So, Bagram wasn’t my final destination, I was destined for Camp Phoenix in Kabul and we were going to figure out a way to get there. Like I said in the earlier post the paralegal and I had scheduled a flight for me for Friday and from the looks of things that was the earliest military flight (again a cargo plane) we would be able to make. At this point the guy I am going to be working with was also trying to get to Camp as well. We had all of our luggage, about 7 bags total between the two of us. This was a lot of luggage to lug around. We also didn’t want to wait around until Friday to get to camp, that would be several days of sleeping on hard floors and being in the way of those in the office trying to conduct business. So we decided to look for other options, at least now I had a traveling partner. The paralegal made some phone calls and we found out there was a rotary route (helicopter) that went to KIA (Kabul international airport), more on the airport in a later post, they informed her that there should be some space on the black hawk including baggage but it would be tight. We also, through talking with some people whom I met at the CRC, found a convoy that was going to another camp in Kabul which would get us one step closer to where we needed to be. However, the convoy was filling up and they weren’t sure there would be enough spots, and the problem was we had a maybe on both situation and they both kicked off at the same time so we had to figure out which one we were going to gamble on.
We decided the black hawk, which ended up being a good choice, a couple days later I ran into one of the guys from CRC who was suppose to be on the convoy and he had been kicked off because it was too crowded. So we went to the rotary terminal and put our names on the list for space A (space available) seating on the black hawk. There were 4 other people on the same list and we were concerned with all the luggage there may not be room but, fate was working in our favor and we made it on to the helicopter. Let me tell you with 6 extra people and 7 or 8 bags things were tight in that black hawk, but what a way to fly. It was amazing to look around and see the other helicopter we were flying with and see the mountains and the towns below. It was also intimidating when you see the large machine gun loaded and ever vigilant pointed out the side, but, still an amazing ride.
I should go back for a moment and fill in a hole that I left. As an officer we were issued a 9mm at the CRC, however for whatever reason they didn’t not issue us any magazines nor obviously did we get any ammo, this made it difficult when I got to Bagram and I am told that we are suppose to be loaded. So after some scrounging the guy I was working with let me borrow one of his extra magazines. It is very different to walk around everywhere you go with a loaded weapon at your side, or to look around and see people walking around with a loaded M16 carrying on casual conversations like it is no big deal. I don’t feel uncomfortable, it is just different, weird. As I sit here typing with a holster on my belt, my weapon at my side, I find myself already, after only a few days, checking for it, I can only imagine when I get home and no longer have it. I go to dinner and have my weapon, I wake up in the morning and just as if it were my boots or my pants I put my weapon on my belt. It is a unique situation.
But, I digress, the black hawk lands at KIA and the nice part about the military is no matter rank or even country of service everyone is willing to help out, so everyone on the helicopter kindly grabbed a bag and helped my partner and I carry them to the door of the airport. We had made it to Kabul, now what?
No comments:
Post a Comment