Prep For Departure

When someone's deployment ends and they get to go home, we say they've "redeployed." It's a funny word, redeployed. Sounds like they're deploying again... and nobody wants that. I think going home should be referred to as getting "undeployed." That just sounds so much better. Or maybe de-deployed.

Whatever it's called, there's a lot of uncertainty about the redeployment process. Most of the arrangments (flights, etc) are made at the last minute. It's not like they didn't know 6 months ago that I'd be going home on the 12th, but they wait until the 7th to actually book anything.

And of course there are lots of pieces to the redeployment puzzle - a ground movement from HQ to the Kabul airport, compliments of the MOVECON office. Then a flight from there to Manas - maybe with a stop somewhere else inbetween, unless you luck out and get a direct flight. And once you hit Manas, it's time to hang around a while until a flight opens up to take you back to the states... with who knows how many stops in between.

As I understand it, flights out of Manas get announced at 10pm each night - be there to get the scoop, then either grab your bags and get ready to check in (for a departure at some ungodly hour), or go to bed and try again the next day.

I didn't bring a cellphone with me ('cause it wouldn't have worked over here), so coordinating details with the family while I'm enroute will be interesting. Thank goodness for the google voice option on gmail. I'll call from my laptop when I hit Turkey, Germany, Ireland or wherever else I have a stopover. But once I hit the States, I'll just walk through the gate and hope the arrival time was close to what was advertised. And then I'm pretty sure I'll cry like a baby to be back in the USA and hugging my wife and kids again.

After that, I think I want to go to Wendy's for a cheeseburger.