45 minutes. It was really uneventful with the exception of some air turbulence here and there. When we started our descent it was a quick drop. I remember counting the number of times my ears popped on our way down.12 The water bottle I had emptied and put in my pocket was sucked flat by the drop from the sky. Finally we landed. While waiting on the plane for a forklift to remove all baggage a young lady from the terminal came out and was talking to the loadmaster. They were talking about were we were shot at. Apparently somewhere over Baghdad something had been fired at the plane. We did not know anything about this until the landing. What if we would have been hit? That would have been it. I have faith in the pilots and the machinery now but not when it has been hit by some kind of missile or what have you. Thinking it through the only rational thing I could come up with is that it was just not my time.