26 January 2008: On to our next mission...or...not

Last summer I ranted on and on about the "weather holds" we'd find ourselves in due to sandstorms. It's been awhile since we had to deal with another. Flying out of FOB Hammer was the first flight cancellation we've had in quite some time. Make it two in a row. Today we were supposed to head out on another mission. I won't tell you where we are supposed to be going until we're actually there. I'll just say that it's another FOB we've never been to. The day dawned gray, foggy, and with periods of rain. It really sucks because the day before was spectacular. I kept thinking it would clear out by the afternoon. It didn't. Regardless, we packed our rucksacks and took care of any personal issues needing attention prior to departure.

Around 2000, my NCOIC stopped by to pick me up. The fog was thick. We already knew we were on weather hold. I heard, perhaps, two helicopters all day. My hooch is right on the direct flight path for helicopters coming from, or headed to, the north. We arrived at Liberty Pad to find total silence. The pax tent was full. We stood outside swapping stories for about three hours. It dawned on me that I was shivering a bit so I snuck into the pax tent and found a place to sit. Several flights had already cancelled. The KBR staff would periodically step in to make announcements like, "Everybody flying on Ironhorse flights, those are cancelled. Marne Express has also cancelled." That would be met with groans as people stood up, grabbed their gear and left. It made more room for us.

At exactly 0030 - I know because I was looking at my watch - one of the civilian contractors who was on the same flight as us walked into the tent. He looked at the other two contractors and gave them a hand signal. They got up and started gathering their gear. Right behind them came the KBR lady. "All Invincible call signs have cancelled." That was us. Same old story, different missions.

We gathered our gear and moved out. I was back in my hooch about 0100. I told everyone not to unpack. We'll try again tomorrow. We'd claim duressed traveler to try and get some money back (or freebie roundtrip) except this is Iraq. The flights are free and they don't go anywhere we want to visit on vacation.