In Response

Okay, I will go in order per the comments posted on my last blog.

Susannah,
As you said it is a war so I can understand the worry. But I also know everything will be okay. As for the Airport, I would let you know the time, but to be honest, I am not even 100% sure on the date. April ninth is a tentative date, meaning it may be different. It will most likely be the ninth but I was told it could be a day or two later. I will know the date and time when I get my itinerary. That could be as soon as this weekend when I am on base for UTA, or it could be as late as a day or two before I go. Part of our Squadron deployed this last weekend (some on Saturday, some on Sunday) and the didn't get their itinerary until Thursday. That being said, I will gladly let people know when I do, but due to the short notice, I will understand if people can't make it, and just knowing you wanted to is good.

Alison,
My official job title is Air transportation. That means anything that that goes on or off an Air Force trasnsport plane (a cargo plane) goes through us. For example, people, basic cargo, mail, weapons, humvees, tanks even helicopters. And of course other things but you get the idea. Air Transportation is split up into a few different areas, but basically we prepair whatever is being trasported for transport, load and secure the load, and when it gets to its destination, unload, breakdown and make sure everything gets to it's intended recipient. As of right now, I am assigned to Cargo but more specifically Special Handeling when I get to Iraq. But that could change to give us experience in multiple areas.

Amy,
To be honest with you, being away from Marni and the kids is the hardest part about going, and I worry about that more than I do about any possible danger. When I first found out I was on the Alternate list we went through a processing line. Normally it is what you do jsut before deploying to make sure you have everything done in preperation for deployment, from paperwork to vaccinations. We did it just to see where we were, so we would know what else we needed to do before going, and to start our vaccinations. In that line I was told that we would be given 3 fifteen minute phone calls per week to talk to family. That is more than during basic, but still is not much time. It turns out that is the standard, or the general rule. Luckily because I am Air Force, and because I am in a job that keeps me on a base, the rule doesn't exactly apply. We will still be give our 3 fifteen minute calls, but as I mentioned before, we will also have internet access. So in addition to e-mail, I will be able to do video chats with them, as much as everyday. Although it does not take the place of being with them like now, it will definately make it a lot easier.

Safety in the Aerial Port!

I have found that most people's initial reaction when I say I am deploying is one of worry, or fear, or just basically it is looked at in a negative way. So I want to clear that up a little. I am not worried so I don't think anyone else should be either. After all I did volunteer.
As mom implied in her comment, even though I will be deploying to Iraq, I will be relatively safe while there.
My job in the Aerial Port means I will be on base working all the time. That means no roadside bombs or any of that stuff. The base itself is basically a "safe zone" as I heard someone else refer to it, which helps keep it safe and in turn us safe. On base we will have access to everything we need, from our housing to food, even a base gym and a BX, meaning we would not really have to leave base to get anything. And to answer moms question, we will also have access to internet, which means we can send and receive e-mail.
Of course there is a war going on, but those in my career field are pretty lucky as we have one of the safest jobs you can have in that environment.
I guess what I am saying is if you are worried about me getting shot or anything, you don't need to as it is very unlikely.
Let me know if you have any other questions or anything.

Sather

So when I officially got to my squadron in the November UTA (the weekend a month that I go in) we heard that the squadron would be deploying to Iraq in May. During formation that morning as a Captain came through inspecting us, he asked me if I was going to be going on the deployment. I told him I didn't know, and he said he would talk to be later. (he never did) However that did get me thinking, and talking to one of the new guys that was in tech school the same time as me. I basically decided that I would much rather volunteer to go than to be volun-told. So the other guy, Airman Broadhead asked about the chances of us going. We were basically told that new guys like us would never be selected to go as we had not on the job experience. Plus they were taking 40 people and already had something like 56 volunteers. Well later Broadhead was talking to one of the higher ranking Enlisted guys who happened to be in charge of the deployment. Broadhead decided to volunteer even though he was told there would be little chance of him going. So I talked to the guy a little and let him know I would much rather volunteer to go.

Well nothing really happened and I didn't really hear much more about it, Until January UTA when they came out with the list of the 40 that would be going. Of course I was not on it, however next to it was an alternate list, which was basically people that could go if someone dropped off the main list. Guess what, my name was on that one. I found out that Broadheads brother-in-law who is also in our squadron talked to some people and pulled some strings and got Broadhead on the list as he really want to go. I on the other had was still basically told that it could be possible for me to go but not really likely, because a few people would have to drop off the list before they would move me over. We were also told that as it was 100% volunteer at that point if anyone needed to pull their name off the list for any reason to let them know, whether on the alternate list or tha actual. I liked the idea of maybe going, and decided to leave my name on, at least long enough to talk to Marni about it. Which I did. Ofcourse she was not crazy about the idea of me maybe going to the desert for a few months and not being around this summer again, but supported me in it, and after talking for a while about it, even feels like me, that even though it would be hard to be apart, it would be good in a lot of ways too.

Well a little later in the month of January I got a call from my Commander. She said that they just got a call and the squadron would need to deploy the end of March rather than in May. She thought that the change may cause problems for some people planning to go and wanted to know if I would be able to go then if they needed me, especially if enough of the 40 dropped off. I told her I would and she said they would let me know.

Well come February UTA there were less people on the alternates list, but I still was. No one was dropping off and as time went on and as it got closer to the deployment I started thinking that I would not be going after all. But then in the middle of February I got another call saying I was on the "extreme hot list" to go and I needed to be there in a couple days for an extra UTA that was for additional training for those deploying.

As it turned out no one had really dropped off the list, but there were suppose to be 20 active duty people going with us and it was looking like 5 of them would not be able to go, so they wanted to give those slots to us, and they were going to give one of them to me. I got some pre-deployment training done, but some of it like the M-16 refresher course they would not let me do since I was not yet officially on the list. They figured by the end of that next week they would know, but a week past and nothing, then 2, at which time I was told that we may only be getting 2 or 3 slots but I would get one of them. Then another week past with no news so this last Monday I called Chief and was basically told that they still hadn't gotten the slots transfered to us, and since it was so close to time to go, it didn't look like it was going to happen. So I went from almost guarenteed a chance to go, to maybe having a 20% chance of going. This was Monday afternoon. Tuesday morning at about 7:30 am I was got a call from Chief and he told me that I was going. Basically the night before someone dropped off at last minute because of some family issues and they needed to get someone in the spot so they chose me. So today I had to go into base for the M-16 training as well as some other prep. Luckily I had done some of the deployment prep in hopes that I would be going, so i don't have too much to do to get caught up to everyone else, but I do have some, so I will be back down there tomorrow.

The good news is I am deploying, the bad news is I will be away from my family for a little while.
I will be going to Sather Air Base which is located in Bagdad and I will be there for about 4 months. I am tenativly scheduled to leave out of SLC on April 9th, but it could be a day or two after that. So if anyone would like to come out, I will let you know the exact day and time as it gets closer.

Sorry if this was really long, and hopefully I did not ramble too much. Feel free to let me know if you have any questions or anything.