Sun streams through the clouds at daybreak at Al Asad.My first sojourn out of Baghdad was this weekend, October 19th, when my boss and I went to the sprawling Al Asad Air Base in Anbar province for a site visit. Most people thought I was really lucky because most military in Iraq are what is know as “FOBbers.” A FOB is a Forward Operating Base and most of our bases here are considered FOBs. A FOBber is someone who spends their entire tour on the same base, never getting to go “outside the wire” or boundaries of the base.
A fellow LT, my friend Juan and I, join Flat Stanley in a photo. Flat Stanley was part of a school project for the daughter of one of our colleagues.DV
Come to find out, there is a huge bonus involved in traveling with my boss – she is a Navy Captain (or O-6, in military talk) and as such, she gains admittance to the “DV Lounge” (Distinguished Visitor). Delta Crown Room Club it is not, but it does have a TV, snacks and some comfy couches. Sadly, there is no DLL (Distinguished Lieutenant Lounge) and if traveling solo, I would be cast off to the wood benches and sparse amenities of the regular passenger terminal. But, as her trusty LT, when I travel with her, I get to hang in the DV Lounge too.
Come to find out, there is a huge bonus involved in traveling with my boss – she is a Navy Captain (or O-6, in military talk) and as such, she gains admittance to the “DV Lounge” (Distinguished Visitor). Delta Crown Room Club it is not, but it does have a TV, snacks and some comfy couches. Sadly, there is no DLL (Distinguished Lieutenant Lounge) and if traveling solo, I would be cast off to the wood benches and sparse amenities of the regular passenger terminal. But, as her trusty LT, when I travel with her, I get to hang in the DV Lounge too.
Love the feel of the Breeze on Your Face?
Intra-theater air travel is very different. The plane never stops running. So in the case of a C-130, its four huge props are spinning at a steady hum. This wouldn’t be so bad if those four props did not create a 35mph stream of hot exhaust. (for those of you who are fastidious readers of the blog, you may be able to see where this is going . . . ). And that 35mph stream of hot exhaust would not be so bad if you did not have to walk up behind the plane to get on. So the trip starts with you blowing throw this prop wash, leaning forward a little and trying not to breath.
Intra-theater air travel is very different. The plane never stops running. So in the case of a C-130, its four huge props are spinning at a steady hum. This wouldn’t be so bad if those four props did not create a 35mph stream of hot exhaust. (for those of you who are fastidious readers of the blog, you may be able to see where this is going . . . ). And that 35mph stream of hot exhaust would not be so bad if you did not have to walk up behind the plane to get on. So the trip starts with you blowing throw this prop wash, leaning forward a little and trying not to breath.
Semper Fi
Al Asad and all of Anbar province is the domain of the men and women of the United States Marine Corps and I have to tell you, I love being around Marines. I could never be that hard core, but I like being around people who are. The other great thing about Al Asad is that it is a “no-salute” base. A Camp Victory, you are constantly saluting. I always have to be on guard because you never want to miss saluting a senior officer but even more important to me, you never want to miss returning a salute rendered to you. And the Army salutes from what seems like miles away. There are some stretches of the base where I feel as though I might as well just leave my hand up until I turn the corner.
Al Asad and all of Anbar province is the domain of the men and women of the United States Marine Corps and I have to tell you, I love being around Marines. I could never be that hard core, but I like being around people who are. The other great thing about Al Asad is that it is a “no-salute” base. A Camp Victory, you are constantly saluting. I always have to be on guard because you never want to miss saluting a senior officer but even more important to me, you never want to miss returning a salute rendered to you. And the Army salutes from what seems like miles away. There are some stretches of the base where I feel as though I might as well just leave my hand up until I turn the corner.
At Al Asad, my living situation improved dramatically, if only for two nights. I had my own space, with my own bathroom. I was thinking I might just stay.
Is that WATER?And the most unique part of this base . . . an actual oasis in the sand. Really incredible and legend has it that Abraham stopped at this oasis on his trek through the desert. So in the middle of sand and barren land there is a little pond, with frogs and fish and turtles. And me.
Abandoned Iraqi MiGs are all over the base. Before the invasion, they Iraqi Air Force spread out all their planes in an attempt to prevent their destruction by bombs . . .Fly Military Jets
The trip back to Camp Victory was on a C17, which would be my first time on a military cargo jet. This is the big brother of the C130 and they actually install cargo pallets of regular airline chairs. As you can see, someone at the Pentagon forgot to order those little sanitary disposable head rest papers . . .
The trip back to Camp Victory was on a C17, which would be my first time on a military cargo jet. This is the big brother of the C130 and they actually install cargo pallets of regular airline chairs. As you can see, someone at the Pentagon forgot to order those little sanitary disposable head rest papers . . .
1 comment:
This blog is great! - Greg
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