30 January 2008: More weather hold torture

Let me preface this entry by quoting the Warrior Ethos - "I will always place mission first". Anyone reading this will already have the answer as to why we spent another fruitless night at Liberty Pad. If you are counting, this is the fourth night this week. It's already obvious that we didn't get out on a flight. Tonight's edition of this week's broken record saw me getting back to my hooch at 0230.

We should have known from the start that it would be another long night. First, the weather became increasingly cloudy as the day wore on. Second, since we were manifested for the night before we were counting on space available today. Third, from around 1330 on, a dusty, hazy fog enveloped the entire compound. From 1400 on, Camp Liberty was devoid of the sound of rotor blades overhead. That, above all, was the sure-fire sign we weren't going anywhere. We still had to try.

After checking in at 2100, we all settled into our normal spots and continued the same conversations as the night previous. Club Liberty Pad was packed. It truly was "weather hold Thursday" - except for it being Wednesday. There were no drink specials though. We listened to the normal announcements of flight cancellations. By 0100, only Invincible and Ironhorse flights were still on. Visibility was just as bad as ever. We all knew the inevitable. However, as long as the flights hadn't been cancelled it was necessary to wait. I walked into the pax tent at around 0115. "United 93", an outstanding movie, was on the TV. It had everyone riveted. I immediately settled in to watch. The film is intense. Many of the key players from 9/11 portray themselves - FAA director Ben Sliney, several air traffic controllers from Boston and New York, and Newark control tower personnel. The movie isn't for the faint at heart. If you haven't seen it you should. But I digress. At 0200 the announcement came. Invincible flights were cancelled. It was Liberty Pad Reprise.

For the fourth time in five nights my team loaded up and drove back to our respective hooches. I take this as God's way of saying this mission isn't going to happen.