The flight was just like any other flight, full of surprises. Peering through the cabin glass I could see the snow just off the runway. We were in Anchorage, the snow had been pushed aside by large snow plows making way for our fuel stop. Back in the air talks about home continued and we hadn't even made it to our destination yet. Upon landing a voice shouted THIS IS A HOT LANDING ZONE, GRAB YOUR GEAR AND GET OFF THE PLANE NOW! So in a flurry we grabbed our gear and headed for the door, once outside the brightest light hit our tired weary eyes and as difficult as it was to see we moved rather quickly to some concrete barriers nearby as we watched the Federal Express plane fly away waving its wings as if to say good bye. Our first direct order was to take one Pyridostigmine Bromide tablet...
At some point we ended up at a warehouse full of fellow soldiers and nice green cots, we stowed our gear and waited for rail head. The hot chow was served by locals. An everlasting engram was made when we saw them relieving themselves in the nearby desert sands, then wiping with they're left hand only to return and serve the hot meals. I thought is this it? Is this what we flew thousands of miles to do? Well, guard duty came that night... So sleep wasn't an option. Calling home wasn't an option yet either...
At railhead we pulled our shrink wrapped equipment and headed for the desert, many, many miles away. The GPS systems we had enabled us to maneuver far better than those who we were there to remove. At a fuel stop some loco came thru in a 5 ton honking and hollering GAS, GAS, GAS so on went the mopp 4 protective gear, was there gas there??? Later we pulled in and setup camp somewhere in the desert, it was interesting to see how others manuevered with the use of old tires or fifty gallon drums strewn about across the desert. Didn't do much good during of after a sand storm though... At some point we ended up on a hill in the desert, I heard shots fired and just down to dig a hasty and peered about and realized it was the CO and SgtMjr shooting at some wild dogs :-) So back in the hummer listening to a rap song Bradley had made. "Fellas come on, I got something to say to you, the whole truth and nothing but the truth and if your thinking what the hell can you say to us, i got a jam about saudi arabia, i'm in a country where as far as the eye can see, theres no people, no sign of society, in a situation that were trying to end peaceably but the chance of war is a high probability. The days are hot and the nights are very cold, they say were fighting for freedom not for oil or gold, don't front on me like i'm three years old, i don't think the whole truth was told" That Sony beat box from supply never sounded so good.