Again a long delay between posts, I apologize for that. A lot has transpired since the last time I wrote. From Camp Buehring, we boarded a C-17 Cargo plane and made the quick flight up to BIAP (Baghdad International Airport), this was my first time in the Capitol and there certainly wasn’t much to see, everywhere you look there is a T-Barrier about 12 feet high blocking your view, these are in place to prevent shrapnel from flying to far during the oft occurring mortar attacks. We spent a long hot two days in Baghdad before once again flying on CH-47 Chinook helicopters up to Taji and the Phoenix Academy. At the Phoenix Academy we spent about a week in the class room, more language classes, more Counter Insurgency training, and even a visit from General Petraeus himself. Once again we were travelling, this time another CH-47 flight to Balad and finally after 48 hours of travelling, waiting, sweating, dragging four duffle bags, trying to stay awake, trying to hurry up and fall asleep, not showering and basic misery we boarded a C-130 bound for FOB Sykes.
After taxiing around the tarmac for about 15 minutes, the flight crew yelled that we had to change crews; apparently the pilot had strained his back and was unable to fly.
So, we disembarked the plane and stood around on the runway for an hour and a half while they found another crew to make the flight. The C-130 aircraft is the Air Force’s utility plane; it can carry cargo, vehicles, or as the popular cadence goes “sixty four rangers on a one way trip.” Whatever the case, it wasn’t designed to carry anybody in comfort. The seats are simple nylon stretched over an aluminum frame, if it was 110 on the ground it was at least 140 in the plane, sweat just ran off the body. Once we were airborne though it was a short 45 minute flight up to Tal Afar and FOB Sykes
