5 Feb 10, 0800L Ramstein Air Base, Germany: I got stuck at Ramstein, which is a good place to get stuck, if you’re going to get stuck. The Base Exchange (BX) here is the largest BX in the world—it is actually a mall, rather than a store. Billeting was a 5 star event as well. I got to spend about 12 hours in a room and got 7 hours of solid sleep. That’s good; considering I only had 5 hours of fitful sleep on a KC-10 ride (over the pond) since the morning of 3 Feb. The ride over the pond was pretty good. There were Inspectors on board so the load masters were really attentive to their passengersJ.
It was looking like I would have to spend 3 days at Ramstein, and then fate intervened. The Air Force sent a C-17 up to Ramstein from the sandbox for an emergency medical evacuation and I was able to get on for a ride down range. I am extremely grateful for this ride, because I want to be where I am supposed to be—in Kuwait, doing the job they sent me for—not luxuriating and a 5 star room and eating bon-bons.
I’ve got to admit—when my Chief first told me about this flight I was bummed. I had just checked into my room and I was looking forward to a long sleep. Instead I had to set my alarm for 0-dark-30. As I set my alarm, I was wishing that I hadn’t given him my room number! That thought didn’t last long however.
As I boarded the C-17, I contemplated what the Air Force is doing sending a whole C-17 for one person? This person must have been important, or they wouldn’t have done that. The load master told me that they were sitting on the ground in Al Udeid with a full load of cargo and just a few minutes from take off to Lord only knows where when they got the call. They had to download the cargo and dump the passengers so they could go get this one guy and bring him to the hospital in Germany. So, who was he? No one knows. No one cares. All that matters is that we will not leave our soldiers on the battlefield. He could be the lowest ranking guy in the military, and will drop everything and go get him. That is the difference between us and our enemy. That is the value that we, the American Military, adhere too without question, and it makes all the difference in the world for those passengers that got dropped like a hot potato off this mission.
This was a good reminder for me…as I got dropped like a hot potato off of at least three different flights yesterday. Yesterday, I couldn’t help but think…why can’t you just “book” me--like the commercial airliners do--so I can get a room and luxuriate? We are the Air Force; can’t we do better than this? Instead, I had to hang out in the passenger terminal and haunt the passenger service representatives, looking for a flight—any flight—just as long as it is south. After 12 hours of hanging out, mostly in the USO lounge, I ran out of options for the day and went and got a room and reveled in my luck to get “stuck” here. Then my Chief called…like I said, I shouldn’t have given him my number…
Any way, it is too bad some guy had to get hurt for me to get on with the next leg of my journey. I will have a couple more legs after that, so this tale isn’t over yet.
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