Ok, I know lots of you were wondering when I was going to continue this blog. It's been a very busy 17 days so far, and I just haven't had the time to do an update. I'm in the swing of things now though, and although I'll still be very busy, I should be able to write once a week or so. This weekend I'm giving you a special treat of a double update, to attempt to close the gap since my last entry. Also, you'll notice in the future that I write about things that happened in the past. I'll rarely talk about what's coming up just to stay safe. You never know when Johnny Jihad is surfing the web.
So, when an Air Force member deploys to Iraq or Afghanistan, they usually go through one of two central locations: Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, for Iraq, and Manas Air Base, Krygyzstan for Afghanistan. These are rearward bases that are easily accessible by the contracted rotator flights from the US, Europe, and Pacific. The nice thing about the contracted flights is that they load them by rank, so I was able to snag a seat in the first class section, which had all the space of a normal first class seat, with none of the perks. For those reading this that think the enlisted folks get a raw deal by not being able to board first, there's a saying that I didn't coin and rarely use, but seemed to apply in this situation: "RHIP - Rank Has Its Privileges". Once a person arrives at one of these bases they go on standby to await onward transportation. They can be stuck there anywhere from a day or two to a week or more. Here's what the billeting arrangements are for "transient" personnel:
And here's what the rest of my "bedroom" looked like:
Thankfully it was pretty empty. I've been there when it was full and it's pretty tough to get a good night's sleep. Plus, someone always seems to take the mint off your pillow.
I was lucky in that I only had to spend one night in that bed, since I arrived at dawn on Monday and departed past midnight on Tuesday. The two days there are a bit of a blur, because I was tired, jet lagged, and trying to adjust to the 95 degree heat with 80% humidity. I was able to stop by the AFCENT (Air Forces Central) Headquarters to meet with some of the Civil Engineers who provide "reachback" support to Airmen in both Iraq and Afghanistan. It would be interesting to see how their perspectives differed from the guy I was going to replace...
Next time: Victory Base Complex
So, when an Air Force member deploys to Iraq or Afghanistan, they usually go through one of two central locations: Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, for Iraq, and Manas Air Base, Krygyzstan for Afghanistan. These are rearward bases that are easily accessible by the contracted rotator flights from the US, Europe, and Pacific. The nice thing about the contracted flights is that they load them by rank, so I was able to snag a seat in the first class section, which had all the space of a normal first class seat, with none of the perks. For those reading this that think the enlisted folks get a raw deal by not being able to board first, there's a saying that I didn't coin and rarely use, but seemed to apply in this situation: "RHIP - Rank Has Its Privileges". Once a person arrives at one of these bases they go on standby to await onward transportation. They can be stuck there anywhere from a day or two to a week or more. Here's what the billeting arrangements are for "transient" personnel:
 |
| Bed Number 10, Tent Number 49 |
And here's what the rest of my "bedroom" looked like:
 |
| At least they aren't cots! |
Thankfully it was pretty empty. I've been there when it was full and it's pretty tough to get a good night's sleep. Plus, someone always seems to take the mint off your pillow.
I was lucky in that I only had to spend one night in that bed, since I arrived at dawn on Monday and departed past midnight on Tuesday. The two days there are a bit of a blur, because I was tired, jet lagged, and trying to adjust to the 95 degree heat with 80% humidity. I was able to stop by the AFCENT (Air Forces Central) Headquarters to meet with some of the Civil Engineers who provide "reachback" support to Airmen in both Iraq and Afghanistan. It would be interesting to see how their perspectives differed from the guy I was going to replace...
Next time: Victory Base Complex
Be safe in your deployment. I am awaiting your next post.
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