Iraq that is. I got here on the 27th at 2 AM after having to sit in Kuwait since Tuesday at 4 PM, their time.
I left Tyrone at about 5:45 PM, the train was late from the 4:05 PM on the schedule but it made up the time and I rolled into NYC right on time at 11:00 PM. I took the subway to Andy Martin's and walked the 5 blocks to his house from the subway. He took good care of me and we sat up and talked until late. We were up at 6:30 and he dropped me at the subway on his way to La Guardia Airport. I took the subway to the Sky Train station and the cops gave me a free ride on the Air Train after checking out my stuff. They asked about the aid bag and why I needed it and decided I could get a free pass if I was coming here. Who says the police are not your friend?
I had no trouble getting through security, they didn't run me through the wringer, as they did in Germany. The plane was a Boeing 777 and I had a row of 3 seats all to myself, so I could stretch out even if I could not sleep.
Dubai, UAE was uneventful unless you consider I arrived at 6 AM their time and had to lay over until 4 PM to catch my flight to Kuwait. As luck would have it I ran into a guy from Darfor, who was working in Japan and on his way home to the genocide, not that he expected to get scooped up in the mess but it was on his mind. He told me about the free lunch if you had a layover of more than 3 hours and it was quite a spread.
I waited in the terminal at Kuwait International and got a ride to Ali Al Salem Airbase at 6:30 PM. Once there I got signed up for standby back to al Asad and the fun began 3 days later and less sleep than I needed I arrived here. When you are flying out on stand by, you have to make both accountability calls at 0630 and 1630 hours to stay on the stand by list, as well as every flight to your destination. By the time I worked my way up to the top of the list, in came a C-17 with seats for 150 people and they cleared off everyone wanting to go to al Asad. Even with 40 people on the plane it was not crowded either.
Once I got here I caught a cat nap before Charlie H. started pounding on my door at 8:30 AM. The Ugandan guards were ever so happy to see me. I never thought I would say this but I am home sick.
Being with Lynne everyday for 4 months was heaven. I miss her so much now. She told me I can come home any time I want but I'll be alright once I get into the swing of things. I know I am here until the 4th of JUNE and maybe until the 4th of July. After that, I'll get moved to somewhere else. Rod K. was here to meet me at al Asad, he was covering until I did. Since they got new housing and moved the Aid Station to the Tactical Operation Center (TOC) we need to do an inventory and get everything set up.
My buddy, Glenn W., who was also a medic in Special Forces, is supposed to be in here from Korean Village in the next couple of days so I'll see him again.
Well, that is the update, I'll send more as I know it.
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