Hurry Up and Wait

Travel can be a bitch in Iraq.

Mission: Travel from C5 to C3 with C5/C3 Site Manager

Saturday, May 12, 2007:
- 1930... Report to C5 OPS to sign out; board bus for transportation to PAX Terminal.
- 2000... Sign in at PAX Terminal for standby status on flight to A1 (requested in advance); add name to list for standby to C3 as "Plan B"; told A1 flight should leave at approximately 2200, and C3 flight projected for approximately midnight.
- 2015... Weave through throng of soldiers and plop a squat on a bench to wait.
- 2030... Weave through throng of soldiers to smoking area for a cigarette - or maybe two.
- 2045... Rejoin Site Manager; chat with soldiers on bench across from us; one is named Pickle; can't remember rank; he's cute, talkative, personable; he's heading out on R&R.
- 2115... Site Manager hoofs it to Pizza Hut for some chow - we're starving!
- 2145... Eat pizza; share with several soldiers.
- 2200... Informed the flight has been delayed 2 hours; on weather hold at A1; projected departure time is now approximately midnight.
- 2230... Weave through throng of soldiers to smoking area for a cigarette; chat with a few soldiers over several cigarettes. "What do you do? How long have you been here? Why have you been here so long? Where are you from? How long have you been stuck waiting here...?"; chat with Pickle; he shows me photos on his digital; some are up close and personal shots of Strykers; I growl and purr in approval; he laughs.
- 2315... Rejoin Site Manager; chat with soldiers on bench across from us (including Pickle).
- 2350... Weather hold lifted; soldiers on bench across from us are called to grab gear and line up for incoming flight to A1; watch line of soldiers peeking at flightline over the top of T-wall barrier; reminds me of a bunch of kids hanging out by the fence watching a ball game, and I smile.

Sunday, May 13, 2007:
- 0100... Site Manager and I are called to grab gear and hit the flightline for ride to A1 via Chinook.
- 0130... Blackhawks already on flightline finish loading and take off; Chinooks move in; hustle to the pad; wind is gusting; heat is intense; noise is overwhelming even with earplugs; flight is packed; crew members motion to move down, move down, move down, pack it in, pack it in, pack it in; Site Manager and I are situated near the very end of the row, creating a perfect vantage point out the open back of the chopper where the gunner is perched at the ready; watch the city lights dwindle into darkened farmland; doze off.
- 0200... Arrive at Catfish at A1; mild chaos; cluster in gravel area just off flightline; told to get into formation (this is a first for me, but I'm not going to argue or be the one idiot who doesn't comply); pass ID down the line for check in; listen to incomprehensible direction from Staff Sergeant tasked to lead our formation; follow formation to PAX Terminal; thank my lucky stars I'm at the end of the line.
- 0215... ID is returned to me; Site Manager suggests I head inside to call for our ride; I ask if I'm dismissed from formation and she laughs (like I said, I don't want to be the one idiot...); head inside to make call; no answer after several tries.
- 0230... Go outside to smoke a cigarette while Site Manager tries to call; she has success and our ride is on the way; in the meantime, we've checked on flights to C3 and have decided to stick around, hoping we may be able to catch one; our ride arrives, we chat for a bit, and then send him away.
- 0300... Informed that our potential flight to C3 (originating at C1) is on weather hold; updates will follow.
- 0330... Informed that "they're sending someone"; we may make it after all!
- 0400... Informed that our potential flight is on weather hold again and that it doesn't look good; we decide to stick around for the next update, just in case.
- 0430... Informed the flight has now been cancelled; we're not going anywhere; call for a ride; informed by "Jim" on the other end of the line that "this is a really bad time" for him; I want to scream at him through the phone, but opt otherwise; I instead thank him for his time and tell him we will be outside waiting.
- 0440... "Jim" arrives, reminding us again that "this is a really bad time"; we thank him again, through grinding teeth; I ask him to drop us off at our office instead of Billeting so that I can secure my own vehicle and take the Site Manager to Billeting myself and get this guy back to his "good time" that we've interfered with.
- 0500... Site Manager has billets for the night; I drop off my own gear, grab laundry to be turned in, and then return the vehicle and keys to the office.
- 0520... Drop off laundry on the way back to my own hooch; set obnoxious alarm for 1000; sleep.
- 1000... Obnoxious alarm sounds; hit snooze.
- 1015... Obnoxious alarm sounds; hit snooze.
- 1030... Obnoxious alarm sounds; reset to 1200.
- 1200... Obnoxious alarm sounds; hit snooze.
- 1215... Obnoxious alarm sounds; hit snooze.
- 1230... Obnoxious alarm sounds; turn off alarm, get up, stretch, wonder why I feel like crap and then immediately recall the previous 24+ hours; shower; dress; head to the office.
- 1400... Check mail; received college graduation announcement from my cousin; won't be able to attend, but I'll have to think about something to send as a gift - probably money.
- 1800... Have spent a good portion of my time at the office receiving updates from Deputy Program Manager and sitting in on a conference call; have not accomplished many of the tasks I need to now that I finally have connection again; have long discussions with two individuals (separately) who are going through workplace conflict.
- 1915... Head to chow with Site Manager and our new IT Database Analyst.
- 2030... Call Mom to wish her a happy Mother's Day.
- 2100... Hitch ride to hooch to pick up luggage and then back to Catfish to check in for standby status on flight to C3.
- 2145... Informed at Catfish that "it doesn't look good"; C3 flight already booked and everyone has shown up, so standby passengers will not be allowed on; contemplate alternative flight plans; heard before we left the office about a possible Marine flight into C3 that Army-run Catfish wouldn't post or track; decide to use Marine flight as Plan A and get on the list for a flight a little later to F2 - more connection possibilities through F2.
- 2245... Informed we definitely will not be on the flight to C3.
- 2330... Observe and shudder as soldier crunches massive bug that has made its way into PAX Terminal; it literally crunches; there are several outside - some dead, some still alive; decide not to go outside for a cigarette because I now have a severe case of the heebie-jeebies.

Monday, May 14, 2007:
- 0030... Marine flight is announced; grab our gear and head out to flightline with other passengers; ask Marine crew member if he can take 2 more passengers to Warhorse with them; denied; flightline rep tells me he "told me so", and I respond, "It's always worth asking."
- 0230... Called to line up with gear for flight to F2; dropped on flightline at Blackhawk parking bay; receive safety briefing from crew member and told to standby - scheduled departure 0315, but "we're gonna' try to take off a little early"; observe pre-flight check; enjoy comfort of T-wall and what feels like 125-degree weather with all this gear on.
- 0300... Board Blackhawk; secure a seat in front, behind the right-side gunner, for a better view.
- 0305... Depart A1 en route to F2; watch lights dwindle and finally fade; doze off.
- 0330... Arrive at F2; check in with flightline reps; call for ride to our company office; smoke a cigarette.
- 0400… Arrive at company office; check in; go to Billeting; issued key to Room A-1; key doesn’t work; go back to Billeting; issued a different key to Room A-1; key doesn’t work; go back to Billeting; tell women behind counter that the key doesn’t work, or else it’s operator error (because I am exhausted), or else someone has a key in the lock on the inside of the door; issued a key to Room A-5; key doesn’t work; now I’m really frustrated; run into our company rep; he tries key; doesn’t work for him either; he goes to Billeting and is issued a key to Room A-10; the key works.
- 0430... Finally in a room now along with 3 other women; only top bunks are available, and the women on the bottom bunks apparently thought it was appropriate to take pillows from top bunks so they'd have extra; think briefly about waking them up to get one, but decide instead to use my bugout bag as a pillow; set obnoxious alarm for 1000.
- 0630… Women in the room are rustling; try to ignore them because I’m sure I disturbed them when I entered the room at 0430.
- 0730… Cleaning crew is here; door is left wide open so that I can hear foot traffic on sidewalk outside; the Filipino woman wakes me to ask, “You check out? You check out?” I grumble, “No, I sleep,” and roll over; they continue to sweep and mop and change bedding.
- 1000… Obnoxious alarm sounds; hit snooze.
- 1015… Obnoxious alarm sounds; hit snooze.
- 1030… Obnoxious alarm sounds; turn off alarm, get up, stretch, wonder why I feel like crap and then immediately recall the previous 24+ hours; wait – is this déjà vu?
- 1045… Report to office to check in and inquire about status of flight to C3; nothing new; looks like it’ll be late tonight; still just standby; hang out in A/C for a while and listen to iPod while I observe the chaos surrounding me.
- 1130… Site Manager shows up; she gives me key to her private hooch so that I can rest for a while in peace, shower, and change.
- 1430… Return to office and work for a while; Site Manager brought me a sandwich from Subway; good thing too – I’m starving!
- 1730… Run into our Foreman from B3; he’s demobilizing; ask him why and get an earful of interesting info; we’re losing a good one and management seems clueless; definitely a pattern here.
- 2100… Pack up computer and head to flightline to check in for standby status on flight to C3; told by movement team member that it “doesn’t look good”; tell the guy to “shush” and not jinx it for us; tell him 3 is a magic number and this is our third try darnitall – we will make this flight!
- 2330… Called to line up with our gear; we’re at the end of the line, so naturally we’re a bit apprehensive considering the pattern so far.
- 2345… Move to flightline; led by a few different people with chem lights to several formation points along the way; we notice they’re loading Chinooks, which is definitely a spirit-booster because they hold a lot more people and gear than Blackhawks; manage to get ahead in line because some other people have lots of gear and tell us to move along, no worries.

Tuesday, May 15, 2007:
- 0015… Strapped in, fingers crossed, and finally a successful liftoff; the soldier across from me appears quite relieved; the guy next to me says, “Thanks for the optimism,” in reference to my “shush” comments earlier inside one of the tents.
- 0100… Land at C5 to fuel up; confused faces everywhere; told we can leave our bags but we need to download; wait on edge of flightline; a few guys light up; a member of the fuel team races over to bark at them and demand they put out their cigarettes; they comply without incident – well, I didn’t hear anything anyway; Site Manager and I laugh as we struggle against the intense wind; the hot Iraq wind is cool compared to that produced by the Chinooks, and the two temperatures dance together in a mysterious swirl that does not combine, creating brief moments of relief amongst hot blasts to our faces.
- 0145… Board Chinook and fly to C5; the other Chinook unloads passengers and gear; we stay put.
- 0200… Fly to the heavy lift pad at C5; the other Chinook is loading pallets and the pilot doesn’t want the choppers running; crew tells us we can stay put or get out and stretch – it might be a little while; several get off; Site Manager and I pull out our iPods and get comfortable; no complaining allowed – at least we’re on the bird; I undo the front of my vest to put my iPod in my pocket and realize how heavy and constricting the gear really is; I feel like I can breathe now, but quickly wrap myself back up in it; we watch our crew members shed their gear and take a much-needed break from the heat and toil; they break out sodas and snacks and joke and horseplay while a forklift loads pallets onto the other Chinook.
- 0245… Depart heavy lift pad and head to C3.
- 0315… Arrive at C3; met by company rep on the flightline; once we’re loaded into the SUV, she tells us we won’t have the executive hooches we were supposed to have; apparently our strategic partner company has lots of VIPs visiting right now as well; naturally, we don’t rank as high – she doesn’t say this, but it’s understood; we sign in at OPS and she shows us to our quarters, which are not VIP but have been rigged with internet connection; we let her know how grateful we are for the accommodations and for installing lines just for our visit.
- 0330… Site Manager and I comment on back strain, shoulder strain, dark under-eye circles, and clear pores from all the sweating; we check out the goodies left for us in our “VIP” hooches; they left granola bars, chicken salad lunch kit, microwave popcorn, chocolate candy, fruit candy, bottled water (of course), cold coffee drinks, sodas, and near beer; we each open a near beer and offer up a little toast to “arrivals”.
- 0400… Set obnoxious alarm for 0900 and sleep… finally.