Left Manas last night and flew to Bagram. It was relatively uneventful except that I had to carry an extra bag that most others didn’t. First, we had to find our own bags out in the logistics load yard. In the dark. We were told to check the bins for our names and then in that bin would be our bags. My name wasn’t on any bin. So another girl and I saw a bin with a bunch of bags in it going to Bagram and she and I jumped in and started throwing bags out and calling people’s names to come get them. That’s where nearly all the bags were, even though most of our names were not on the list.
Then it was time to load the bags onto the pallets. We were supposed to fly in a C-17, which is a huge plane that has plenty of seats and cargo room. That one was diverted for mission reasons and we ended up taking a C-130 instead. Which has much less seating room and WAY much less cargo space. The pallet builder explained the situation and told everyone with 3 bags to consolidate to two if they could. Then we still had too many bags, so he suggested that everyone with three bags come pick up one of their bags to carry onto the plane with them. No one moved. I waited for the troop commander (a Lt Col doctor) to tell people to get moving, but he didn’t. The pallet builder was visibly annoyed- he had a schedule to keep and he needed to get moving. When no one did anything, he told us that they would build the pallets and whatever was left over would need to be carried on. Well guess whose bag was one of those! Yeah- mine! The one person who only had ONE bag and one of the two people who threw the other bags out of the bin. Good grief! I think my patience is being tested on this trip.
While in the air, I had to go to the bathroom. What an interesting activity if you are on a cargo plane. The toilet is there so you don’t make a mess on the plane, not for your comfort. The guys have it easy- they just walk up to it and pee in the receptacle. To turn it into a toilet, they pull down this seat, as well as a step to get to the seat and a curtain to cover your butt while you pee. I said “cover your butt”. That’s because it doesn’t go all the way around and cover the front and your head sticks out as well in front of the curtain. I had to go, so I didn’t care! The guys were kind enough to look the other way while I went. It was relatively dark anyway, but I was the only female who went on the plane.
I arrived at Bagram at about 3AM. We got in processed, and then were supposed to get met by our unit reps. Mine didn’t show up. I found out later that they were supposed to get a call, but no one did. Oh well. I knew the drill. Get your billeting room, get your linens, and then wander around in the dark and try to find your room. Get to said room, creep quietly and try not to wake the other occupants of the room. There were three others in my room and although I was quiet at 0500, they were a bit stressed to find they had a new roommate. I would have been as well. I assured them it was only one night until my unit got my room situation sorted out (they were supposed to have a room reserved for me, but it wasn’t). I was slightly annoyed with my new unit at this point. But while on the plane at BWI, after they lost my luggage, I had prayed for peace and no anxiety and I was not angry or stressed. Just slightly annoyed. After discovering I was assigned to a room of 3 and there was an empty room across the hall, I went back to lodging and asked the lady to move me into that room. She said she wasn’t supposed to, but as long as I was out by the next night, I could have it. I unloaded my stuff in the new room and then went off in the dark to find the dining hall (DFAC) because I was starving and needed to eat. After wandering through a maze of shacks, I found it and then couldn’t find my way in. When I did, I discovered that I could only get a sandwich- argh! Which I was not allowed to eat there. So I made my sandwich and made it back to my room without any wrong turns- I was so proud of myself! I put my head on the pillow at about 0603 and at about 0609 the first jet took off, followed by the second. “This is going to be a looooong deployment”, I thought.
I had hoped to sleep until lunch time, but I awoke at about 0800 and couldn’t go back to sleep. This after only getting about 3 hours the night before. I got up and showered and went to went to the DFAC for lunch, but I got there 20 min before it opened. I had taken a newspaper to read while I ate. The guy told me I couldn’t come in yet. I told him I had just got off the plane and had nowhere to go while I waited (the dorm was a 10 min walk away-pointless). He said I could come in a sit down. Then some other guy told me the same thing after I sat down. He said I could have a sandwich. I said in my firmest Don’t Mess With Me voice, “I was here too early and had a sandwich for breakfast. I just got off an airplane. I’m starving and I have nowhere else to wait. I’m going to sit in that corner and read my paper until you open.” I must have looked over the edge, because he backed off and left me alone.
After lunch, I went to work, found someone in the hallway that I happened to know from another base and asked where my office was and then started my in processing. Turns out, they knew I was coming and left a message to be called, and the message was lost. They had a room for me that the lodging office couldn’t see somehow. So the guy I’m replacing and the guy who found me (who I know from previous assignment) got a truck and got my stuff and helped me move into my new room. I got the big tour, met tons of people, and then went to dinner with the Chief who is the superintendant of the med group. I also know him from a previous base. Then another guy joined us, as well as the group exec, who I ALSO know from a previous base. We laughed and told stories and had a great dinner.
Now, I’m writing this is in bed, airing out my smallpox, and wondering when I’ll ever to get to publish my posts since there is no public internet here. I have to wait until I get internet in my room. Should be within the next week or so. Now, I’m going to finish the iPod movie I started on the plane, eat my pie for dessert, and then take an Ambien and read Steven King until I fall asleep. Newcomers Orientation is tomorrow.
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