I’m currently in Ali Al Salem in Kuwait awaiting the “Freedom Flight” back to the Ft. Benning to turn in my weapon and head home. It’s difficult to get the Air Force to do anything in a hurry. They are also famous for “crew rest” that stops aircraft from flying right when you need them most. Strangely enough, just about every flight I’ve been on during my tour seems to get to Ali Al Salem at 0230!
This trip was no exception. We had to form up at 1900 for a 0245 flight. Yes, that’s not a typo. We had to be there 7 hours early! By the time we pulled our bags off the pallets and I was assigned a space in the “VIP tent” (yes, you read that right a VIP tent), it was almost 0500. Fun.
Anyway, I’m safely in Ali, and will get two days to read and decompress before heading home. Looking forward to a real pizza. The food was great in Iraq, but real pizza was rare.