I couldn't wait any longer to get back to Anaconda. Flights have continually proven to be unreliable. My team cannot control the weather. There was only one guaranteed manner to get from Warhorse back to LSAA - ground convoy. With that in mind, I manifested myself on an early morning ride back. A Captain from the convoy would stop by my hooch at 0615 to pick me up and give me a ride over to the convoy staging area.
Now that I've provided the background, you'll understand why I was up very early today. This proved to be a boon. I got up about 0500 to utilize the shower facilities. Walking over to the latrine I noticed the lunar eclipse was about halfway complete. By the time I finished my shave, only about a fifth of the moon remained. I hurriedly got dressed and made a beeline over to Green Beans. I'll be damned if the convoy would keep me from morning coffee. I gleefully yelled at every Joe I saw to look to the moon. Nobody even seemed aware that the eclipse was occurring. I was the town crier. It was a spectacular event. The sky was crystal clear, the moon full. About 0555 the eclipse was total. The moon glowed a dull red in the early morning sky. I even told the TCN working GB's to step outside and look. After all, the next one won't be visible until December 2010. He was amazed and asked if it was good luck. I told him if he wanted to see it as a sign of good fortune he was more than welcome.
At 0615 sharp, the CPT came to get me. I immediately mentioned the lunar eclipse. By then the moon had dipped below the horizon. The CPT had missed the show. He seemed rather bummed. It was very cold and I regretted not putting on an extra layer of warmth. In just a few minutes we arrived at the convoy. There were armored humvees, strikers, and some KBR trucks. I would ride in one of the humvees. The convoy commander gave the briefing to everybody, followed by radio checks. By 0730, I was strapped in and we were departing. It would be about an hour drive from Warhorse to Balad. The threat level was low. The convoy route required traversing Baqubah, a tributary of the Tigris, numerous villages, and Balad. The biggest concern was the major choke point at the river. The pre-war bridge was destroyed. This forced the convoy to utilize a temporary one-lane span. Only one vehicle could cross at a time. Each vehicle would travel at only 3mph upon crossing the bridge until everyone was across. Only then would the convoy resume normal march speed.
All in all, the convoy proved rather boring. That's a good thing. Although we encountered numerous vehicles and civilians, there was no sign of trouble at any time. The weather was beautiful. Visibility was excellent. I spent the ride more as a tourist. I snapped numerous photos and took a couple of videos. The crew of my humvee was very jovial. They joked and laughed the entire trip. I asked them a few questions regarding the presence of AQI (Al Quaeda Iraq) in their area. It seems the surge has routed AQI around here - as with almost every other location in the country. That makes for quiet convoys. At 0830 we rolled up on the north gate of LSAA. After all the vehicles reported to a rally point, my crew drove me over to Catfish Air. I had my old Admiral pick-up parked there. It was rather ironic that the truck was waiting on me to arrive by air. I thanked them for the ride. About 0900 I was back at my old hooch. I've only been here one night in the past 120 days. This will be my home for another twelve days before I leave to Kuwait for redeployment.
My final mission, the mission to FOB Warhorse, is complete. Going home is now number one on the priority list.
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