Entry # 62: July 24, 2006

Ali Al Salem Airbase, Kuwait (approximately one hour south of Camp Buehring)

Hurry up and wait. It’s a common Army saying. For example, we left our beloved Camp Buehring at around 0900 this morning. Our plane wasn’t supposed to take off until around 1600. So we shuffle along, load up, arrive at Ali Al Salem, and take the bus to the flight line only to find out our plane was having “mechanical difficulties” or as we figured, the pilots wanted to sleep and make it a military red-eye flight, which means taking off at 0300. In civilian life you can show up at the terminal two hours before an international flight and be alright. In the Army, you might as well make a whole day out of it, and then some. You want a refreshing Coke for your in-flight beverage? Well, tough, cause I don’t think the technical sergeant in charge of the cargo—that’s us—will hand you one and some peanuts to go along with it. As I told my Soldiers as we arrived at the airbase, this ain’t Delta.

Regardless of when we get there, we’re headed to war. Or at least to prevent one. The Sunnis and Shias just won’t stop killing each other. Killing for one’s religion (or sect) is like having sex for virginity’s sake. There is just something terribly wrong about it. I’ve read a multitude of books trying to understand the Arab mindset and I’ve come to this conclusion. They’re nuts. I don’t mean to offend Arabs. I just can’t understand their thought process well and that may well be my fault. Nonetheless, I don’t think Arabs have any concept of actions and consequences. Take for example, the Arab ritual of firing a fully loaded AK-47 into the air as a means of celebration. They have no idea that these bullets eventually fall back down to earth. It’s called gravity, folks. I heard many a story of people on bases getting killed by these bullets as they plummet back to earth. One guy even got killed in a port-o-potty. Also, think about all the other Arabs in the next neighborhood over getting picked off by celebratory fire. Arabs still just fire their weapons up in the air and who cares where the bullet goes. For all they know, it just keeps going into the sky, eventually reaching into outer space. They might be firing at our satellites, thinking they’re the reason why the Hubble keeps needing all these repairs.

I know many of you out there really want to hear more about my job and what I do. I really wish I could tell you, but I can’t. If I did, I wouldn’t have my job for too much longer. But it’s exciting work and highly detailed. I can relay some of the stories and unclassified tidbits, but I only do that in person. I plan on returning to Germany sometime in mid-November and then arriving home to sweet Georgia soil in mid-December. Look me up and I’ll fill you in. And so the Soldier’s life continues…