09 March 2008: Back to the USA (beer included)

At 0039 our plane lifted off the runway. My deployment came to an end exactly 367 days after it began. Ironically, the plane flew directly over Iraq as it headed north. I had an incredible view of Baghdad. Camp Victory, Camp Taji, LSA Anaconda, COB Speicher - they all were clearly visible from our perspective. It seemed incredible to look down at the vast expanse below and know that I had visited so much of the place. Now I was getting the night time panoramic view as one last goodbye. Most of the people on my flight had already drifted off to sleep. They missed the view. I soaked it all in. I want to remember where I've been. It's been an incredible deployment.

Our first stop was Liepzig. Once again I found myself in the little terminal and gift shop. This would be the fourth time over the course of the last year. This time there was something different. The Freedom Bird had landed here before us and was still on the ground. As soon as we walked into the terminal we noticed the FB passengers were indulging in beers from the gift shop. We didn't waste any time. I had my first beer since R&R. It was a Ur-Krostitzer Pilsner. I savored every sip. I found two of the soldiers from my team and advised them of the beer availability. They wasted no time. Soon they were drinking Becks. We weren't on the ground long so there wasn't time for another. However, it was a heavenly moment that helped us believe it was finally over.

After departing Liepzig the plane zoomed westward. Our next fueling stop would be Bangor, Maine. I slept almost the entire leg. When I awoke I found an unending sea of ice below us. As far as the eye could see were glaciers. We must've flown over these ice fields for two hours or more. It was awesome. Finally we descended through the clouds to find a winter wonderland below - Maine. We were in the United States. Most everyone cheered as the plane touched down in Bangor. It was 0630 local time. A big contingent of veterans from the local VFW and USO formed a greeting line to welcome us home. We shook hands with every single one of them as we entered the terminal. Then we all dispersed to various places in the terminal to make phone calls, drink coffee, order breakfast, or whatever else. I went to the snack bar to find my two soldiers drinking Coronas. I ordered a coffee and three more Coronas (one for each of us). It was 0730 and I had the breakfast of champions - beer and coffee. We did it because we could. Then we ate real eggs. There was still one more leg to our flight. At 0800 we boarded and took off to Gulfport, MS.

We landed in Gulfport at 1230 local time. Two big buses were there to pick up my unit. After we retrieved our bags we loaded up. Then we were on our way back to Camp Shelby. It took about an hour and a half to get there. The last time we came to Camp Shelby it was prior to deploying. We went there for mobilization and pre-deployment training. It wasn't a good experience. This time was different. Camp Shelby represents freedom. We'll only be there a few days. Drinking is authorized. We'll spend a few days to demobilize. Then everyone will go home. Even Camp Shelby is a bearable place when it means going home.

Unlike a year ago when I was housed in an open-bay cinder block barracks, I've been assigned a VIP room. It's the equivalent of a decent hotel room. It might as well be the Taj Mahal. FOB Hammer isn't that distant a memory to me. I took a long hot shower. I also ate a real cheeseburger - heavenly. I feel my body beginning to relax. I can smell home.