Comments for AAR, Part Three: Odyssey and Oddity. B'gorrah.

AAR, Part Three: Odyssey and Oddity. B'gorrah.

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:52:34 -0600

Since I once promised not to relate any Irish jokes here because it wouldn’t be fair (John can only retaliate with “old” jokes, and I already have the lock on those), and I have to contribute *something* to keep BCR from sticking my picture on a milk carton from gaining the reputation as a slacker.Now, for those – okay, both – of you who have been on tenterhooks wondering if I got back in one piece from my Winter Vacation – I did.For those of you who have been waiting to find out how I managed to do it, pull...

Comment from BillT on 2010-03-18

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 06:02:33 -0600

I got out of Kuwait within 4 hours Space R.

*You* don't have the visa nut-drill. For us contractors, it's arrive in Kuwait City, wait for 45 minutes to get an entry visa, pay three Kuwaiti dinars (about $12 US), bargain with a van driver who's got gate access, drive an hour to Ali, turn in your passport and entry visa -- good for 90 days, but turned in *immediately* on arrival -- wait for 12-to-24 hours for your *exit* visa, then get an approval stamp for your LOA, pop over to the Space R counter, turn in your stamped LOA, then show up for all the roll calls or get dropped from the Space R roster.

The *fun* part is getting to the gate at Ali at midnight and discovering your driver can't find his access ID.

You wind up hoofing 10 klicks through the desert -- at least the gate guards phone the next post down so you don't have to go through the empty-the-rucksack-repack-the-rucksack shakedown at each one. I only had to make that trek once, btw, so I haven't gone totally senile.

I *think* it was only once...

Ummmmmm...

Comment from BillT on 2010-03-18

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 05:43:33 -0600

"I wasn't there, you didn't see me, you can't prove it, that picture was faked, try it and I'll sue."

Comment from Old Fat Sailor on 2010-03-18

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 04:14:36 -0600

Bill wasnt there didn't do it who the hell are you
http://kd8kfq.blogspot.com/2010/03/my-band-of-brothers-matsb-song-ong-doc.html

Comment from BillT on 2010-03-18

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 02:20:15 -0600

One of the guys just got back from the pax terminal here.

The Friday Kuwait-BIAP-Kirkuk-BIAP-Kuwait run is back in service.

Karma.

I don't got it.

Comment from BillT on 2010-03-18

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 02:15:55 -0600

BIAP was an option getting out . Problem is, once you're in BIAP, the only way to get to Kirkuk is on one of the R 'n' R flights originating out of -- *heh* -- Kuwait...

Comment from Pogue on 2010-03-18

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 01:57:21 -0600

Gee, I would have thought that BIAP would have been the best bet - I got out of Kuwait within 4 hours Space R. Not sure how the connection to Kirkuk would be, though.

Comment from BillT on 2010-03-18

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 01:27:11 -0600

Okay -- us Auld Aviators attract the attractive, younger Ladies.

There. Try and quibble with *that*, you two...

Comment from Miss Ladybug on 2010-03-17

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 22:33:52 -0600

Well, *comparatively* young... I'm not "young" anymore, not like my sisters are; but, I'm not "old" yet, either.

Comment from Maggie on 2010-03-17

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 20:12:17 -0600

And us Auld Aviators attract the young Ladies, don't we?

...and some not so young....

BT
John, are you supposed to be talking about self-flagellation in polite company? And shouldn't you be off somewhere making garlic bread?

Comment from John of Argghhh! on 2010-03-17

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 14:47:53 -0600

Nah, BS. I learned long ago sparring with Bill is an exercise in self-flagellation.

Comment from BloodSpite on 2010-03-17

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 13:46:15 -0600

I can already here whats going to come next

"He may have a 27 inch zipper.....but who has the longer gun barrels?"

Comment from AFSister on 2010-03-17

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 13:23:54 -0600

He's got you there, John.

Comment from BillT on 2010-03-17

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 13:07:54 -0600

Man, we attract Auld Aviators around here, don't we?

And us Auld Aviators attract the young Ladies, don't we?

*heh*

Comment from Bill on 2010-03-17

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 12:41:23 -0600

That story brings back memories, especially the "wait" in Kuwait part. My back is still f'ed up from sleeping in odd positions in seats, on floors, etc.

On one of my trips out of Baghdad to Kuwait, someone shot a rocket(s) at our AC-130 just after take off. The pilot banked hard - for a second I thought the thing was having a mechanical failure and going down. He then jinked the other way and you could hear the countermeasures popping out of the fuselage. Two funny things: 1. No one on the plane - contractors, military personnel, reporters, men or women - made a peep. 2. When it was over, some Army officer yells (to accompanying laughter): "I better not hear about anyone putting in for a CAB (Combat Action Badge) for *that* shit!"

Comment from John of Argghhh! on 2010-03-17

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 12:32:16 -0600

Man, we attract Auld Aviators around here, don't we? No wonder it smells like liniment...

;^ )

Comment from Gordon E on 2010-03-17

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 12:27:59 -0600

Spent a life time one year in wonderfull Balad and another sleeping in that waiting room or at the helipad. As an old Viet Helicopter Pilot, Hated ridding in the back with the cattle.
At least they have Greenbean coffee!

Comment from BillT on 2010-03-17

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 10:44:45 -0600

GH -- Wottinthehell were you doing in Kalsu, looking for the shortcut to Babylon? The place is *crawling* with MPs...

Comment from BillT on 2010-03-17

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 10:35:13 -0600

Geez, OFS, you actually got *on* one of those things? They were probably the same AA guys operating out of Can Tho who discovered the hard way that us Vultures were the only ones dumb enough to go in after them when they PL'ed on the wrong side of the imaginary line separating

Ummmmm -- never mind. I haven't been updated on the statute of limitations for some things.

Comment from Greyhawk on 2010-03-17

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 10:13:43 -0600

My route home, 2005: Baghad to Qatar to Balad to Ramstein.

Two hours in Balad, sirens only went off once - either for nothing or for something that hit so far away I couldn't hear the boom.

Nice to hear how much *better* things are now. :)

(Old man voice) Say, did I ever tell you about the time in '07 I was doing battlefield circulation and got stranded at Kalsu by duststorms?

Comment from Saker on 2010-03-17

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 09:44:51 -0600

Sounds like fun times! I gotta go. Your fascinating tales of travel tribulations are going to make me late for troop spawn class.

Comment from AFSister on 2010-03-17

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 09:28:25 -0600

Your trip into Iraq sounds a lot like my brother's last trip- took him 28 days to get back from a 3 day mission. heh.

Comment from Cricket on 2010-03-17

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 04:53:58 -0600

Where would we be without weather whisperers? Did he have to say that?

Glad yer back safely.

Comment from Old Fat Sailor on 2010-03-17

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 04:28:46 -0600

Bill I haven't heard a story like that since catching an AA bird at the strip at Ca Mau. OFS