29 October 2007: Back to Camp Liberty

Camp Liberty is a recurring location on this deployment. It actually would make more sense for me to be based out of here. Balad isn't ideally situated to support our missions. Camp Liberty is. That's a big reason why I keep coming back. I have my own hooch. Obviously, I'm back in Camp Liberty. Yep - It's mission time again. This time it will be a perpetual mission that will carry all the way into January. It's essentially a sprint to the finish line for this deployment.

My day began in Anaconda. After our morning meeting I hurried over to Catfish to see if I could fly space "A" to Liberty pad. There was one seat left for an evening flight. I took it. I had to catch up with some of my team that had departed a couple days previous. Since I was able to secure a flight I went back to my hooch to pack. I squeezed a haircut into the day too. After all, I can't go around looking like a hippie.

I closed out any outstanding business I had back at my office and rushed back over to Catfish for my flight. It turned out my flight had been delayed (no surprises there). That was a good thing because it gave me time to eat chow. Around 2100 we rolled out to the flightline to load the Blackhawks. It was a spectacular, moonlit night. The temperature was perfect. The summer days of sweating gallons on the helicopters are over. I had a rearward facing seat along the port side of the aircraft. We weren't crowded so nobody had to endure the "hurricane seat" (the starboard side rear seat that is notorious for blowing gusts of exhaust in the face of the unfortunate rider). It was an incredible flight. I really wish there was some way I could convey how beautiful the night sky, the lights below, the reflection of moonlight on the Tigris, and the slight ground fog we could see below. It was the most serene flight I've had. I was also happy to be leaving Balad and getting back out on mission. That's what I'm here for - not sitting around on my duff back in Anaconda.

By 2300 I was in my other hooch - at Camp Liberty. Time for me and my team to get back to work. This is sure to give rise to plenty of more entertaining moments. I hope you are looking forward to them as much as I am.