"War is a profane thing" - General Norman Schwartzkopf
In spite of the rapid pace of our OPTEMPO, the time had come for me to leave Iraq to attend my first resident phase of Army War College. This would require me finding my way down to Kuwait and then taking the "rotator" or "R&R" flight back to the U.S. I had travel orders that would cover my two weeks in the States. That was good news, as it meant my attendance at AWC wouldn't be considered R&R leave (which it isn't supposed to). It isn't easy to be the Battalion Commander in a war zone and have to leave for two weeks (actually three when including travel). For the entire week leading up to my departure I drilled my staff in every aspect of the "battle drills" and other requirements they would need to attend to in my absence. Once I was completely satisfied they were ready I started plotting my travel south to Kuwait. Around here, though, there is no such thing as just zipping down to Kuwait. Besides, being as I would be traveling TDY it meant I was not considered a priority traveler. With that in mind, my departure from COB Speicher needed to be at least six days prior to my report date at Carlisle Barracks. It seems crazy but that's just the way it works here. Traveling also includes a lot of "hurry up and wait" but that's no problem for Army types.
On the day I departed things got hectic. It didn't look like I would make it out on a flight so I planned to ride a convoy later in the day that was headed to Balad. My plan was to catch a fixed-wing flight to Kuwait from there. I went back to my CHU around lunch time to
pack. That's when my CSM came knocking on my door to tell me a rotary flight was leaving from Division Main and I could get on it. The flight was headed to Balad and would have me there long before any convoy. I was skeptical of making it on such short notice but gave it my best effort. Sure enough, when we got to D-Main the Blackhawks were on the pad waiting for me. I handed off my weapon to CSM and we hustled out to the waiting helicopters. As I strapped in CSM handed my ruck to the crew chief. Over the roar of the engines and rotor blades he yelled, "You better drink a beer for me Sir!" We shook hands and then I was off to Balad. We touched down there about 45 minutes later. Fortunately, my stay there wasn't long. About four hours later I was on my way to Ali Al Salem in Kuwait. By nightfall I was in the armpit of CENTCOM. That's where the waiting began.
As I mentioned earlier, TDY folks are not considered priority travelers. For me to fly on the R&R flight mea
nt being on a waiting list. Waiting is exactly what I did for the next three days. Ali Al Salem is a dusty, hot and boring place to wait for a flight. It's also a Disney World that infuriates hard core old timers. Standards are strange, civilian clothes are authorized, and, apparently, PDA is as well. There are foodcourts with everything from McDonalds to Pizza Hut. Most of the population consists of transients waiting for flights to either the U.S. or back to Iraq or Afghanistan. The billeting is a series of tents that have been up for several years. They are in bad shape and offer little relief from the relentless Kuwaiti summer heat. Every day I had to attend a meeting of the "stand-by" personnel. The Airman would take roll call and then let us know if any flight was available. For two straight days I had to endure the torture of hearing that there were no seats. Then I'd idle my day in Kuwait, which was by sleeping, eating and working out. Day three brought good news and I was manifested on the next flight. That didn't end the waiting though. It was another twelve hours before I was climbing on the Omni Air International Boeing 777 for the flight back to Atlanta.
Upon touching down in Atlanta I made my way to the next leg of my journey. I had a direct flight to Harrisburg, PA. Fortunately, I was right on time to report to Army War College. For the next two weeks I would be with some of the best and brightest. The alumni of AWC reads like an A-list of the most distinguished leaders of the 20th Century. Battalion Command gameface came off, strategic thinker gameface went on... And, I might add, Carlisle Barracks, PA is a far cry from COB Speicher, Iraq.
In spite of the rapid pace of our OPTEMPO, the time had come for me to leave Iraq to attend my first resident phase of Army War College. This would require me finding my way down to Kuwait and then taking the "rotator" or "R&R" flight back to the U.S. I had travel orders that would cover my two weeks in the States. That was good news, as it meant my attendance at AWC wouldn't be considered R&R leave (which it isn't supposed to). It isn't easy to be the Battalion Commander in a war zone and have to leave for two weeks (actually three when including travel). For the entire week leading up to my departure I drilled my staff in every aspect of the "battle drills" and other requirements they would need to attend to in my absence. Once I was completely satisfied they were ready I started plotting my travel south to Kuwait. Around here, though, there is no such thing as just zipping down to Kuwait. Besides, being as I would be traveling TDY it meant I was not considered a priority traveler. With that in mind, my departure from COB Speicher needed to be at least six days prior to my report date at Carlisle Barracks. It seems crazy but that's just the way it works here. Traveling also includes a lot of "hurry up and wait" but that's no problem for Army types.On the day I departed things got hectic. It didn't look like I would make it out on a flight so I planned to ride a convoy later in the day that was headed to Balad. My plan was to catch a fixed-wing flight to Kuwait from there. I went back to my CHU around lunch time to
pack. That's when my CSM came knocking on my door to tell me a rotary flight was leaving from Division Main and I could get on it. The flight was headed to Balad and would have me there long before any convoy. I was skeptical of making it on such short notice but gave it my best effort. Sure enough, when we got to D-Main the Blackhawks were on the pad waiting for me. I handed off my weapon to CSM and we hustled out to the waiting helicopters. As I strapped in CSM handed my ruck to the crew chief. Over the roar of the engines and rotor blades he yelled, "You better drink a beer for me Sir!" We shook hands and then I was off to Balad. We touched down there about 45 minutes later. Fortunately, my stay there wasn't long. About four hours later I was on my way to Ali Al Salem in Kuwait. By nightfall I was in the armpit of CENTCOM. That's where the waiting began.As I mentioned earlier, TDY folks are not considered priority travelers. For me to fly on the R&R flight mea
nt being on a waiting list. Waiting is exactly what I did for the next three days. Ali Al Salem is a dusty, hot and boring place to wait for a flight. It's also a Disney World that infuriates hard core old timers. Standards are strange, civilian clothes are authorized, and, apparently, PDA is as well. There are foodcourts with everything from McDonalds to Pizza Hut. Most of the population consists of transients waiting for flights to either the U.S. or back to Iraq or Afghanistan. The billeting is a series of tents that have been up for several years. They are in bad shape and offer little relief from the relentless Kuwaiti summer heat. Every day I had to attend a meeting of the "stand-by" personnel. The Airman would take roll call and then let us know if any flight was available. For two straight days I had to endure the torture of hearing that there were no seats. Then I'd idle my day in Kuwait, which was by sleeping, eating and working out. Day three brought good news and I was manifested on the next flight. That didn't end the waiting though. It was another twelve hours before I was climbing on the Omni Air International Boeing 777 for the flight back to Atlanta.Upon touching down in Atlanta I made my way to the next leg of my journey. I had a direct flight to Harrisburg, PA. Fortunately, I was right on time to report to Army War College. For the next two weeks I would be with some of the best and brightest. The alumni of AWC reads like an A-list of the most distinguished leaders of the 20th Century. Battalion Command gameface came off, strategic thinker gameface went on... And, I might add, Carlisle Barracks, PA is a far cry from COB Speicher, Iraq.
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