Good Morning Baghdad!!

This morning I finally awoke in the International Zone (IZ) here in Baghdad after 26+ hours to travel 350 miles and using 5 means of travel, the only one I did not use was the donkey!

As I had already mentioned we were awaiting for our travel arrangements to be resolved prior to heading out. The previous day we did not fly because of the huge electrical storms and the sand storms they had in the Baghdad area. We were told to be ready to move at 2230 hrs on 26 April. The buses and baggage semi pulled up and we loaded our gear and boarded the buses with our Navy counterparts. I was flight commander so after discovering there was a Seaman that was not on the manifest they had to update it and off we went to Ali Al Salem (AAS) to catch our flight. Upon arrival I checked the group in, we downloaded the bags and built 2 pallets which would accompany us to Baghdad. We sat outside awaiting the bus ride to the tarmac for our plane, and at 0230 we got on and after a 10 minute ride got off and loaded the C-130, and took up every available web seat there was except for one. They loaded the two pallets and we took off almost 45 minutes ahead of time.

Most of us were just excited to be heading north and start our jobs since we had done all we could in Kuwait. I must have just fallen asleep when one of the Air Force crew chiefs told me that there were some mechanical issues and that the plane would have to turn back, we were over Iraq so around we went and landed. The flight was just a few minutes shorter than had we gone to Baghdad. The Soldiers got out and when I told them we were in Kuwait they throught I was pulling their leg. Us senior guys knew that this mechanical issue was not going to be fixed any time soon and that we would have to spend some serious down time at AAS. Sure enough I checked into flight ops and our next showtime was at 1140 hours so they gave us a huge tent so we could sit or lie down on a few cots inside. Most of us headed off to chow and call our wives and read some email, as there is not much happening at 0530 in the Kuwait desert.

It was starting to get hot with the sun coming out and I knew that it was going to be a scorcher of a day. At 1140 our Soldiers were back in the tent or smoking area and were to remain there until our buses arrived. It was tough to get some sleep since we were sucking down some serious water and the heat was making it unbearable everytime we had to hit the head. At 1310 the buses arrived and after we got all geared up with our IBA and rucks I then had to call manifest roll call under the Kuwait sun, board the bus whose AC was on high but the inside the bus it felt hotter than hell. We arrived at the tarmac, sat on the buses for about 10 more minutes. By this time sweat beads and were running down my legs and my upper body was soaked in sweat. We got on the aircraft under the hot did I say real hot Kuwaiti sun and after getting strapped in we sat there for 30-35 of the longest minutes of my life in that hot inferno, it must have been 130 degrees in there, all of us squished in their like sardines, all geared up with a wisp of breeze coming from the back of the aircraft every couple of minutes. Then they loaded on the pallets and you could kiss what little breeze we had goodbye. Everyone I looked at was covered in sweat and to top it off after having sucked down water like crazy then sitting in the aircraft for 40 minutes while watching the Air Force guys chilling out in the shade with the wind cooling themselves off, some of us were wondering was this some kind of Army Experiment to see how long until one of the guys locked and loaded a round into their weapon telling the Air Force to either get the show on the road or let us get out of there for a few minutes. We took off on time and landed almost 90 minutes later in a cooler Baghdad International Air Port (BIAP).

We swiped our ID cards and took a seat for the briefing. Got briefed and it took about 35 minutes for us to meet our coordinationg rep at BIAP. Good news was that our guys heading to the Phoenix Academy would be flying out later that night on CH-47 Chinook Helicopters. With the coordination being done I handed our folks over to another Colonel Darel Maxfield, both of us go back to when we both commanded battalions at the sametime. He was also going with those Soldiers to the Phoenix Academy. I now had to find my ride from BIAP to the International Zone (IZ) which is only 20 miles away but is in a completely other world. It took a shitload of phone calls to headquarters and when the first person I spoke to said "oh we weren't planning on you arriving so soon" I almost wanted to scream! I finally let them know that I was trying to catch a bird, once I did I would let them know. I was able to book a seat on Catfish Air, which is the name of one of the aviation units and these guys fly certain routes at certain time. So in the meantime I jumped in the back of a HMMWV and caught a ride to the chowhall. They had steak and shrimp and scallops. It was great and since I was still soaked in sweat from that flight I grabbed myself a four scoop vanilla icecream from Baskin Robbins to celebrate my arrival into Iraq. Walking back from chow the whole place was a quagmire, as it had rained a lot in the past 36 hours everything was covered 4-5 inches deep in mud. Let's see here mud in the desert, hmmm something must not be right.

The flight was at night which tends to be the norm when flying over Baghdad for security and means of self preservation. The birds were flying with no lights and pilots and gunners were using Night Optical Devices (NOD's) while flying. We stopped and had to get out for hot refuel then back on. We stopped at one of the camps to let some Soldiers off and pickup new ones, then we finally landed at IZ-Washington. It was interesting seeing Baghdad at night and from the air with the window open and the rush of cool fresh air in ones face was rather invigorating. From above it all looks rather calm, though I would venture to say that in some areas on the ground the same could not be said. I was picked up by Major Starnes from the J-4 who I met when I was out here in December. We had to make two trips to my temporary hootch, he left and after unpacking and taking a long awaited shower it was lights out at 0045 hours, just over 26 hours on the road and I finally was in a bed with my eyes closed.

I slept in this morning got up at 1030, then went over to the gym did my 5+ miles on the treadmill (damn I hate those things) I must be spoiled running in the bay area along the Guadalupe River, or along the trails off the Dumbarton Bridge. But thanks to my IPOD and some ESPN Sports Center on the tube the miles went by quickly. A quick shower, some chow, then here I am at the MWR internet cafe site reading email and updating the blog. That's it for now, I am heading to Phoenix Base where the J-4 is to meet my boss and figure out what he wants me to do for the next year. I have been told I may be here anywhere from1 week to a month, guess I'll find out in a few minutes.

Viva Er Beti Manque Lopera!!