Gone "MAD"

So I sat in the Passenger Terminal for 36 hours. Eating on occasion but not really eating correctly. Wondering, waiting, then once again I hear it over the loud speaker "flight is canceled". I am sick of this. I do not understand how hard this could be. Have a flight that, each day will pick up soldiers and return them to their loved ones and bring them back in two weeks.

Slept in my own bed last night, here, not my own bed at home. I went back to the terminal this morning to inquire about a flight.

The Air Force female across the desk with a hint of sarcasm and a whole lot of happy responds "NO FLIGHTS COME BACK AT MIDNIGHT". This will be the third midnight I have heard that. Is it wrong of me to want to jump over the desk pick her up by her neck and inquire about her leave. I would be willing to bet that she had already been or that she only comes here for three months and then goes home.

I have been here for over 8 freakin' months. Is it too much to ask that someone schedule a flight. It is not just for me but for the other triple digit number of troops who want to go home too. So here I sit in the office with nothing but home on my mind. Knowing that I will miss out on most if not all of spring break with my family, which means no road trips since Todd will be in school.

Rewind, I did not choke her just so you know, in my world thinking bad things is a part of life since saying and doing them can really "alter my future".

Praying for the 16

Looking at the bottom of the Jar

So here I sit, the jar so empty that  I can hear her expression of joy that I am home. I wonder if perhaps I have changed so much over the last eight months that she will not recognize me from the changes that I have made. Mostly if I have changed it would be unintentional. My mouth is bad. The profanity that comes from it embarrasses me. I have finally begun to pay attention to it. Hopefully I can leave that on the battle field when I return home.

So in a short time I will sit in one long line after another waiting impatiently for my name to be called so I can line up like a duck in another line and wait. Then a short flight to Kuwait where we will wait longer. Then another line then more praying, please Oh please call my name, then a 16 to 20 hour plane ride which I can remember from the last trip made my tailbone feel like it would burst out of my stomach.

Sitting in the coach seats of the plane for 16 hours will bother me. The on again off again naps followed by something that the airlines call a meal (actually that sounds good right now) then a shave in an Air plane at half a million feet above the earth and then US DIRT…. Coming home if only for a little while…..

Praying for the 16

Pray for us all

In my blog I have been putting "Praying for the and the number," representing the number of soldiers lost since our arrival. There is no way I could add the soldiers that were lost prior to us or lost by our Units, as the numbers would be too depressing.

I managed to look at my blog the other evening and first let me say thank you to the Internet Wizards who are taking care of it. Namely MoM and PoP. They have done a great job keeping it up to date and looking good.

As I scanned the writing I noticed that I had "Praying for the 16"  and then it changed to "Praying for the 15". I feel bad that I have left off one of our fellow fallen heroes and felt I should write this update. We have, since our arrival, lost 16 soldiers. Those 16 soldiers will never return to their loving families, their smiles never to be seen again.

I ask that each of you pray for these families in whatever way you see fit. Each time you see Praying for the (number) I ask that you say a short prayer for the families as I have seen what a loss can do to a family.

Praying for 16