Day 18 Reunited and it feels so gooood

Manas wasn't a complete bust.  I did get to spend 2 days with my bestie.  We've been going strong since 1998 and who would've thought we'd meet up downrange?  From high water pants in JROTC to rethinking our Air Force plans freshman year at Howard...ahh, I'm aging myself :-)

We did our usual thing like tell endless jokes, watch YouTube videos, reflect on growing up, and we came to the realization that we could NEVER work together in a professional setting.  Productivity would be non-existent.

I kept myself entertained and had the best nap of EVER on Thursday.  My sleep cycle is jacked up from staying up past the sunrise -_-  I'll get this thing figured out soon.

Oh, the dumbest thing I heard today:
- An Army Sergeant Major (E-9, highest enlisted rank in Army) said, "I have two female daughters". Don't all daughters normally have girl parts?  I didn't realize the need to clarify the sex.

In all, today was slow.  I slept from breakfast until dinner and attempted to make a few phone calls home.  I DID however get flight confirmation outta here! Woot Woot!  Still not to my final location, but one more step on this seemingly never ending journey.

You've come to far to stop on me now, keep reading...my ego loves it :-)

Day 17 Don't Eat the Hash Browns

I'm slowly accepting that I can't text or call my fam and friends on demand because of the whacky time difference. So this is what people go through who live overseas while life as they knew it is in the states.  Thankfully, I'll only have 6 months of the barrier.

The second thing I'm dealing with is walking everywhere.  My heart is grateful but my feet hate me for it.  Fortunately it's not plantation hot so I'm not Kunta Kinte sweaty after walking across the base, just Ms. Celie sweaty.

Good news from Afghanistan, my billeting (room I'll be staying in) and cell phone are all setup.  I've never been into gigs that require a cell phone but the time has come *key screeching horror music*

While at Manas I wandered around the base since I may be here a few days before my flight leaves for Afgh.  The amenities are pretty good and have the comforts of being stateside...sorta.  There's a "trailer park" of shops and restaurants like Burger King and Taco Bell, an electronic accessories joint and some other little places.  There's  also a barber/beauty shop AND spa!  I'm thinking about getting the massage that I previously had no time for..or at least a mani/pedi.

Random thought-I feel like I'm in a village from Call of Duty and I expect to see posters of Vladimir Puten plastered everywhere.  Well, the view of the Himalayas in the morning is breathtaking.  

At breakfast this morning, I tried to decide what NOT to eat.  An Airmen suggested not to eat the hash browns.  What he should've said was don't eat anything that is unidentifiable AND skip the drinks that have labels in other languages.  Lesson learned, I'm wiser because of it.

A few observations:

- Camp Bullis, TX is like the Waldorf Astoria and Hotel Alaska at Manas is like a Motel 6 :-(

- Sleeping in a tent with 40+ other women means you really won't get any sleep

- Chapel Annex is secret hotspot...coldest water, best care package leftovers, and not as crowded as other areas.

...and so the travel saga continues

Day 16.5

(I sure wish I was earning sky miles for this trip)

Deutschland

We had about 1.5 hrs on the ground in Ramstein.  Originally, I planned on hanging out in the terminal, but I decided to live a little and take the long trek (2 min walk) across the street and check out the Exchange (BX/PX).  The place is awesome!  It's a multiplex connected to the Inn that has a good variety of shops and eateries, both traditional German and US chains like Subway, Baskin Robins, and Taco Bell.  I don't do fast food, but I opted for lunch at Captain D's because it had the shortest line followed by a Starburst and Hot Tamales desert from the shopette. There was a spa, but time wasn't on my side and I wouldn't have been able to squeeze in a [much needed] massage.  Maybe I can convince the hubster to fly Space A and we hop a flight back to these parts.  Might as well visit Italy and France while in Europe too right :-) 

Turkey

I'm pretty sure I'm gonna have an allergy attack from all the second hand smoke that has seeped into the terminal.  It's almost 7:30 pm local time (1:30 pm EST) and I'm halfway through my journey.  Yay, progress!  This will probably be posted in a day or so b/c the terminal wifi doesn't actually connect.   Hmm, thanks for the tease.  We won't be here long though and there's just enough time on the ground to see a man about a horse, charge my phone, stretch my legs, and take some meds...In That Order!!! (Laying off the coonery of reality TV for a while)

Au Revoir for now

What day is it?

For the record, goodbyes SUCK! I can't imagine anything that compares to the emptiness of telling the ones you love the most you won't see me for 6 months.  Do you ever get used to the absence?  

For what it's worth, I had an awesome weekend with my boys and was grateful for the time we had before our final farewell

My 3.5 hr drive to Baltimore turned into 5 hrs but hey I still made it on time.  Barely, but on time.  As usual, I was a complete Dorkasaurus Rex as I struggled to carry my bags from the rental car facility to the shuttle to the terminal.  I politely refused offers to assist me because in my mind I felt like I had to prove to myself that I could handle my own luggage.  Who am I kidding?! My 40 lb rucksack alone is a struggle, so the 70+ lb suitcase and 30+ lb weapons only make matters worse.  Thank God for smart people who advised e to ship the remainder of my gear.

The flight:

Prior to boarding I freaked and ran to the only eatery still open and bought a muffin and a Naked smoothie.  I had no idea what type of aircraft I'd be on and was suddenly like"OMG, there won't be meal service!" Surely my muffin and smoothie would be filling enough for the trans-continental voyage -_- Don't judge me, remember I'm new at this deployment thing.   I'm happy to report that I wasn't strapped in on a C-130 but an actual commercial aircraft that featured movies, snacks, dinner, and a continental breakfast.  They even gave us those fancy  little warm [scorching hot] hand towels, twice!  Sometimes I feel a little uncouth, but everyone is entitled to a moment or two of unknowingness.  i just followed the lead of the Colonel sitting beside me :-)  Oh, and there was the most annoying soldier sitting behind me that kept getting items from the seat back.  Go Army.

My bladder has made me proud, and I have not had to "go"...at least so far.  I've had a fear of airplane restrooms since 2004ish.  Something occurred dealing with turbulence en route to Denver.  I've practically flushed the incident from my memory-no pun intended, really.

Well folks, planes about to land shortly.  Just know that all is well and I will follow this post with a Part II of my travels.  I'm still trying to figure out how to post pics on here.  Alternatively, I have been using Facebook.

Ciao!

 

Day 11 Pomp & Circumstance

Typing through the tears of sadness as I bid farewell to my fellow trainees and instructors...no, not really.  Today I said bonjour to San Antonio and I am traveling on what feels like a cross country voyage to be reunited with my boys for a [very] few days.  We concluded training with a weapons turn in (hallelujah) and a certificate receiving ceremony called a graduation.  Just think, when I am tasked to deploy again a year from now I get to complete CAST all over again -_-

I'm currently hanging out at the airport in Detroit at the Freedom Center (like a USO) until my flight departs.  If you ever fly through here they're in the A concourse. Stop by and relax for a while if you're military, vet, or dependent.  If you're neither of these three, stop by anyway and make a donation of any sort ($$$, snacks, toiletries etc.) or to just smile and say hi to some folks who may need it.. That was my unsolicited plug for the week.

My neck is still killing me and everyone keeps advising I go to the ER once I get to Maryland.  Any M.D. friends out there working in the ED tonight at Bathesda? *cricket cricket* I thought a visit to Massage Envy or either Jerm's chiropractor would do the trick...I'll see if the pain continues to intensify.

My flight from SAT was pretty interesting.  Thanks to the Air Force and my natural acute paranoia, I trust no one.  I just knew that the guy sitting next to me was trying to get government secrets from me.  With questions like "Where are you headed" and "Where are you from"? Ha, can't fool me commie!  Then he politely said "Stay safe out there and thank you for your service." I cannot be fooled.

Day 10 Free At Last...well, almost

Woot woot, CAST is ova! Well minus graduation and actually leaving sunny Camp Bullis tomorrow.  Today was our final training day and culminating exercise.   I am now equipped to single handedly defeat the commies (communists-serious insider)  on demand via multiple combat techniques.

I took the wise advise of an all knowing Captain and hoarded MRE snacks for the rotator (aka flight to Afgh).  I don't have much to say about today other than I'm ecstatic to see my boys. After calling Delta about 20 times,  literally,  I found an earlier flight.  My posts may slow down as I travel, but rest assured I will document the shenanigans along the way and update you as soon as I'm able.

Days 8-9 Perfect Posture, Neck Healing Regression, and Mistaken Identity

The fog of training kicked in and has yet to go away.  This is the home stretch and I will be on my way to begin shenanigans in Afderkastan before you know it...was that racist?  Sidestory on race relations:

I am the only, (repeat) only black/African-American/negro female officer in this training.  Yet, two indivuduals (also of non-caucasoid) descent have been mistaken for me.  While I make up 1.47% of the training population,  the remaining enlisted female negroids make up a whopping 8.8%.  Now that I've done the math I see how there can be a mixup-_- It's pretty irrelevant that the last person who I was thought to be is about 3 inches shorter, wears glasses,  is about two shades lighter than me, and has long micro braids.   0 out of 0 similarities.  Oh, well we do wear the same uniform... I have no problem with cases of mistaken identity but I'm on the receiving end more often than not.  I get it, we all look alike.

On to other news,  my neck feels like it was caught in a stampede of bulls, or ran over by a train,  or beat with a baseball bat! Get the picture?   I don't know how I even hold my head up, but this is the ultimate suckage.  Since I didn't have enough room in my suitcase for a pillow I was using an over priced neck/travel pillow I bought at the airport.  Since my injury a group of Colonels comment [daily] on my perfect posture.   I'm really shooting for Ms. CAST at the combat pageant ← fyi snarky comment.   There is a super awesome Colonel who gave me one of his AMAZING tempurpedic pillows to use.  My life has forever changed and I have to step my pillow game up.  I thought the hubster was crazy for buying a $50 pillow.

Well I missed dinner (laundry + long shower...shh don't tell) and I don't have the energy to type anymore.  Goodnight folks.  Until next time.

Ha! I almost forgot that I had skittles in my MRE today! #winning

Days 4-6 and freedom Sunday

Wow I'm too old to try and skip posts and do a culmination of happenings-my memory just isn't cut out for that.  The past few days have been HOT, comical, exhausting and yes, HOT.  Being here confirmed my thoughts that some senior officers ride the professional short bus.  Things that have occurred are similar to what you'd see at a summer camp for tweens and teenagers.  Before I hop on my soap box, I'll fast forward to today; our 1 training down day.

It was super fun (minus an awkward cab ride) and I hung out with two of my tentmates at the Riverwalk here in San Antonio.  We were joined by one of the girls' familia who were super adorable and great to be around.   They even paid for our lunch so they have a special place in my heart :-) Despite being plantation hot all week long, I was grateful for mild 90º temperatures.   I ate at Dick's Last Resort for the first time,  I actually had never heard of it until today.   The food was average but the snarky service was great.   I absolutely loved the Riverwalk and it's on the list of post deployment family trip locations. All in all,  time is flying and this is my final week in the states.

Well it's 7:30 and my muscle relaxers are kicking in...

Day 3.5 The ER, a skunk, and a deer

I totally jacked my neck up in the HMMWV egress exercise.   So bad, I had to take the extra bumpy 45 min ride to the ER at SAMMC.  After being there for 5 hours and one CT scan later I was cleared to go.  Ha, well nearly 2 hrs later the shuttle from Lackland came and took meand Capt V (the awesome nurse).  With two prescriptions and a c collar in tow, we made tthe journey back to Bullis.

Once here (at 1 am) we were dropped of in a parking lot where we waited on someone from camp to take us back up the hill (about a 15 min drive).  While waiting a skunk decided to sit 5 ft away from me, and there was a deer about 20 ft behind where we were sitting.   Without a doubt I was more scared of one of the two of these species. We made it back to our tent at around 1:30 am and I had the luxury of remaining awake fighting sleeplessness until 2:30.

Day 3 Ghost Ride The Whip

Today started like all the rest, being the best day ever! The highlight of the day was definitely going through the vehicle egress simulator.   You basically are tossed around in a HMMWV on a rotisserie.  You are flipped a few times, with mildly heavy simulated equipment in the vehicle (ammo cans, fire extinguisher), and then given the cue to escape.  Everything was going well until I lost my grip (while turned over on my head) and all of my body weight and 50lbs of gear crushed my neck.   No bueno.  That is when the fun started.

Thank God for medical pros being in this course with me-a CRNA who is my unofficial bff and a trauma Dr that gave me a quick exam.  I was originally treated with an ice pack but ended up in the ER a few hours later.

...and so began day 3.5

Day 2 The Best Day Ever

Yesterday was pretty epic.  Ok maybe not epic,  but optimism is a good trait to have.  Starting my day at 0430 was no bueno. I can't recall how I didn't fall asleep through any of the morning briefings, but a few hours of shooting kept me awake the rest of the day.  The best part was I only hit myself in the face once with the butt stock of my rifIe...small feats.

I was a convoy driver and had a Colonel as my gunner.  Everyone thought I was joking about not knowing how to drive...I'm positive they believe me now.  He was a little nervous that I would flip the HMMWV (Hum Vee :-)) each time I went around a sharp turn or that I would run off the road.  I'm glad to report that everyone made it back to camp alive.

I'm looking forward to arriving in Afgh. (is there even an abbreviation for the country?) I found out that I'll only have one room mate AND indoor plumbing.  Once again the Air Force is spoiling me.

As stated in a previous post, the gals in my tent are pretty awesome.  We can definitely atest to the fact that Lieutenants and officers in general aren't "all knowing".  What we lack in knowledge we make up for in jokes and endless laughter.

 In the words of my tent mate "Today is the beat day ever!...until tomorrow"

Quotes/Words of the day:
Cognizant
"Mmm biscuits and gravy"

Training Day 3-Ghost Ride the Whip

Day 1 YOLO

Oh joy, TD (training day) 1.  A day filled with great confusion and a cloud of unknown.  It's already apparent that the next two weeks will be far from summer camp,  but again it's only two weeks.   I escaped having to attend 30 days of training with my Army amigos so I have a lot to be thankful for.   I have come to accept that 90% of what I retain these two weeks will be intangible experiences and endless laughter vs actual combat skills.  The biggest lesson I needed to learn was "shoot them before they shoot you". I'm actually a pretty good shot on the pistol and rifle, so lesson 1:  complete.

I enjoyed a freezing cold 2 min shower and scarfed down a combination of randomness and called it breakfast.  So about the water situation at good ol Camp AP-water is trucked into our location every other day.   That means once it is out, there's no drinking water, showers, and even flushing toilets...all things that no one wants to deal with,  especially in Texas in the middle of May.  To prevent this there are water conservation methods in place,to include the ccombat shower.

Tomorrow's class start time is 0430.  It feels wrong on so many levels to do anything that early in the day.  With that,  I'm out.

Quotes of the day:
"Warrior mindset what! YOLO!"
"CAST causes cavities"
"People are crazy,  shoot them before they shoot you"

Happy Mother's Day

Day 0.5 ...I don't need any further confirmation that this is real. Today is the day that I've been unanxiously (expect frequent made up words) awaiting since April 9th. Let's backtrack to how I got here: (Phone rings on a Tuesday morning) "Lt Gadson, I've got some good news and some bad news" Me-(awkward pause) "Umm, ok. What is it?" "You're deploying...on Saturday" At that moment I think I simultaneously lost control of my bodily functions (TMI) and had feelings of excitement, confusion, and disappointment. I didn't leave in the 4 days as originally told, but here I am slightly over one month, one training course, and plenty of Air Force snafus later at CAST (Combat Airmen Skills Training) at beautiful Camp Bullis, TX. I always wanted to visit San Antonio and the surrounding area...I got exactly what I asked for. The conditions actually are a lot better than I expected. My bed has an actual mattress rather than just a cot. The other four ladies in my tent are equally awesome as I am, and I only have to eat one, yes one, MRE per day. Winning! Getting here however was no easy feat. I looked like a whimpy pre teen struggling with my luggage and weapon in the airport. I felt like a ran a half marathon by time I made it to the security checkpoint (with enough sweat to authenticate the look) ONLY to have my carry on completely unpacked to reveal my illegal tube of toothpaste. The TSA guy politely said "Thank you for your service" after ram sacking my strategically packed ruck sack containing 3 days worth of uniforms and everything else I managed to stuff in all the compartments. I did get to see the World's Greatest Auntie while at the USO in San Antonio waiting on the shuttle to the training site. My Mother's Day wasn't a complete bust. I was reminded that I signed up and took an oath that 99% of the population never will. And as much as it saddens me to leave my family for any period of time, the call in which I have and will answer is far beyond a simple explanation.