Today is the first day of my first deployment. We are flying COMAIR from Seattle to Kuwait City, Kuwait and then taking a bus to Ali Al Salem Air Base, Kuwait and then from there catching a cargo plane to reach our final base of Al Asad, Iraq.
The trip over was a long one and pretty interesting. The first leg started on a sunny Sunday afternoon from Seattle to DC and was only a little under five hours but we still managed to find our moments. I was seated in seat 14B in a three three across seating jet which meant I was squished between two other people and had no view. The guy sitting directly to my right (aisle seat) also had no view so he decides he would play games on his phone the whole flight... much to my dismay as I tried to sleep and he blared the sound through headphones sitting not fifteen inches from my own ears. So, needless to say, it was a long flight. Four and a half hours into the flight, as we began to descend into DC, the intercom comes on with the announcement that "all electronic devices should now be stowed" and we all begin to shut off our equipment for the "safety" of the flight. All of us except the guy sitting next to me who continues to play his games on the loudest setting he could muster. I must add at this point that he must have had an excellent battery to have kept up his gaming for that long and with the music that loud. The plane started josting about as we encountered the first real bit of turbulence for the flight. The flight attendants all started scurrying back to their stations as they didn't want to get thrown around the cabin (yes, Lala, this is the kind of turbulence that would have made even you start cursing and yelling "Why couldn't we have just DRIVEN!?!"). The intercom ces on again and states "we will now be going on the honor system to ensure all seat belts are fastened and electronic devices are off" which, of course, the guy sitting to my right CAN'T HEAR because the music was still blaring. I wasn't about to raise Cain with him as nothing was actually going to happen to us as he continued with his game but the older gentleman sitting across the aisle felt differently. "Hey you," he had to yell as he rapped the guy on the shoulder, "I think it is time you turned off your game." Which, of course, the young punk to my right didn't take too kindly to. "Why do you care what I do and who made it your business?" he retorts back. The two of them begin to argue back and forth getting louder and more animated. I was sure the air marshall would step in (which he dud not... probably because of the motion of the plane) as the entire flight was silent listening and watching these two battle it out with words. The actual words aren't suitable in the context and phrases they were given in so I won't replay them here but it actually turned out better than expected as the kid agreed to turn off his phone if the other guy would stop talking to him. We then landed and I got off the plane as fast as possible before any more could develop for me to get caught up in.
The DC airport is laid out in an excellent fashion (IMHO) as we had no trouble with the switch-over to our next plane. This flight would be a lot longer... seven hours longer to be more precise... that's right math geniuses of the world, 12 hours. This time we flew in a bigger jet... a 777 seating two five two across, and with my previous upgrade for the whole trip to economy plus for the extra 6 1/2 inches of extra leg room (which was TOTALLY worth the $160 spent for it), I was feeling pretty good in my window seat in 18A with a quiet older man in a khaki outfit and desert boots sitting next to me. He didn't want to talk much except to tell me not to be like the last "kid" that sat next to him and got wasted on beer during his last flight. After reassuring him that wouldn't happen I took a Flight-Doc authorized sleeping pill and promptly fell asleep immediately following our first of two meals. This suited me just fine as I was already worn out and eager to be on a better sleep schedule for the timezone I would be calling my own for the next six or so months.
We arrived in Kuwait City, Kuwait at 6PM local the FOLLOWING day having travelled through 9 or so time zones during our 12 hour flight plus the original 5 hour flight across 3 time zones for a grand total of 29 hours difference from when I first stepped on board back in Seattle. UGH!
We made it through Kuwaiti customs and baggage claim and began our wait to find out "What next" while standing around the terminal. We finally met up with a bus that drive us to the base I am typing this all from. The drive to the base was horrendous as we were constantly cut off by the local drivers. I can see why so many people from this side of the world make it fir so long as cab drivers in the states... they just don't care about the other drivers on the road and treat it like they will be given the right of way no matter the circumstance. At one point our driver stated, "we better get out of this lane before we get killed." and not two seconds later another bus cuts us off from originally two lanes over and behind us. Crazy...
Not much else to talk about except our temporary housing but I will attempt to share that in a later post.
Until then, Lala, remember: I love you.
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