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!!!!!
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