I forgot to mention in my blog last week but the Govenor of Alaska Sarah Palin stopped by to visit the National Guard troops stationed here. She had no idea we were here but I can't really blame her - we are a pretty small unit. She did take time to stop by and say hi - it was a nice reminder of home.

July 29

There hasn’t been much to write about the last few days. I did a couple of ground runs to check out some aircraft maintenance but beyond that it has been an exercise in killing time. I decided to liven things up this morning by losing my ID card. It took me a big chunk of the day to retrace my steps looking for it then figuring out the process to get a new one. It turns out it takes less paperwork to get a new ID card than it does to get extra meals out of the chow hall for flight crews. I wasn’t complaining but it did seem a little odd. I have been spending a lot of my free time at the USO – they have couches, big screen TVs and computer hook-ups. Best of all the AC works great. Two days ago they celebrated their one year anniversary by bringing in caterers from Kuwait City. They served a wide selection of local dishes (I have no idea of their names) – it was excellent and a nice change from the sub-par chow hall food they have here. I was able to video chat with Wendi today and we spent a good chunk of the time reading some of the 700 or so Simpson quotes that people have submitted on the New York Times website in honor of the movie release. The writing on that show is amazing, I don’t think there is an area of American culture they haven’t touched on. I am going to see if I can attach a link to the site on my blog.

Clear H 127 L 92 (yes that is really hot)

July 25

I did my last training flight last night. It went well in spite of one of the aircraft wheels coming unlocked every time we did a roll-on landing – it made things interesting as we slid across the desert. The night before wasn’t quite as fun – the pilots I had struggled with the HUD and we had a couple of close encounters with the ground. If nothing else at least they know their limitations. The aircraft are holding up pretty well but we are reaching the limits of out parts supply. Everyone is more than ready to move up north. We just got word that we will move into tents for the first week or so – not what we had hoped but it is one step closer to being settled. One thing about living in a temporary setting is that it is hard to come to grips with the fact that I am here for over a year – it feels like this will all soon be over. I’m not sure if that is a good thing or not. We had our first really hot day yesterday – it was over 130 degrees on the flight line. It was hard to even sit in the tent unless you were right in front of the AC. Today was a few degrees cooler but the wind shifted to the south so we got the air off the ocean – there is nothing like 125 degrees with high humidity. It wears you out just walking around.

Clear H 125 L 92

22 July

I flew a couple of nights ago with Rieck and Pariona – they both did really well. There wasn’t a lot I could teach them but they did get more comfortable with the HUD. We had to cancel our flights again tonight – our first good dust storm. The wind picked up in the morning and blew hard all day out of the north. It’s not as bad as some of the ones we got in Balad but it’s enough that after several trips down to the flight line I am covered in dirt. We are trying to convince the command not to do extra flight after we finish our mandatory training (it’s not worth the risk of damaging an aircraft) but a few more days of this and we will have just enough time to finish what we have planned. The guys who have been sitting around the last couple of weeks really want to fly more but the conditions here are worse than they will be up north so I don’t think it is worth the risk of damaging an aircraft just to build their confidence. What happened to 172 last time has definitely made an impact. For the last hour I have been sitting in the coffee shop reading a book Wendi gave me called Stiff (The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers). I just finished the chapter detailing the stages of decomposition – a little hard to take even when just drinking coffee but very entertaining (the author is a great writer). I ran into Testin a couple of days ago. He was my squad leader the one year I was enlisted up in Alaska in ’95. He is now a flight platoon sergeant with the Germany Chinooks. One more reminder that I have been doing this for awhile.
Dust H 111 L 84

Rich trying to stay cool - by mid-afternoon the tent gets a little warm.

The outside of our tents - it feels a little like living in a chicken coop or maybe a greenhouse.

Kristopher looking a little battle fatigued. It's going to be a long 15 months.

Our new tent - a little crowded but it keeps the dust out a lot better than the canvas ones.

As you can see there is not a whole lot of places to go off post. Past the flightline there isn't much.

This is the inside of our hanger. It's not much cooler than outside but at least you are out of the sun and dust.

19 July

I had another good flight on the 18th. Zach managed to scare himself pretty good but sometimes that is the best way to learn. I doubt if very many people are going to use the HUD once we get into country (it’s just one more thing strapped to your head) but at least they will know what it can do for them and there are going to be missions where it will be very useful. We cancelled our flights tonight due to low visibility caused by dust. It wasn’t too bad but we decided not to push it – we have lots of time down here and the training is a bonus, not a requirement. We had our first maintenance accident tonight – a blade dampener was bent when power was applied without the bolts installed. It could have been a lot worse but it was still a pain since several others were down due to electrical problems. All but one should be back up tomorrow. The internet headache is starting again – we are at the point we need to make decisions on a number of systems and type of service but people come to me daily wanting to join. It will all be worth it but the process is a pain. I am a little worried because people seem to have unrealistic expectations about the internet speed – it’s hard to convince people that it won’t be like home. The personnel issues have pretty much calmed down – it helped to get it out in the open and now that we are flying people have other things to worry about.
Clear with dust H 111 L 80

17 July

I had a good flight last night. I was more prepared, had all my equipment and it was a little cooler (either that or I am getting used to it). 120 is a lot like -40, it’s never comfortable or enjoyable you just learn to survive in it. That being said it only takes a few minutes at -40 to realize it would be life threatening whereas 120 would be a longer, more painful death. I digress, back to the flight – we were able to get some good Heads up Display (HUD) training in and it reconfirmed for me that I really do enjoy teaching people. I was a lot more comfortable with the aircraft and the equipment than last flight. I am sure I am going to say this many times over the next year – we have a really good group of guys. From the pilots to crewmembers to staff we have a lot of experience and those who don’t are sharp and willing to learn. Of course our experience didn’t keep us from crashing one last time – complacency is going to be our biggest problem. We are starting to have a few maintenance issues but now is the time to get them fixed. My biggest fear is damaging an aircraft during training down here. It was sad missing Wendi’s birthday again – I have missed well over half since we have been together but this one affected me more than most.
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These houses always amazed me - they block out their yards with tires. I guess they need to lay claim to their little piece of desert.

This is on our flight from the port. Not a lot out there - sure makes one miss Alaska :)

The first aircraft leaving the port. I am trying not to duplicate pictures but if you read my last blog you would see some that look a lot like these. I need more pictures of people because at least they are different :)

Building up the aircraft on the port. At the time we were the only unit there which made things easier. It hasn't changed a bit since the last time we were here.

We had one little bus to get everyone back and forth from the port to where we lived. It got a little crowded and the heat didn't help - good thing we all get along.

This was where we stayed during the aircraft buildup down at the port. The two test pilots (Brian and I) slept on the floor which was the coolest place in the whole tent.

One last view of the mountains. This is looking south down the Cascade Range after departing Seattle.

15 July

It has been little more than studying, keeping up on maintenance, and avoiding the heat – that is until yesterday. Last night we had our first training flight. It was a good thing I flew with J.R. because it took both of us to stay ahead of the aircraft. There are always going to be a lot of problems with first flights in a new area with a new operations section but we didn’t help ourselves by not allowing for enough prep time. The flight itself wasn’t bad, it just wasn’t smooth and relaxing. I forgot how hot it was in the aircraft with all that armor – I couldn’t drink enough water. It was amazingly dark out there – we managed to scare ourselves a few times but it was good to knock the rust off. I didn’t get to bed until 3AM then the power went off at 6. I took about 10 minutes to get warm enough that I couldn’t sleep. After doing some errands and calling Wendi I went back to bed at 10 only to have the power shut off again at 11. I figured sleep wasn’t meant for me today. The other big news is the personnel problems we have been experiencing. I have spent hours over the last couple of days trying to work things out and it is tiring to even write about it. The only upside is that if we can work things out now it will be well worth it in the long run. I really need some prayer help on this one.
Clear H 115 L 86

11 July

The last few days have been relatively uneventful. The aircraft are getting all their postponed maintenance complete (washes, corrosion inspections, ASE checks ect). We found out 171’s problem was mis-marked blades (easy fix) and our only delay has been transmission oil. We were supposed to have it a couple days ago but as usual there is one more step in the process that has held us up. It should be here tomorrow – I hope so because we have 3 aircraft already drained and waiting on new oil. Besides trying to stay cool I have gotten back into the books. I figure if I am supposed to be training guys in a few days I should at least pretend to know what I am talking about. I ran into Glenn from the Germany unit – a young CW2 when he first got there and now the head instructor pilot (makes me feel old). We had a good time sharing memories and getting updates on people who were with us back then. I have been able to talk to Wendi quite a bit and even tested out the web cam at the computer center yesterday. It was great to see her – as cute as ever. It was a real answer to pray about the pump. It turns out a wire was arcing. Long story short a group of guys from church were able to get the wire out and replaced it with one above ground. Wendi, Russ and his kids are digging a new ditch to rebury the line. It’s quite humbling and makes me very thankful to have friends like that. It also reminds me once again how easy it is being married to Wendi. A little cooler today.
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8 July

Doing better today, but another long day. Yesterday Brian and I each did another test flight then the guys flew the first four up to Udari. I was supposed to stay back and test fly the other aircraft but through a miscommunication we didn’t have any FEs at the port. It was probably just as well since I don’t think I could have done much more anyway. Brian flew back with the other three crews after they dropped the aircraft off so I was able to get one more flown before dark. This morning we went down earlier to the port and I test flew the last three then launched the last four for Udari around 1. It was a little surreal flying through Kuwait again because I still have clear memories of flying down to the port on our way out last time. After landing I couldn’t do much more than walk to our tent and lie down for a couple of hours. All the aircraft are in good shape except for 171’s track and some minor electrical problems. The main body is supposed to get here tonight but we don’t start flying until the 13^th. So far we are the only aircraft here but we saw the Germany guys unloading their ship today so they should be up here within the week. I am actually looking forward to some night flying – it is just too hot during the day. On a different note I am praying Wendi is able to get the pump problem taken care of – what a pain for her.

Clear H 120 L 84

6 July

We didn’t do a whole lot yesterday except sleep and eat. We got to our tents at about 4AM after our escort from the airport got lost on the way to camp. It really doesn’t feel like it has been 18 months since we left this place (not counting my April trip). Nothing much has changed except that it is hotter than any other time I have been here. I started feeling sick right after I got off the plane and it has hit me pretty good now. Today was just about miserable. I only slept about 4 hours and after eating breakfast I thought a short workout would help me feel better – it didn’t. We went down to the port at 1 PM and started preflighting the aircraft the maintenance guys had built up the night before. I thought I was doing alright until I got back from the test flight. I went inside to fill out the logbook and I found that in addition to not being able to cool off. I couldn’t focus for more than a few minutes at a time. I kept finding myself just staring at the computer screen. I was dizzy and couldn’t stand for more than a few minutes at a time. I was drinking constantly but I think it was a combination of illness and lack of adjustment that did me in. I hope I do better tomorrow because it looks like I will be dong 5 more test flights.

Clear High 123 Low 92

4 July

Well, here we go again. I departed with the Advon at 1AM on the 3^rd. It’s hard to know where to even start with this journal. The last time I started at the beginning of our deployment preparation but this time I was too lazy. Just a few days ago I was telling Wendi that I really should keep a daily journal if only to record our activities. We have done so many things over the years that we have really enjoyed but I am already forgetting them. Of course I have only read my old journals a couple of times and I’m not sure if focusing on the past more takes away from the present or just gives one a fuller understanding of themselves. Anyway, I am going to try again to keep a balance between insight and record keeping (too much of the former is exhausting and too much of the latter is boring). Saying goodbye to Wendi this time was even harder than the last. We had a great two weeks prior with the trip to Seward, backpacking in Denali, and hanging out with family but this time we know what it is going to be like. The hardest thing for me is the feeling that this is all a waste. This time away from Wendi I am never going to get back and for what? I really have to fight the panic that makes me want to quit and say it’s not worth it. There is nothing wrong with feeling loss and the pain of separation but it’s easy for that to feed on itself and become irrational. I don’t know how people do it without the hope we have in God.

We had a show time at Battalion 6 hours prior to our flight and on arrival I found out why – in addition to the usual Army over-planning we had to do a 100% urinalysis. It stems from the kid who got caught a month ago smoking pot tight before he got on the boat. After we finished all that our bus broke down right after we left the parking lot – not a good start to a 15 month deployment. The rest of the trip has been long but relatively uneventful. Our route was Fairbanks – Seattle – Detroit – Amsterdam – Kuwait. On the way to Amsterdam I sat next to a Spanish woman who has worked at a finance job for the last five years in the US. It’s always interesting to see the US through the eyes of foreigners. In Amsterdam I sat next to a girl whose father is Palestinian and mother American, grew up in Kuwait and going to school in Louisiana. This not being able to sleep on the plane really hurts but hopefully I will sleep well tonight. Our total time from on the plane in Fairbanks to off in Kuwait was 34 ½ hours.