5 Days, 3 Planes to go 100 Miles

Kathy got it mostly correct, it took a mind boggling 5 days to make the 100 mile, 45 minute flight from Kuwait to Baghdad. It was like that Tom Hanks movie, the Terminal, except with automatic weapons and no real terminal, just a large circus-like tent. Three mechanical problems and two weather holds kept us grounded. We've all been delayed at airports, but this is different- your flight either goes or doesn't go at its scheduled time. If your flight doesn't go, you don't just get a seat on the next one, you have to get back in line and request seats on a future flight. Because of the administrative hurdles, we could only try for one flight on any given day. The worst part was schlepping all of gear to each flight, loading it all on pallets for the flight, and then unloading and moving it each time our flight was cancelled. On day three we crammed into the nylon strap seats in the belly of a C-130 cargo plane and flew all the way to Baghdad just to circle the airport and return to Kuwait. Apparently the plane's defensive countermeasures were not functioning, and our fearless Air Force would not risk the landing without them. When the pilot announced we were heading back to Kuwait, I was convinced it was just mis-guided Air Force humor- no such luck. Our small party of 21 soldiers, which constituted the advanced party for our entire battalion of over 600, arrived safely, and only 10 hours before the main party began arriving. Go Air Force.