It's Memorial Day and the expeditionary airlift squadron had a cookout behind our quarters. We're a small tight knit group. Just like mainstream America we too were concerned with getting our meat fix and having tasty beer. As I looked around the pavillion I wondered how many of us were thinking what today really is about.
I know I was. Am. I saw a group of aeromedical evacuation technicians in their tans this morning. They were headed out on an evac from Afghanistan back here to the large Army hospital that is the first stop for those wounded in the middle east. More than likely they will be reminded the whole way back to here what this day means. I don't envy their job. We bitch about carrying them during peacetime training missions because they are a bunch of idiots who drain our oxygen system and hold up our takeoff times. But in reality, each and every one of us would want them by our side should we be wounded in country. They do a superb job of keeping the wounded alive until they can get here to have the proper care.
According to the schedule we'll get our turn to fly near the end of the week. We're launching a crew into harm's way and recovering one. It's not as busy as I like, but I can only do what Uncle Sam tells me to do. In the meantime I am preparing my gear and studying all the information about what type of flying I'll be doing. Reading over the code words and actions if we get shot down and practicing with our radios that we have in our survival vests to make sure I know how to use it. I'm excited and nervous, but mostly excited as I want to fly and do what I signed on to do.
For those of us who observe today's holiday, remember that while your enjoying time with your loved ones there are tens of thousands who have chosen to forgoe that luxury so that you may. At this very hour they are in harms way and some may not return. Today I think I'll read Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address as it embodies the sentiments we should all feel, if not everyday, especially today. Tune in tomorrow where there will be happier thoughts.
Have a safe, somber, and respectful Memorial Day.
5.30.2010
5.27.2010
Cool New Toy
My IPOD mini crapped out so I purchased an IPOD nano. It takes video so I am going to the store before my next mission and buying a ridiculously priced mic that works with the Ipod so that I can capture takeoffs and landings at the different airfields I'll be going in and out of. Sweet!!!!!
today I finally did something with my time. I got a call to preflight a bird that was landing in the evening. We have this wacky, ridiculous setup where we actually brought duty people to fullfill roles that we could fill. That's supposed to be their job because we do the flying. Even though there are duty loadmasters, the two loadmasters assigned to my crew have gone in every day of the week to launch birds. Me you ask? No room for a flight engineer so I don't go in. I only went in today because the "duty" engineer was on his combat run to get his tax free on. I worked two hours, but should have only worked thirty minutes were it not for my gift of gab and the fact that the maintenance supervisor made sloppy joes!!! All you can eat for two bucks!!!!! So while I was BS'ng with the maintenance guys and adding ten pounds to my waist, they completed fueling, which I was waiting on.
But our planes have flares loaded for our defensive systems. Every so often they require an inspection to make sure that they won't accidently fire and provide a nice fireworks display at an untimely hour: say when your trying to be stealthy or when your landing at a very nice airport where authorities frown upon starting grass fires (yes it has been done). So while I'm in the breakroom in the ops building regaling the folks with stories of my youth, the technician comes out to do an electrical check on the weapons system. WTF? I get out there with sloppy joe fresh on my flightsuit only to find out that I must postpone my preflight for another thirty minutes. What was I to do? Go eat more sloppy joes. Thank God my crewchief Jesse wanted to go home because she came and tackled me and drug me to the plane when it was time.
So today I worked. Now I'm off another couple of days until my long mission. In the meantime I will take more pictures of the base. Upload said pictures and figure out how to work my camera on the Ipod with the microphone so you can hear air traffic control and our intercom communications. I will also be visiting the Canadian club here on base and I hope to find a Trad Ale. Big Rock brewery out of Calgary has a mighty fine ale called the Traditional, but when your in like Flynn with the Canucks you just say, "Give me a Trad!!!!!" If they don't have one I am going to request medical disability for traumatic stress!!!!!
today I finally did something with my time. I got a call to preflight a bird that was landing in the evening. We have this wacky, ridiculous setup where we actually brought duty people to fullfill roles that we could fill. That's supposed to be their job because we do the flying. Even though there are duty loadmasters, the two loadmasters assigned to my crew have gone in every day of the week to launch birds. Me you ask? No room for a flight engineer so I don't go in. I only went in today because the "duty" engineer was on his combat run to get his tax free on. I worked two hours, but should have only worked thirty minutes were it not for my gift of gab and the fact that the maintenance supervisor made sloppy joes!!! All you can eat for two bucks!!!!! So while I was BS'ng with the maintenance guys and adding ten pounds to my waist, they completed fueling, which I was waiting on.
But our planes have flares loaded for our defensive systems. Every so often they require an inspection to make sure that they won't accidently fire and provide a nice fireworks display at an untimely hour: say when your trying to be stealthy or when your landing at a very nice airport where authorities frown upon starting grass fires (yes it has been done). So while I'm in the breakroom in the ops building regaling the folks with stories of my youth, the technician comes out to do an electrical check on the weapons system. WTF? I get out there with sloppy joe fresh on my flightsuit only to find out that I must postpone my preflight for another thirty minutes. What was I to do? Go eat more sloppy joes. Thank God my crewchief Jesse wanted to go home because she came and tackled me and drug me to the plane when it was time.
So today I worked. Now I'm off another couple of days until my long mission. In the meantime I will take more pictures of the base. Upload said pictures and figure out how to work my camera on the Ipod with the microphone so you can hear air traffic control and our intercom communications. I will also be visiting the Canadian club here on base and I hope to find a Trad Ale. Big Rock brewery out of Calgary has a mighty fine ale called the Traditional, but when your in like Flynn with the Canucks you just say, "Give me a Trad!!!!!" If they don't have one I am going to request medical disability for traumatic stress!!!!!
5.26.2010
Thoughts on the Military
I finished reading Lone Survivor by Marcus Luttrell. He was the only Navy SEAL to make it out of that terrible firefight in Afghanistan which ended up killing his three other teammates and 12 other special ops troops when their helicopter was hit by a RPG (Rocket Propelled Grenade). He states that his teammates died like heros, which I believe that they did given that they were attacked by a group of over 159 Taliban and even after each of them was shot multiple times (one guy had a fatal head wound) they kept falling back and continued taking the fight to this group of Taliban. When it comes to war that is truly heroic action because at that point it wasn't so much about winning, it was giving their lives to save each other. To me that's what heroes do.
I've had people come up to me and shake my hand at restaurants and tell me they are proud of me and will pray for me. I've had people anonymously buy my meal as well. Although I am uncomfortable with that I accept it as they are being grateful for my sacrifices and those of my family. But to be called a hero by entertainers and politicians because I serve is ridiculous. To date I have only met one true hero.
It was a guy who worked at the lodging facility on Kelly AFB where I used to work. His name was Ken. He was a retired Chief Master Seargant in the US Air Force. He worked as a clerk there and one night he decided to pressure wash the outside of the building while a group of us "combat veterans" were enjoying a beer after a successful trip. One of my friends asked the manager to tell him to knock it off as we were sitting in the courtyard listening to the din of his pressure washer as we knocked back a couple of refreshing brews. Hell we earned them didn't we? We flew a 26 hour day to get back. We had overcome adversity in dealing with weather, maintenance issues, support activities giving us the runaround. Hell we'd even wore body armor and strapped on a frickin' pistol to get in and out of that combat zone.
The manager told us that Ken was actually off the clock and doing that of his own free will on his own time. We were completely incredulous as to why anyone would work for the "man" off the clock. The manager then told us that Ken never took a day off and that he never complained about anything. You see he'd been a marine in Korea and later Vietnam. During Korea he was a member of the Chosin Frozen (a group of Marines who fought the battle for Chosin reservoir in the bitter cold). I still shudder when I think of those pictures of hundreds of dead Marines frozen in their death throes from extreme cold. It turns out he was captured and spent a year in a North Korean prisoner of war camp. Holy Shit!!!!!!!!!!!!!
When he was repatriated he came back and did his thing. When the Vietnam war came he could have stayed home, but he served two tours because he couldn't let those young Marines go over there alone without adult supervision. He moved over to the Air Force after that and had a nice long career in relative safety. He retired with a Purple Heart with two oak leaf clusters (meaning he was wounded three times) and had earned the Silver Star and two Bronze Stars. Man I get misty eyed thinkin' about him. He is an honest and true American hero.
Not because of his decorations, but because of the actions he took to earn them. But most of all he is a hero because of why he committed those acts: SELFLESSNESS! He was willing to do whatever it took to make sure his buddies made it. And when he came home he didn't talk about it. He didn't brag about it. When he came over for a beer and we asked tons of questions he answered them matter of factly and when we started hero worshipping him he got real uncomfortable. He said the same thing every true hero says, "I am no hero. The heroes are the men I left behind on the battlefield that I couldn't save!"
My wife really looks up to me and is proud of my service. It's sometimes uncomfortable because I don't do anything special. Whenever we have talks about the subject of heroism I tell her that I'm worried that I'll be a coward if my day of reckoning comes. I'm afraid I won't have the courage to finish the fight and go down a warrior instead of crapping in my pants. She always tells me, with such conviction, that she believes I will be brave and do whatever it takes because she knows the kind of man I am. I hope to God she's right or I won't be able to live with myself if I make it out of that crucible.
I wrote all of this because we have a culture in America that hero worships and I believe we have cheapened its meaning. We throw the word around like candy on Halloween. Is the guy who notified police of the smoking van in Times Square a hero? I don't think so. He did a great thing. He may have saved several lives, but he in no way put his on the line. Firefighters rushing up the World Trade Center while people rushed down: Heroic. A mother getting between a cougar and her son: Heroic. A friend walking for days through a blizzard ignoring his own pain to save a friend and then refusing medical attention until he is reunited with his friend: Heroic. I personally believe that the CNN heroes are as well. They often give up everything to do what they do. Many of them are at personal risk, but they do it out of selflessness and a sense that it is the right thing to do.
Next time someone throws around the word HERO think about the situation. Would you call that person a hero?
5.25.2010
Earning Combat Pay
First the trip. I would like to tell everyone that I went where the real war is being fought: Afghanistan or Iraq. Embarrassingly I must admit that my mission took me to the war torn shatterbelt known as the Balkans region. I first entered this region in the summer of 1993. I had previously been to Split, Croatia, and Sarajevo. Today I made it to Kosovo. At the risk of seeming condescending to some readers I will explain our current foreign policy in the region in case someone is unfamiliar.
After the Kosovo conflict in 1999, Then President Clinton entered into an agreement with our NATO partners and several Balkan states to designate Kosovo as a contested region and to establish a military presence aimed at stabilizing the region. Today they celebrate their independence just as many nations do. However, it's hard to be independent when you have several thousand NATO troops keeping an eye on you lest you get hostile. Before you say it, let me remind you I previously stated that you should never attempt nation building in an area ruled by tribes.....or religion. I am an instrument of policy, I do not make it. Agree or disagree: 1) NATO, of which the United States is a partner, has a presence; and 2) I go where my commander in chief orders me to. Let me clarify one thing: Kosovo is a partner. The aggressor is Serbia. Has anyone seen Behind Enemy Lines with Owen Wilson (terrible, terrible movie)?
Having said that, we still have a military prescence/commitment in the region and I was tasked this morning to transport supplies and personnel into the region as part of our ongoing responsibilities. I would love to tell you it was dangerous and exciting, but after 11 years the area has almost become as peaceful and tranquil as any European country. During previous engagements in the Balkans I was armed and wore body armor into areas such as Tuzla in Bosnia and Tazar in Hungary. There was a sense of tension as if any moment something was going to happen although not much did (contrary to Secretary of State Hillary Rhodam Clinton's recollection of her Bosnian experience). In today's Kosovo the question was: Would there be any of those good looking women manning the duty free shop? I stayed out at the plane....no really for once I did!!!!
Today's mission required no body armor.....the weapons were tucked quietly in the gun box in the cargo compartment of the aircraft. No combat air patrols watching our every move. We were greeted by the friendly employees of that glorious company, KBR, (the company responsible for electrocuting US servicemembers at forward operating bases in Iraq). There wasn't all the preparation one would do prior to flying a sortie in Afghanistan. Nope, this mission had all the trappings of a milk run (we may have been able to buy milk at the duty free in Pristina, but I did not think to check) except that it earned us a tax free month complete with hostile fire pay of 250 dollars.
I'm not trying to sound ungrateful or righteous, but it bothers me that places like this are considered war zones and we get the same entitlements that the truly brave servicemembers who risk their lives everyday on the streets of Fullujah are getting. I don't think they get paid near enough for getting shot at and being exposed to IED's. I understand that technically Kosovo is in a war zone, but so is Korea (there is a cease fire on the Korean peninsula not an armistice...BIG difference) and I've never gotten combat pay or tax free from there. Although that might be changing fast. I have a hard time telling anyone that I actually logged combat time when the Army does it everyday in Afghanistan and they get hurt. It's almost like that guy who said he served in Vietnam, but served "During" Vietnam instead. Granted I am telling the truth, but who wants to admit to doing nothing for something while men, and women, are dying farther east. Tough call, but it is what it is and I will continue to conduct any and all missions that my boss tells me to do. I'll just never claim this trip to a hardened combat veteran as an example of my service. Besides, I have served in combat areas and earned my pay so enough of that.
Operationally we continue to work well as a crew. There is no mercy for mistakes. Commit an error and we will beat the offender without mercy (verbally of course). Case in point: The AC told the copilot that he might want to deviate around some clouds. The copilot agrees and then asks which way. The AC replies, "your flying it, whatever way you want is fine." The copilot begins making a nice smooth turn to the right and just as he smooths out the bank and gets a nice turn rate the AC pipes up: "If it were me I would make a left to stay away from that bigger storm cell next to us." HELLO! Why not suggest it when asked. So now we've made a pact that if he asks for directions when we're driving somewhere or walking we'll say, "Hey it's up to you either way is fine," But when he commits a turn we're going to chime in, "Well you can turn left at the light if you want, but if it were us we'd have made a right!!!"
We're gelling as a crew and having a good time. It's early in the deployment so who knows what will happen as time moves on. Our next mission is a HOA mission. That is Horn of Africa to the uninitiated. Several fun filled nights at a quiet little resort town in Djibouti, a small country between Eritrea and Somalia. It's so awesome there. I'm amazed the rich and famous haven't found out about it. It's got tents, Navy food, Malaria, Dysentary, Hepatitis E (Say What?). It's so nice terrorists have taken to vacationing there as well so it is absolutely a combat zone. I'm going to enjoy running amongst the sand vipers and mambas (I am not kidding, they are on the jogging path at times). Doxycycline pills to ward off malaria, but destroy your good bacteria and it makes you susceptible to sunburn (the #$%^&* tan I've always wanted).
So for now it's back to duty crew. Launching more birds to parts unknown and patiently waiting for our turn to get another tax free month....er....test our mettle!!!!!
5.24.2010
Past Lives
I'm sitting in my room waiting for a phone call from the AC as to whether we're alerting at O' dark thirty tomorrow when I here yet another C-5 takeoff. I heard one land earlier and right after that one took off. In all my years coming here there has never been that kind of traffic since Desert Storm. Meanwhile back at the bat cave I'm waiting for Commissioner Gordon to flash the signal that will send me in harms way (cheesy Batman reference).
It's really frustrating because my counterparts that are solely assigned to the desert can't get much time off. They are flying as if there are no other 130 's in the world. I'm as fresh as a new born baby when it comes to the Herk and the more missions I fly the more proficient I will become. To give you an idea of how "green" I am: In the C-5 community I couldn't upgrade and be allowed to fly without an instructor until I had accumulated 300 hours. When I was in 130 school they wanted to proficiency advance me because I was way ahead of the average student (go figure, I already had over 4000 hours of flying time) which would have left me graduating with only 20 hours. So I stuck around for an extra month and graduated with 32 instead.
32 hours and I was considered a fully mission qualified flight engineer. There are college kids with more flight time than that. The nearest equivalent aviation example I can come up with for civilians are commuter airlines. They hire copilots with only 250-300 hours under their belt. Lucky for you the competition has become so stiff that really experienced guys are vying to fly for peanuts!
My boss has continued a know defunct official policy of makng all his engineers fly with an instructor until they have a whopping 100 hours. So here I am at 180 flying hours in the Herk. Don't get me wrong, the training I received is the best in the world. Little Rock Air Force Base in Arkansas trains aircrews from around the world how to fly. I have 100 hours in the simulator where I was trained to handle emergencies and conduct combat operations. I just feel that 100 hours is very little time in the Herk to let a guy loose on the world. Oh well, what is it the idiot former Secretary of Defense once told a soldier going off to fight in Iraq: "you don't go to war with the army you wish you had, you go with the army you have." WTF Gomer Pyle!!!!!!
Speaking of going off to war the Bat phone just rang. We are flying a mission. What do we have for the boys? It's an all expenses paid trip to the sunny but devestated........Balkans!!! You heard me right. We are still supporting operations in that shatterbelt. Here's a little tip should you become leader of a powerful nation that belongs to NATO: You cannot win a war, or build a "nation", in an area where there have been tribes for as long as mankind has existed. Go ahead, i dare you!!! You'll end up spending so much of your GDP that other nations like China and India will leap ahead and you'll be left in the dust owing them billions of dollars. Did I say dollars? Oops that's our foreign policy. That's all I'll say about that.
With that I'll sign off to get a nights rest and see you on the other side.
It's really frustrating because my counterparts that are solely assigned to the desert can't get much time off. They are flying as if there are no other 130 's in the world. I'm as fresh as a new born baby when it comes to the Herk and the more missions I fly the more proficient I will become. To give you an idea of how "green" I am: In the C-5 community I couldn't upgrade and be allowed to fly without an instructor until I had accumulated 300 hours. When I was in 130 school they wanted to proficiency advance me because I was way ahead of the average student (go figure, I already had over 4000 hours of flying time) which would have left me graduating with only 20 hours. So I stuck around for an extra month and graduated with 32 instead.
32 hours and I was considered a fully mission qualified flight engineer. There are college kids with more flight time than that. The nearest equivalent aviation example I can come up with for civilians are commuter airlines. They hire copilots with only 250-300 hours under their belt. Lucky for you the competition has become so stiff that really experienced guys are vying to fly for peanuts!
My boss has continued a know defunct official policy of makng all his engineers fly with an instructor until they have a whopping 100 hours. So here I am at 180 flying hours in the Herk. Don't get me wrong, the training I received is the best in the world. Little Rock Air Force Base in Arkansas trains aircrews from around the world how to fly. I have 100 hours in the simulator where I was trained to handle emergencies and conduct combat operations. I just feel that 100 hours is very little time in the Herk to let a guy loose on the world. Oh well, what is it the idiot former Secretary of Defense once told a soldier going off to fight in Iraq: "you don't go to war with the army you wish you had, you go with the army you have." WTF Gomer Pyle!!!!!!
Speaking of going off to war the Bat phone just rang. We are flying a mission. What do we have for the boys? It's an all expenses paid trip to the sunny but devestated........Balkans!!! You heard me right. We are still supporting operations in that shatterbelt. Here's a little tip should you become leader of a powerful nation that belongs to NATO: You cannot win a war, or build a "nation", in an area where there have been tribes for as long as mankind has existed. Go ahead, i dare you!!! You'll end up spending so much of your GDP that other nations like China and India will leap ahead and you'll be left in the dust owing them billions of dollars. Did I say dollars? Oops that's our foreign policy. That's all I'll say about that.
With that I'll sign off to get a nights rest and see you on the other side.
5.23.2010
Military BS
I'm as lazy as the next person, but it's pretty funny when I want to work and can't. I got a phone call this evening from my AC (aircraft commander) letting me know that once again my services would not be required for the duty crew. Apparently it requires one officer to answer phones should a crew on the road call in and one loadmaster to make a phone call and get the load plan details. Of course tomorrow we're not launching a bird just recovering one so we don't even need a loadmaster. As for the flight engineer, he told me to sleep in.
I've been around the airlift world awhile. I know as much as these AC's about the nuts and bolts of airlift missions. Besides my purpose isn't to answer the phone and bail them out it's to get them the answers and the help they need. If they called in with a diplomatic clearance issue, or to report that they had to divert somewhere for an emergency or weather, I could take the info down and report it to the DO (duty officer) ASAP. I can access the computer to see if I can get them the information. Or maybe I could just commiserate with them about their situation.
Oh well. Instead I think I'll get up and have a leisurely stroll. I'll take pictures of the base and get some breakfast. I can't wait for the next mission because this is killing me (I never thought I'd say I need to work). Hopefully a couple of days and a new mission. I know of one coming down the pipeline but it's not till next week. It'll be in the sand for two weeks. At this point I relish the thought of that trip!!!!!!!!!!
I've been around the airlift world awhile. I know as much as these AC's about the nuts and bolts of airlift missions. Besides my purpose isn't to answer the phone and bail them out it's to get them the answers and the help they need. If they called in with a diplomatic clearance issue, or to report that they had to divert somewhere for an emergency or weather, I could take the info down and report it to the DO (duty officer) ASAP. I can access the computer to see if I can get them the information. Or maybe I could just commiserate with them about their situation.
Oh well. Instead I think I'll get up and have a leisurely stroll. I'll take pictures of the base and get some breakfast. I can't wait for the next mission because this is killing me (I never thought I'd say I need to work). Hopefully a couple of days and a new mission. I know of one coming down the pipeline but it's not till next week. It'll be in the sand for two weeks. At this point I relish the thought of that trip!!!!!!!!!!
First Mission
We arrived at our deployed location late on a Saturday evening and went straight to our quarters. With less than six hours of sleep we got right back up and reported for........more #$%^&* briefings!!!! A lot of it was the same goat roping information that we received before we left. Of course we also received a lot of awesome info from the people we were relieving. These individuals had been conducting the missions we would now be flying. Lots of do's and don't's and interesting tidbits about their experiences.
With that we proceeded to get our gear stowed. Wouldn't you know it the Air Force issued a major publications revision right as we deployed. At least it wasn't a group of changes where you have to replace a thousand pages one by one with the changed page. This was a straightforward, completely new manual. Of course they rearranged a lot of it so you can't find the information right away because your looking where it USED to be.
After we all got our new pubs and checklists it was off to Life Support to get our equipment squared away. The life support shop had their shit together. They'd already had our helmet lockers assigned and were accomplishing inspections on equipment like the NVG's (night vision goggles). I checked my helmet and stowed my pubs in my bag and then it was time to eat and get some sleep. We had a 4 am showtime for our first mission.
I set the alarm and went straight to bed and for some reason the alarm was ringing... It seemed like I just layed down a moment ago. I threw my bag on, grabbed my overnight bag and walked out the door. The crew piled in the van and off to the squadron we went.
As we were the first mission of the deployment everything was wacky. We got a loose crew brief, signed the flight orders, which demonstrates we arrived and declared we were ready to go. We'd already read the FCIF's (Flight Crew Information File), which detail things that pertain to flying operations that may apply locally or in the AOR (Area of Responsibility). Then I went to get my helmet and pubs while the navigator and pilots got the flight plan/weather. After that it was off to the conference room for an intelligence briefing.
Sometimes these briefings are as useless as a deployment briefing, but when your flying in to some areas it pays to be attentive. I always like to know what the people on the ground are capable of. For those of you who don't believe we should get our hands dirty by having human intelligence, how else are we going to determine what the enemy is capable of? Ask them?
Anyhow, got the brief and went straight to the plane. I love deployment flying. When I show to the plane it's already been preflighted so I just have to calculate takeoff and landing data and flip some switches to ensure the systems are operational and the engines are ready to be started.
With all this free time on my hands I decided to review the flight plan and low and behold: The gas required was not what was in the tanks. That was an incident waiting to happen. Long story short: I brought it up to the AC (aircraft commander) and asked him what he wanted on fuel. Of course we bumped it up from 36000 lbs to 52000 lbs because we wanted to avoid getting shitty gas from a third world supplier. There's nothing like putting in an alternative fuel, climbing to altitude and finding it out the gas sucks.
Add to all this our diplomatic clearances, or dips, were not in the ATC (Air Traffic Control) system so we were on hold for that. Then the DO (Duty Officer) mentioned to one of the other duty crewmembers that the crew (US) shouldn't have been alerted for another two hours because the dips shop didn't open till 7:30 am. WooooHoooo!!! I got up two hours earlier than I had to after two days crossing the pond and a day of briefings all with little sleep.
After all of this we took off into the sun and on to the continent of Africa. This mission was the most uneventful I've ever had in the 130. It was like a strat airlift mission. Takeoff. Land. Pick up things. Takeoff. In this case we picked up some individuals who were assisting the host nation in "nation" building. Take from that what you will. That's all I have to say about that. Then it was off to another country where we'd crew rest and get gas. Might I add that Espana is rather nice this time of year? It sounds easy, but there will be a lot of other missions where we will be in harms way so I'll take any easy missions I can get.
As I write this blog I am listening to the sound of yet another C-5 lifting off into the sky traveling eastward toward the simmering conflict in the middle east. It's really weird seeing the C-5 crews doing their thing and knowing that world, but no longer being a part of it. Some guys transition to a new aircraft and don't even look back, but I find myself constantly looking back and thinking about what they are up to.
Having written that, I love the Herk. A C-5 is like an airliner. The scariest thing they do (other than being shot at with a missle) is air refueling. In the Herk we live most of our lives close to the ground. We are easy targets. If the enemy doesn't get us the ground could. We fly low in mountainous terrain and at night with the aid of NVG's, which are not safe despite what the media tells you. Depth perception is off, optics can be degraded by flashes of light. We land at austere airfields with dirt strips that aren't very wide, or long.
I have never been happier. Sometimes it's stressful because your running a lot of checklists when your trying to drop cargo. At the same time your trying to maintain altitude and airspeed, navigate, prepare for the drop and keep your eyes peeled for enemy ground fire or listening for the missle warning system to squawk off!!!! I would never trade it for anything.
How Does one "Deploy"
Deploying is actually a painful process although it doesn't have to be. The military feels that you need to feel frustration, anger, and a general sense of being screwed so they created an inefficient process that catches everybody in its web; including the people who process you.
Basically you get your orders a couple of months in advance "warning" you that you've been tasked to participate in whatever operation needs you. In my case it is Operation Enduring Freedom. So you get your orders and you get a billion emails from different entities telling you to complete training that you've already completed.
That's right. Already did your CBRNE (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosive), or chem warfare training, do it again. It has to be completed within 120 days of your deployment. You've already done it so why argue just do it again. Well, someone always does and it takes longer because you have the hour long argument prior to the class. It goes something like this, "Do I really have to do it? I just did it last month!" The entity responsible for teaching the class just stares through you and replies that, yes you indeed must feel more ass pain then is required because it's the military way.
The funny thing is after arguing and getting all of your equipment out that entity gives the most f'd up class you've ever seen in your life. We didn't even put the mask on, which is the first thing your going to put on when the enemy decides to ruin your day with a chemical weapon attack. We had one guy put it on as an example. Well hell, why don't we just have a group of teenagers learning how to drive, watch one of their own drive around town and call them qualified to drive!
The really funny thing about this particular training is that in the OPORD (Operations Order) it specifically states that crews operating in CENTCOM (Central Command, i.e. Afghanistan, Irag) are not required to carry the necessary equipment in case of an attack. So why the requirement? Because the paper shuffling cotton headed ninnymuggins (Generals in charge) want you to be as prepared as you can be for any contingency and then not require you to have the equipment necessary to meet the challenge. Welcome to the military now please bend over.
So, you complete useless training that you normally have to do anyway and then someone gets the bright idea to show aircrew a video on how the Army combats IED (Improvised Explosive Devices) attacks. HELLO!! Last time I checked we didn't drive the Herk on any roads! We don't even get out of the compound on foot or in a vehicle. Do they make soldiers go through AATTC (Advanced Airlift Tactics Training Course) to learn how to defeat surface to air missles and small arms fire will flying in the air? I bet they do just to mess with those guys (probably not as you need to fly an aircraft to complete the course).
Training completed? Why not brief you and call out the names of those individuals who could not be bothered to complete their training. What? Is that my name you called? I did the F'n training. It turns out they had the wrong list. This will happen ten more times. Emails abound about the briefing schedule, briefing you on what they will be briefing you on. I swear if Donald Trump ever had to deploy he'd tell McChrystal, "General, your fired!" Not because the general might be doing a bad job, but because he's ultimately responsible for this gaggle.
It sounds like the military is inept and it somewhat is, but it works because the men and women who actually do the task relish it. They want to do it so they put up with the bullshit just so they can get out there and show their skill at what they do. You might say we end up deploying inspite of the process.
After you get all your training, shots, briefings they're supposed to equip you. I say supposed to because often you get three of one thing and none of the other. Case in point: Boots and flyers gloves. Gotta have boots for obvious reasons and it would be nice if your gloves matched the color of your flight suit as you want to look your very best while evading the enemy should he shoot you down. Well I can get a dozen pairs of tan boots for my tan flightsuit, but not one pair of desert gloves. Something about supply, but I've heard this all and a guy who deployed with us from another unit has his and a desert flight jacket (according to our support staff they don't exist anymore kind of like common sense doesn't). In fact, he told me that his unit ordered him the entire inventory that was on the list and our unit paid for it. One word: SWEET!!!
Basically you get your orders a couple of months in advance "warning" you that you've been tasked to participate in whatever operation needs you. In my case it is Operation Enduring Freedom. So you get your orders and you get a billion emails from different entities telling you to complete training that you've already completed.
That's right. Already did your CBRNE (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosive), or chem warfare training, do it again. It has to be completed within 120 days of your deployment. You've already done it so why argue just do it again. Well, someone always does and it takes longer because you have the hour long argument prior to the class. It goes something like this, "Do I really have to do it? I just did it last month!" The entity responsible for teaching the class just stares through you and replies that, yes you indeed must feel more ass pain then is required because it's the military way.
The funny thing is after arguing and getting all of your equipment out that entity gives the most f'd up class you've ever seen in your life. We didn't even put the mask on, which is the first thing your going to put on when the enemy decides to ruin your day with a chemical weapon attack. We had one guy put it on as an example. Well hell, why don't we just have a group of teenagers learning how to drive, watch one of their own drive around town and call them qualified to drive!
The really funny thing about this particular training is that in the OPORD (Operations Order) it specifically states that crews operating in CENTCOM (Central Command, i.e. Afghanistan, Irag) are not required to carry the necessary equipment in case of an attack. So why the requirement? Because the paper shuffling cotton headed ninnymuggins (Generals in charge) want you to be as prepared as you can be for any contingency and then not require you to have the equipment necessary to meet the challenge. Welcome to the military now please bend over.
So, you complete useless training that you normally have to do anyway and then someone gets the bright idea to show aircrew a video on how the Army combats IED (Improvised Explosive Devices) attacks. HELLO!! Last time I checked we didn't drive the Herk on any roads! We don't even get out of the compound on foot or in a vehicle. Do they make soldiers go through AATTC (Advanced Airlift Tactics Training Course) to learn how to defeat surface to air missles and small arms fire will flying in the air? I bet they do just to mess with those guys (probably not as you need to fly an aircraft to complete the course).
Training completed? Why not brief you and call out the names of those individuals who could not be bothered to complete their training. What? Is that my name you called? I did the F'n training. It turns out they had the wrong list. This will happen ten more times. Emails abound about the briefing schedule, briefing you on what they will be briefing you on. I swear if Donald Trump ever had to deploy he'd tell McChrystal, "General, your fired!" Not because the general might be doing a bad job, but because he's ultimately responsible for this gaggle.
It sounds like the military is inept and it somewhat is, but it works because the men and women who actually do the task relish it. They want to do it so they put up with the bullshit just so they can get out there and show their skill at what they do. You might say we end up deploying inspite of the process.
After you get all your training, shots, briefings they're supposed to equip you. I say supposed to because often you get three of one thing and none of the other. Case in point: Boots and flyers gloves. Gotta have boots for obvious reasons and it would be nice if your gloves matched the color of your flight suit as you want to look your very best while evading the enemy should he shoot you down. Well I can get a dozen pairs of tan boots for my tan flightsuit, but not one pair of desert gloves. Something about supply, but I've heard this all and a guy who deployed with us from another unit has his and a desert flight jacket (according to our support staff they don't exist anymore kind of like common sense doesn't). In fact, he told me that his unit ordered him the entire inventory that was on the list and our unit paid for it. One word: SWEET!!!
5.22.2010
Back from dinner. It was interesting. Just when you think you have seen it all or know a lot about place something occurs that reminds you that life changes and nothing ever stays the same. Tonight we were entertained by several bachelorette parties where the bride had to do something stupid or funny to make money for her wedding. Many were entertaining (we saw at least five of these groups) and it was just an interesting tradition.
Enough about dinner lets talk about the reason I started this blog. During dinner we had a discussion about military apparel. As many people know military personnel are required to wear a spanky uniform. For me I almost exclusively dress in flight suits. We aviators call them "bags" and they are not as comfortable as they look. In winter the wind blows right through them and in the summer your sweat blocks the fabric and they became sauna like. They are comfortable in the sense that they are baggy and loose fitting.
What does military fashion have to do with this deployment? Well during dinner I brought up the fact that we don't have enough desert patches to wear with our tan flightsuits. Why is this important? Well the first mission my crew flew we show up at our deployed squadron looking like a bunch of clowns. Only one guy had patches on every portion of velcro and looked normal. Some of us had one patch, some were wearing patches from previous units. The frickin' military wants to talk about our superiority and yet we can't even dress the part. By the way there's always one guy who looks like a million bucks (but those guys can't usually do their f'in job).
So we all got handed one MAJCOM (Major Commmand) patch. That signifies who you work for. In this case we have two handlers, both of whom will remain nameless. What do I do if I lose one? In your normal squadron, when your not deployed, you can get a ton of these. Hell we still have about five hundred subdued American flags before some genius realized that the American flag cannot be any other colors or representationat except what you see at sporting events and in the parade..... according to federal law. That's why you see American Soldiers in the desert with the good ole' red, white and blue!!! Riddle me this Batman: If that were really true how come most combat soldiers have the IR flag on their shoulder, which is definitely not what you'll be seeing displayed on the fourth of July. But that's another story.
Back home = tons of patches so you look professional. This deployment= almost no patches so you look like a GI Joe doll made in China. Even our squadron patch can't be made for less than three dollars a patch. You want to gouge the military then just make shitty ass patches and sell them for way more than their worth . Ahhh the smell of capitalism.
Anyhow I feel that if your deployed in support of whatever operation you should have all the equipment you need and should look like a professional even if you may not be one. I'm sure many people have read about all the units where the members speak out about not having the right equipment or amounts. Then all those allegations are washed away by some smooth talking O (Officer) who explains that these individuals are either disgruntled or don't know what they are talking about. These people make great spokesmen for companies like...British Petroleum:)
It is the right of any soldier, sailor, airman, or marine to gripe. For now it's time to rest so that I can continue to gripe in the morning.
Enough about dinner lets talk about the reason I started this blog. During dinner we had a discussion about military apparel. As many people know military personnel are required to wear a spanky uniform. For me I almost exclusively dress in flight suits. We aviators call them "bags" and they are not as comfortable as they look. In winter the wind blows right through them and in the summer your sweat blocks the fabric and they became sauna like. They are comfortable in the sense that they are baggy and loose fitting.
What does military fashion have to do with this deployment? Well during dinner I brought up the fact that we don't have enough desert patches to wear with our tan flightsuits. Why is this important? Well the first mission my crew flew we show up at our deployed squadron looking like a bunch of clowns. Only one guy had patches on every portion of velcro and looked normal. Some of us had one patch, some were wearing patches from previous units. The frickin' military wants to talk about our superiority and yet we can't even dress the part. By the way there's always one guy who looks like a million bucks (but those guys can't usually do their f'in job).
So we all got handed one MAJCOM (Major Commmand) patch. That signifies who you work for. In this case we have two handlers, both of whom will remain nameless. What do I do if I lose one? In your normal squadron, when your not deployed, you can get a ton of these. Hell we still have about five hundred subdued American flags before some genius realized that the American flag cannot be any other colors or representationat except what you see at sporting events and in the parade..... according to federal law. That's why you see American Soldiers in the desert with the good ole' red, white and blue!!! Riddle me this Batman: If that were really true how come most combat soldiers have the IR flag on their shoulder, which is definitely not what you'll be seeing displayed on the fourth of July. But that's another story.
Back home = tons of patches so you look professional. This deployment= almost no patches so you look like a GI Joe doll made in China. Even our squadron patch can't be made for less than three dollars a patch. You want to gouge the military then just make shitty ass patches and sell them for way more than their worth . Ahhh the smell of capitalism.
Anyhow I feel that if your deployed in support of whatever operation you should have all the equipment you need and should look like a professional even if you may not be one. I'm sure many people have read about all the units where the members speak out about not having the right equipment or amounts. Then all those allegations are washed away by some smooth talking O (Officer) who explains that these individuals are either disgruntled or don't know what they are talking about. These people make great spokesmen for companies like...British Petroleum:)
It is the right of any soldier, sailor, airman, or marine to gripe. For now it's time to rest so that I can continue to gripe in the morning.
Deploying for dummies
Most who know me would tell you that I am often too blunt for my own good. A good friend often remarked, "are you learning how to win friends and influence people?" whenever I had a "disagreement" with some entity. This blog will be no different. Whether anyone other than a few polite friends will read this doesn't really matter. What does matter is that I will vent my frustrations on the keyboard instead of doing it to my own detriment. Then again if anyone of importance reads this and recognizes the storyline they might feel hurt and decide to injure me. Do I care? Negative!
So this is my first installment detailing my deployment this summer to a forward location. In order to not divulge anything of military importance I'll keep the locations general if I'm talking about ops in a particular area. My mom always fears I'm violating OPSEC/COMSEC (that's operations or communications security) whenever I have talked with her about anything military. I think she's watched too many movies over the years and she of all people should know better as she lived around, and worked for, the military. It's often senior military officials who allow the media to say, film the Navy SEALS as they make a beach landing during Somalia (the media stumbled on the emptiest piece of beach in the middle of nowhere by chance?).
So without further ado here it goes.
I have been waiting for this deployment for about six months and had all kinds of preconceived notions as to how it would go. So far reality 1, preconceived notions 0. I originally came from the strategic airlift world, flying C-5 galaxies, which doesn't deploy. We had to be willing to go on a moments notice and be gone for as long as possible in order to get the cargo where it needed to be. C-5's have global reach and I was often gone for weeks at a time followed by a couple of days off and another trip for several weeks. Long story short: I was often gone from home for more than 240 days during the year.
Now I belong in the world of tactical airlift, which deploys to forward locations and conducts intratheater airlift to distribute the supplies that planes like the C-5 bring in to a forward supply point. We do deploy and often stay in tents or modified shipping containers. We have regular missions to various areas and kind of know what the schedule will look like. In C-5's you went on a mission with a billion stops and any one stop, or all, of them could change depending on the needs of the user.
Now you know the difference between "strat" airlift and "tac" airlift. So here I am on my first deployment with the Herk (C-130 Hercules). Our deployments aren't like an Army or Marine unit's. We leave home for about four months or so. It doesn't make it any less stressful on our families as we often fly into harm's way, but four months is better than a year or more so I'll take it!!!
The boys just called about dinner and they have decided on a lovely German restaurant.....did I say German restaurant? Yes, I am forward deployed to somewhere in Europe, but don't think everything is gravy (although there will be gravy tonight). As I take my meals when they're available I'll sign off for now and write more later.
So this is my first installment detailing my deployment this summer to a forward location. In order to not divulge anything of military importance I'll keep the locations general if I'm talking about ops in a particular area. My mom always fears I'm violating OPSEC/COMSEC (that's operations or communications security) whenever I have talked with her about anything military. I think she's watched too many movies over the years and she of all people should know better as she lived around, and worked for, the military. It's often senior military officials who allow the media to say, film the Navy SEALS as they make a beach landing during Somalia (the media stumbled on the emptiest piece of beach in the middle of nowhere by chance?).
So without further ado here it goes.
I have been waiting for this deployment for about six months and had all kinds of preconceived notions as to how it would go. So far reality 1, preconceived notions 0. I originally came from the strategic airlift world, flying C-5 galaxies, which doesn't deploy. We had to be willing to go on a moments notice and be gone for as long as possible in order to get the cargo where it needed to be. C-5's have global reach and I was often gone for weeks at a time followed by a couple of days off and another trip for several weeks. Long story short: I was often gone from home for more than 240 days during the year.
Now I belong in the world of tactical airlift, which deploys to forward locations and conducts intratheater airlift to distribute the supplies that planes like the C-5 bring in to a forward supply point. We do deploy and often stay in tents or modified shipping containers. We have regular missions to various areas and kind of know what the schedule will look like. In C-5's you went on a mission with a billion stops and any one stop, or all, of them could change depending on the needs of the user.
Now you know the difference between "strat" airlift and "tac" airlift. So here I am on my first deployment with the Herk (C-130 Hercules). Our deployments aren't like an Army or Marine unit's. We leave home for about four months or so. It doesn't make it any less stressful on our families as we often fly into harm's way, but four months is better than a year or more so I'll take it!!!
The boys just called about dinner and they have decided on a lovely German restaurant.....did I say German restaurant? Yes, I am forward deployed to somewhere in Europe, but don't think everything is gravy (although there will be gravy tonight). As I take my meals when they're available I'll sign off for now and write more later.
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