Crossposted from my other home…<\/p>\n
Kentucky. $#!^! I’m still only in Kentucky. Every time I think I’m gonna wake up back in the desert. When I was home after my first tour, it was worse. I’d wake up and there’d be nothing. When I was here, I wanted to be there. When I was there, all I could think of was getting back into the desert. I’m here a week now. I’m waiting for a mission – getting softer. Every minute I stay in this room, I get weaker. And every minute Taliban Achmed squats in the bush, he gets stronger. Each time I looked around, the walls moved in a little tighter.<\/span><\/p>\n
–\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>Adapted from Apocalypse Now.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Right now I really am in a hotel room in Kentucky, waiting for the call to head over to Ft. Knox and board the plane to take me in theater. \u00a0However, I am enjoying the solitude. \u00a0Said my goodbyes to the wife and dogs yesterday, and now just waiting for the call to head over to the base. \u00a0I was actually over there this morning filling out some paperwork and getting my Eagle Card (like a credit card). \u00a0 I also got to interview the CSM of the 3rd ESC that I will embed with first, but because of some technical difficulties, it may take me a day or two to figure out how to get a post up on it. \u00a0<\/p>\n
As I noted on my Facebook page the other day:<\/p>\n
\nInventory of electronics: 2 kindles (1 fire, one touch), 1 MacBook Pro, 1 iPod, 1 digital video camera (GoPro), one digital still camera, 1 blackberry, about 17 cords. That’s just the computer bag. It’s almost as if the Spartans didn’t do it quite like this.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
A bit different than my last trip over there. \u00a0No rifle (that makes me unhappy.) \u00a0But, no privates and specialists to worry about either. \u00a0No commander riding me, no LTs getting lost (just kidding). \u00a0Just me, which is pretty sweet. \u00a0My travel in theater will likely be waiting for a bird to take me where I need to go, but I have my laminated letter from the ISAF Public Affairs that is apparently a golden ticket.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Getting in theater isn\u2019t as simple as flying to Seattle either.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>Just speculating since my itinerary hasn\u2019t been shared with me, but I suspect I will get to see 3 of the scenic locales listed here.\u00a0<\/span>(This isn\u2019t some sort of OPSEC thing, I mean literally I have no idea when I am going, or how I am getting there):<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Bangor, Maine<\/p>\n
Shannon, Ireland<\/p>\n
Paris, France<\/p>\n
Ramstein, Germany<\/p>\n
Incirlik, Turkey<\/p>\n
Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.<\/p>\n
If I had my way it would be Bangor, Ireland, Turkey, Bishkek.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>The last is an almost certainty, while the first is the home of my family, Ireland is my ancestral home, and Incirlik has a surprisingly good Tiki bar near the airfield if I remember correctly.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>Either way, I figure on about a 28 hour flight.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>Got my laptop, but that will likely die fairly quickly unless there is an electricoutlet.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>Probably watch some reruns of Early Edition that I bought on Amazon a few weeks ago while in an Ambien haze.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>If I got tomorrow\u2019s newspaper (like the protagonist in the show), I\u2019d be torn between buying a winning lotto ticket and attending every Yankees game I knew they would lose.<\/p>\n
So, my bags are packed and I\u2019m waiting on the proverbial jet plane.\u00a0\u00a0Besides my two kindles, I also have a<\/span>\u00a0pocket Bible, copy of Cyrano de Beregerac (should be mandatory for infantry guys), pocket Kipling (also should be compulsory for A\u2019stan travelers) and Rachel Maddow\u2019s book.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>The last of those I am reading at the publicist\u2019s request and which somewhat surprisingly I am enjoying immensely.<\/p>\n
Other than that, gear is ready to roll.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>Body armor and helmet on top, digitized computer bag with all the documents I will need and my MacBookPro which hopefully isn\u2019t allergic to sand, and 2 army duffels, one loaded with Ranger Up shirts to use as currency to move around in theater and to buy goodwill among the PAO population.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
Posting will come probably every other, or every third day for a while here, but they should be great posts, so I hope y\u2019all will check back fairly often.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>If you need the daily dose of news, you should sign up with the Legion\u2019s online update page on Facebook!\u00a0<\/p>\n
Or, if you must, just listen to Jonn.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"