A Journal for the Journey

As some of you know I am currently deployed to Iraq with the National Guard.  When we left the USA I finally committed to writing a daily journal.  The purpose behind it was for me and Wifey to keep track of the smaller things that happen in our days.  This way we can share our stories when we finally return to each other.  I am a little more of a public person then Wifey so I want to post the journal on my website.  Due to security concerns the posts will obviously be behind and some details will be omitted.  There is enough detail to connect day to day and get a picture of what I am doing without risking anybody's safety.  So with that said, the journal starts on 5 APRIL 2018, the day we left Ft. Bliss for the Middle East.

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5 APR 2018

ay one. Wheels up and leaving the country. What a weird feeling it is to know you won't be back in the USA for 9+ months. That's a long time. But here is the thing, it wasn't as tough emotionally as when we left Charlotte for Texas. I remember longingly gazing out the plane window thinking about the long trip ahead. This time I just thought about how different things will be.
The flight left in the afternoon. It was a pretty big plane for a company sized element. Lots of room to spread out. After a couple hour flight we landed in NC, our home state. What a tease that was for all of us. But I tell you, stepping off that plane I took a giant whif of that pine air. It felt oddly satisfying to get one more breathe of some humid piney air. While we were there some of the soldiers had family come out for one last good bye. Some, like me, ordered that one last pizza.
We landed in NC to refuel and pickup another unit.  We waited in the terminal area for 3 hours while they refueled and gathered the new soldiers. Something went awry with the loading of the new soldiers and their bags. We walked out to the flight line, stood for 30ish minutes and then got turned around and sent back to the terminal. We walked back to the terminal and waited for another hour.  Finally we got the green light to board. After a short time and some introductions to our new passengers it was wheels up and the beginning to another day.