Friday, January 13, 2006

God Speed Renegades

When you live at one end or the other of Bagram Airfield, you are awakened at some very odd hours by the noise of various and sundry aircraft conducting maintenance runs on their engines, pre-flight checks, or most notably, C-17s performing a short field take-off (consisting of running all the engines to full power while standing on the brakes) or reversing their engines in order to stop before over running the end of the runway and drifting into a minefield.  Regardless of the aircraft or the procedure, it takes a little while to get used to all the noise and develop the ability to sleep through it.  We used to find it very irritating and were thoroughly convinced that both the Air Force and the Marines intentionally scheduled their flight times more around the sleeping times of soldiers rather than those requisite to mission support.

 

This morning though, at roughly 0045 Dublin Pub Time, as we were vainly trying to squeeze out those last few Zs, I heard the rumble of a C-17 running up it's engines then felt the slight tremble of Stalag 17 as the behemoth aircraft lumbered off Afghan soil and pointed itself in the direction of the Hindu Kush.  Even though I was now fully awake and had abandoned all thoughts of the snooze button, I find myself smiling rather than cursing the Evil Flight Planing Voo-Doo Witchdoctor because I knew that the 1st contingent of our battalion was on it's way back home.  It will still take a few days and there will be multiple legs to their trip, but the Renegades of the  26th Quartermaster Company have completed their roatation and have headed home albeit with a couple of hitchhikers most notably, SPOXO Minor, Jeff Knight.

 

I apologize again for the posts becoming fewer and further between, but aside from handing off our mission to our successors, cleaning up quarters, mailing excess baggage, and trying to retain some semblance of mission focus there has been very little to write about.

 

This is an exciting time though.  We have weathered the difficult separation from family and friends through the Christmas holidays and now there is an air of anticipation.  We are beginning to feel like school kids cleaning out their lockers and waiting for the final bell before summer vacation.

 

I'm not sure how many more posts I am going to find the time to write before I leave Afghnistan in the rear-view mirror so I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the readers who have stuck with us through this past year.  Thank you for all the thoughts and prayers, for the care packages and cards, and for all the kind comments.  All these things have meant the world to us over the past year and I can't thank you enough.

 

I hope to have a few more posts up over the next few weeks, but in the event that I don't, I hope everyone will be understanding if the next post you read here is written under the influence of German beer.

 

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Enjoy your return and that first of many beers you and your fellow soldiers have earned them. Thank you for your service.

Dave

Anonymous said...

I hope you're so drunk we don't understand a word you write! Congratulations on your return home. I, too, thank you for your service to our country.

David M said...

Here's to a safe and wonderful home coming!

Thank you for all you have done and for your service to our country.

devildog6771 said...

Firepower,
I am truly going to miss your blog. But, more importantly, I am so glad you and your fellow soldiers are heading home. Thank you for your service and please pass along my thanks to the rest of your buds. You have all made us proud. I pray for those of your unit that will not be making that trip and their families. Their spirit will be there and they will never be forgotten. God Bless you all. Semper Fi! Have a beer for me too!

Anonymous said...

Sir,
The double-digit-midget status is a great thing. We here at Salerno have enjoyed your writing and will also be looking forward to tipping back a hefeweizen and buying one for you if we ever run into each other in deustchland.

CWO Frazee

Anonymous said...

I am so happy for you. I will miss your blog sooo much.
Thank you with all my heart for serving our country.Thank you for touching our lives in a special way with your blog and being you.

trejrco said...

Godspeed, indeed!


/TJ

Anonymous said...

I wish I had found your blog before today. I was looking for news of my son (PFC Smith)coming home from Afghanistan. As I was surfing I got a call from him saying he is safe and back on Germany soil. It's been a long year for this mom. I can hardly wait for leave and a never ending hug from my son.

God Bless You Firepower
Hope you are home safe very soon

Anonymous said...

Thank you for all you've done over there and for keeping us informed through your blog. Have a safe trip home, enjoy your many beers in Germany and if I ever make it to the Buck Snort I hope to be able to buy you a beer or two.