Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Camp Virginia, Kuwait

25 by 100 foot hut. The stench was overpowering by midday. The smell of old crusty uniforms in desperate need of a change out and stacked bodies in need of a scrub. So I sat outside and read James Herriot until the heat got to me, then re-entered when forced with few other choices.
We were at the Taquaddum A/DACG (arrival/departure air control group) terminal, and it was 20 hours and counting. No sure thing when flying out on your way home, we were on terminal standby.
The hut is the staging area and occasional place of permanent residence when one has nowhere else to go. The hut is too small. The hut smells like a hundred years of stink. The hut is all we have. The surgical team, a smattering of Fallujah corpsman, and a company of Marines are all staking a small piece of real estate. With scattered cots and chairs, the hut filled quickly in the morning, and by 9 AM, all seats were taken as we watched another group of Marines come and go. When the seats and cots were all doubled up, bodies started filling the floor, and required deft footwork to extract yourself in/out. Foosball table? Just became a zipcode for two Marines sleeping under it.
We all survived. Three MRE's and a few sneaks out to the chowhall/DFAC and we finally had our flight to Kuwait on a C-130. After a six hour transit that included loading the bags, unloading the bags, re-loading the bags, head count, repeat X2, we made it to Camp Virginia, Kuwait 36 hours ago. Tomorrow, customs in the afternoon and a flight home very early Saturday morning. Counting on a layover in Shannon, Ireland for a pint.

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh my goodness and here I thought you'd be out of Ireland by now!!!!!
Prayers for a quick move thru customs and a smooth flight home!!!

Anonymous said...

Carl...prayers for your safe return home.
God bles you,

Jeannie

Anonymous said...

Ah well.....All Creatures Great and Small will give that relief. Yes indeed. So close to home.....

God Bless you,

Jeannie

Anonymous said...

Ah well, Carl...yes. All Creatures Great and Small will cover that- a blessed relief in many ways.


God bless you, and praying for your safe return home.

Jeannie

Anonymous said...

Congrats! You are almost....there...errr, uhh here :)

All the best!!!!

Anonymous said...

Giddy for ya'... truly God speed.
Ozarkglittergirl

Bag Blog said...

Sounds like a difficult time getting gone, but that probably makes it sweeter to be in Kuwait now. Reading James Herriot is a good choice - one of my daughter's favorites! But then she is a farm girl.

I hope the next leg of the trip goes better.

Anonymous said...

I wish I could welcome you home in person.
You have done so much for so many people.
Not to mention all the people you have touched with this blog.

WELCOME BACK HOME!

Anonymous said...

Welcome back! Thank you, I have throughly enjoyed your writing. God Bless.

Debbi (no 'e' on the end) said...

We will be thinking of you on Saturday as we pack boxes to your replacement & I am sending a box of cards to him to dispense throughout. I'm so glad you will be on US soil soon....it was really great getting to know you these past months. Take care.

Anonymous said...

Have a good flight home!

Gordon got his pint (and more!) in Shannon and is at Ft. Lewis.

I've enjoyed your blog and hope you'll keep writing.

Cheers! Kippis!

Teflon Dad

Anonymous said...

May God always bless you my friend,and so thrilled you are soon to be home again. Thank you again for you sacrifice to our beloved country.

Jeannie

Anonymous said...

Welcome home! Job well done LT Goforth!
Lori "The Nail Girl"
Soldiers' Angel

Anonymous said...

Thank you and everyone there...

membrain said...

Glad to know you're going home at last. Thanks again for everything.

Carl said...

From N Carolina...thank you, everyone! I'm back, I'm in one piece, and I'll be on a bus for Virginia tomorrow.