FOB Lagman at 2359 - Wednesday
The day began early for me. Sleep came easily last night, but the excitement of today could not possibly keep me under the covers beyond 0700. I rose quickly, showered, dressed for success, and went to our DFAC at FOB Smart to enjoy one last amazing breakfast. It was in fact amazing. DynCorp does a terrific job each and every day - all day long for us and it is greatly appreciated.
My departure time came and went at the helipad this morning and into the afternoon. Deteriorating weather conditions throughout southern Afghanistan delayed many flights, including mine. Another bird landed and in a weird turn of process, said they could only take unscheduled military and no unscheduled civilians. When all hope thereafter was nearly lost, my very late flight shows up in the mist and rain to carry me toward freedom. Talk about relief - and excitement.
As we hovered slowly away from FOB Smart the trees and landscape changed and Qalat itself grew small in my line of sight. I was by one of two open windows on the bird, so the rush of air felt divine and my worries began to fade. Ominous as rain clouds often are, we had those nearly surrounding us, but I presumed the pilots could fly beneath as they had to get there earlier. We ended flying throughout Zabul Province, some stops were planned and some were not. I landed at FOBs I had only heard of before and others I had been to during the course of this deployment. FOB Smart, FOB Lagman (three separate times), FOB Wolverine, FOB Apache, FOB Sweeney, FOB Bullard, FOB Mizan, and a couple other places I had never seen or heard of as i just mentioned.
So, in a twist of luck and fortune, I began to realize this while we circled for half an hour over several different FOBs, that my final scheduled flight out of Zabul Province turns out to be a farewell flight and whirlwind tour - which I had not taken before in such a way. So, even though we are rained in here three miles away from my old bed on my old FOB, I am stoked for the tour today. The rain completely abated any foul smells during this adventure and the dust was obviously on the ground after the rains began. Life can surprise us, even in wonderful ways, and this can occur even as we are being negative and feeling the pang of doubt or dread over something not happening just as we think it should. I let go of the worry about Kandahar, not without fretting of course, and was treated to something magical.
Okay, that was the air tour piece of the story. Now here is the incredible coincidence - or fate for those of you like me who appreciate fate as it were. We landed at FOB Apache, which is also about three miles, or less, away from FOB Smart. I had imagined on of my comrades, Hans Miller, a USACE employee who befriended me last September, and happens to be rotating home the same flights through Washington D.C. He did not get on the helicopter, but four others did. One man, an Army Lieutenant Colonel, came to sit right next to me. I unbuckled and moved to the right one so he would not have to climb over me. He buckled in, I buckled in, we smiled - that was it, right? Wrong! I asked him after we were back into the skies, "So, what do you do for the U.S. Army at FOB Apache?" LTC Tim Donavin replies, I am the 114 commander." Well, as it happens, my beloved nephew, Leyton Summerlin (we share the same name), is waiting at Kandahar as we speak to get to FOB Apache, for the 114, right next to where I have been living the last year. The commander and I chat about various construction projects ongoing in Zabul, most of them I had worked or and/or even managed. We talked about his different issues relating to needed projects and his frequent troop visits at our various FOBs in the province. I wrote my name down and my nephews (I only had to write them one actually; again, same name) and he said he would be looking forward to meeting his new troop. Well, for me it was meant to be - I think it so anyway.
I slept tonight from 2030 to 2330; the cot issued to me in the transient quarters (troop tent) was a little hard on my aging back and with no covers or blanket, the sleep was fleeting at best. I need to go back and try to get a few more winks.
143, Kaesen.
Good night and good day.
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