Update #6 - November 19th, 2005
-written a few weeks ago
Hello from “Camp Victory” Baghdad, Iraq
So we finally get the call to gear up and load the busses for the airport. Now the security level goes up a little. We went to this airfield called area 51… no joke! I thought it was funny only because I don’t remember seeing much of it. We were quickly driven to this secluded area where no one could come in and we couldn’t go out. We had a tent and Mr. Bob “portable johns.” 2hrs later we get word that our plane was ready for us. Once again we do a roster check and off we go once again on the bus to the airstrip. We stop directly behind this C130 military plane “unlike the comfortable civilian plane we flew into Kuwait ” and now we’re all loaded and ready to go. While the pilot is giving us our safety brief, I scan the plane paying special attention to the static lines used by paratroopers to open the shoots thinking, “there is no way I would ever jump out of this thing!” Hats off to all airborne rangers. As the pilot heads to the cockpit I quickly asked him what the in-flight movie was. “alive!” He replies “A movie about a plane crash where the survivors had to eat each other.” How is that for an answer? Some people around me didn’t like that too much... and up we went… Music blasting in my headphones didn’t keep me from hearing every little noise coming from the plane’s mechanics. I made the best of what I had. Looking around once again, I noticed that those who could sleep did, and those who couldn’t had that drained look. I wonder what they were thinking? 1hr into my ipod… oh yeah, I forgot to mention the very important brief the pilot gave us… so, one 1hr into my ipod, down goes the pl ane into a sharp nosedive. I purposely jumped off my seat while restrained by the belt, and floated in the air for about 2 to 3 seconds before the plane pulled back up and I slammed back onto my seat. The pressure from that move didn’t go well with my stomach. Now my ears feel like they’re going to explode and my eyes are ready to pop out of the socket. The pilot now decides to turn the plane sideways. I guess they do this drill once they cross into the hot zone. I’m telling you it was more enjoyable than it sounds, especially with headphones on. Finally we land. Single file we walk away from the plane passing by troops walking the opposite direction with smiles on their faces waving at us… A**holes! Guess where they were going? Welcome to BIAP! said the CPT. Grab your rucks and load the bus. Now we’re packed in this bus like sardines headed toward the other side of camp. The famous “Camp Victory” where troops battled and died not too long ago so I can be here, safe.
…And I thought Kuwait was nice. Kuwait was a cheap motel compared to Saddam’s old backyard. Literally, his back yard! Camp Victory south is where I slept. Right next to Saddam’s sons pool house now where a military store is located. I unloaded my stuff, grabbed a chair, a bottle of water and sat under a palm tree. That felt nice until the first explosion went off. I was later told that it was a controlled explosion and usually attacks on camp are small arms fire, “AK-47” which happens daily here during wake up hours. Not to worry, this place is heavily guarded.
Off to chow I go. I know I’ve been talking about food a lot lately but I can’t skip mentioning the massive selection of good, well prepared foods and snacks. Unbelievable! This place was packed with coalition forces and civilian contractors. After chow one group went off to the bus stop to go sight seeing and I headed back to the tents to do some maintenance on my eye lids. A few hours go by and they came back with some awesome pictures of Saddam’s palace now coalition headquarters and other beautiful sights. They say the pictures do no justice to this place. After a brief discussion on what they had seen, we began playing cards. For the next three days we ate, slept, and played cards until we found a ride to our final destination just north of Baghdad. I was in no rush to leave paradise.
Believe it or not, I’m still very safe here and in good health. Next stop… somewhere north of Baghdad.
Until next time, thank you for your continued support,
SGT Santana, Alexandre C.
Bco 181 Engineers
APO-AE09342
PS i'll be sending pictures soon...
Hello from “Camp Victory” Baghdad, Iraq
So we finally get the call to gear up and load the busses for the airport. Now the security level goes up a little. We went to this airfield called area 51… no joke! I thought it was funny only because I don’t remember seeing much of it. We were quickly driven to this secluded area where no one could come in and we couldn’t go out. We had a tent and Mr. Bob “portable johns.” 2hrs later we get word that our plane was ready for us. Once again we do a roster check and off we go once again on the bus to the airstrip. We stop directly behind this C130 military plane “unlike the comfortable civilian plane we flew into Kuwait ” and now we’re all loaded and ready to go. While the pilot is giving us our safety brief, I scan the plane paying special attention to the static lines used by paratroopers to open the shoots thinking, “there is no way I would ever jump out of this thing!” Hats off to all airborne rangers. As the pilot heads to the cockpit I quickly asked him what the in-flight movie was. “alive!” He replies “A movie about a plane crash where the survivors had to eat each other.” How is that for an answer? Some people around me didn’t like that too much... and up we went… Music blasting in my headphones didn’t keep me from hearing every little noise coming from the plane’s mechanics. I made the best of what I had. Looking around once again, I noticed that those who could sleep did, and those who couldn’t had that drained look. I wonder what they were thinking? 1hr into my ipod… oh yeah, I forgot to mention the very important brief the pilot gave us… so, one 1hr into my ipod, down goes the pl ane into a sharp nosedive. I purposely jumped off my seat while restrained by the belt, and floated in the air for about 2 to 3 seconds before the plane pulled back up and I slammed back onto my seat. The pressure from that move didn’t go well with my stomach. Now my ears feel like they’re going to explode and my eyes are ready to pop out of the socket. The pilot now decides to turn the plane sideways. I guess they do this drill once they cross into the hot zone. I’m telling you it was more enjoyable than it sounds, especially with headphones on. Finally we land. Single file we walk away from the plane passing by troops walking the opposite direction with smiles on their faces waving at us… A**holes! Guess where they were going? Welcome to BIAP! said the CPT. Grab your rucks and load the bus. Now we’re packed in this bus like sardines headed toward the other side of camp. The famous “Camp Victory” where troops battled and died not too long ago so I can be here, safe.
…And I thought Kuwait was nice. Kuwait was a cheap motel compared to Saddam’s old backyard. Literally, his back yard! Camp Victory south is where I slept. Right next to Saddam’s sons pool house now where a military store is located. I unloaded my stuff, grabbed a chair, a bottle of water and sat under a palm tree. That felt nice until the first explosion went off. I was later told that it was a controlled explosion and usually attacks on camp are small arms fire, “AK-47” which happens daily here during wake up hours. Not to worry, this place is heavily guarded.
Off to chow I go. I know I’ve been talking about food a lot lately but I can’t skip mentioning the massive selection of good, well prepared foods and snacks. Unbelievable! This place was packed with coalition forces and civilian contractors. After chow one group went off to the bus stop to go sight seeing and I headed back to the tents to do some maintenance on my eye lids. A few hours go by and they came back with some awesome pictures of Saddam’s palace now coalition headquarters and other beautiful sights. They say the pictures do no justice to this place. After a brief discussion on what they had seen, we began playing cards. For the next three days we ate, slept, and played cards until we found a ride to our final destination just north of Baghdad. I was in no rush to leave paradise.
Believe it or not, I’m still very safe here and in good health. Next stop… somewhere north of Baghdad.
Until next time, thank you for your continued support,
SGT Santana, Alexandre C.
Bco 181 Engineers
APO-AE09342
PS i'll be sending pictures soon...
posted by Alexandre Santana at 8:33 AM
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