This series started out as a mass email to a select few important people, because I couldn’t figure out blog formatting. Now that I’m a few days older and wiser, here it is. I didn’t change anything in migrating it over, aside from minor spelling errors which none of you pointed out. Don’t hate.
Hey guys, If you’re getting this, you either expressed interest in updates on my travels, or I assumed you’d be interested. If not, scroll down and hit “unsubscribe” at the bottom. (After you scroll down and realize I don’t have an unsubscribe link, just shoot me an email to the effect of “you’re boring and I don’t want to read your garbage.”) I’ll probably switch this over to my blog at some point, too.
After several long months of trying to get on this trip, followed by as many months of waiting, we’re finally off. Yesterday we spent the night in barracks on JBER, in the same row where I lived when the Army first brought me back to Alaska more than a decade ago. There was no beer pong in the hallway this time, but I still caught a whiff of deja vu.
This morning was an early wake up; 0500. Five hours later, the contracted airline had us airborne. The gentleman in the seat in front of me, an airplane mechanic in civilian life, was quick to point out that certain parts of the plane that shouldn’t move were moving. His observation, of course, inspired a sense of serene confidence in all that we would make it there more or less intact.
Breakfast this morning was the (in)famous Air Force box lunch. Uncrustables (prepackaged PB&J) delivered in a fancy box promising “snazzy sandwiches” on “fresh baked bread.” They were delicious, but neither snazzy nor fresh baked.
The flight was fine; about five and a half hours straight from Anchorage (50 degrees Fahrenheit) to El Paso (82 degrees Fahrenheit.) Takeoff was a little shaky. None of the aforementioned parts fell off. I would have preferred to fly on a C-17 (big military cargo plane), but at least most of us had a full row, and nobody had to sit in a middle seat.
I caught one last glimpse of Alaska before I closed the window shade and went to sleep; did I mention the 0500 wake up? Sleeping on planes is a skill, and I’m an expert. Everyone else was more or less in the same boat, so I didn’t have to wear headphones to avoid anyone talking to me. It helped that I was able to lay down across the seats, instead of trying to sleep sitting up.Inprocessing to Fort Bliss took a few hours, but we’re all settled in for a few days before we have to move again. Tomorrow’s another early day.
I suppose, if you plan on following this, you’re curious about what my specific job entails when we get overseas. The short answer is “yes.” The long answer is “other duties as assigned.”
Aside from my day job, I’m also the battalion Public Affairs representative and unit historian. Between work, the gym (I’m chasing a 400lb deadlift) and a little bit of college (which I’m still chipping away at because I’m a terrible student), I’ll be plenty busy.
The next week or so will be a lot of administrative work and waiting for the rest of the team to trickle in. I’m sure this is cliche and thousands of people have said it before me, but whoever named Fort Bliss was either an expert satirist or a masochist. Maybe both.
Further updates to come. Once a week or so. I’ll catch you all on the flip side