Kuwait

                Now this is where a lot of people come from the states to go to their deployment location, people leaving and returning from theater come, both Iraq and Afghanistan.   People are leaving for and returning from R and R, there are those going and coming from emergency leave, and TDY.  Then there are those of us who are individual deployers (no unit) that are coming into theater for the first time.  People are going everywhere, some have priority due to rank or assignment, some just based on someone saying they have priority and then there are the rest of us who are fighting in a line of space available fliers, waiting each flight hoping that our name is called so that we can get to our next location.  Honestly this area is a bit disorganized in my opinion, there is no rhyme or reason to how they do things, obviously they can’t share all travel times and such because they don’t want the planes to become easy targets but as soldiers we were just wandered around hoping to catch a flight, I was lucky on only had to spend two nights (three days), several of the people from our group were there 4 and 5 nights waiting on flights to their next location. 

This is also tent city, there are only a few trailers here most everything else is in tents.  There is a gym and a DFAC (dining facility), there is also a McDonalds, KFC, and Pizza Hut, as well as many other enmities.  (trust me there is more stuff in Kuwait at the transient camp then there is on Camp Phoenix where I am currently.  When we got off the plane it was kind of a mess, mostly because I was trying to follow the directions I was given  by TDS (Trial Defense Service) leadership which was slightly different then the information the Soldiers at the camp were giving us.  First I guess I should back up a bit, We got of the plane in Kuwait and were ushered to busses where we got on and had to travel with the window currents pulled you would think this would have began to make things real and frighten me, but it didn’t.  I just knew that was the way things had to be.  I was a lucky one and my boss had previously put me on the list for a flight.  This was not a guarantee that I wouldn’t get bumped but it did mean that I was on a flight assuming that others with priority didn’t bump me.  I ended up making that flight, therefore only having to stay the 2 nights as I stated earlier.

So my two days in Kuwait I spent mostly in the MWR tents, these are the tents set up to provide some entertainment for the Soldiers.  I watched a lot of movies, in fact I watched Yogi Bear three times I think.  It was the place with the most comfortable seating, which trust me is few and far between.  If you can find a good couch you take it and you don’t get up.  I was lucky and had a partner in crime so if I had to go to the bathroom he was there and  vice versa.  That is one thing I truly miss…comfortable seating and bedding.  Kuwait was sandy, that is about what I can say about it.  Sadly I didn’t take any pictures there, I think I was too tired and kind of overwhelmed but don’t worry I have to go back through there and I will take pictures then.