Yup, just like the McConaughey rom-com, I was all ready to go, just to turn right back around. We loaded a C-17 with 160 soldiers, airmen, marines and all of our luggage. We took off while sitting in a less than comfortable 'seat' only to turn around 45 minutes into our flight because some mechanical issue wouldn't allow the plane to perform the required 'combat zone landing'.
I am a big fan of getting delayed in an airport for mechanical reasons. I want that stuff fixed while me, anyone I care about and the plane are still on the ground. It is much less comforting to have to announce this issue an hour before entering an area where you have to wear a kevlar helmet and they turn the plane's lights off so as not to make a large 'shoot at me' target in the sky.
After landing back in Kyrgyzstan - which is just as lovely in April as you have probably read about, we sat around for another 8 hours(of course we had to reload all the people and bags) before boarding a different C-17, one that had fully functioning flaps.
When we were 25 minutes outside of Kandahar, they turned on some red cabin lights, made everyone put on their helmets and then proceeded to take us on a roller coaster ride provided by the U.S. Air Force where we shed 25,000 feet in a very short time to touch down in Kandahar Air Base. So a full 12 hours after I was supposed to arrive, here I am, sitting in the heat of Kandahar Air Field. Waiting to start the next phase of my time in this hot, stinky country.
Hope you all are well.
Pedro
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