Ali Al Salem Air Base

Rick called this morning about 6:45 and told me to get my bags together. He told me we were going to try to go to Ali today for Military Air transport to Baghdad. It seems my old orders are good enough until September 1 . So here I am in the outrageous heat, it must have been 120 today. This picture is the transit tents at ali. They have 8 bunk beds to a tent. It was kind of dusty inside, but a place to crash while waiting for your flight. I hope to get out tonight after Midnight to Baghdad. Wish me luck because I will need it to get out of here tonight.

Yet another day in the Kuwaiti sun

We did a little site seeing today. The DRS guys took us by the Kuwaiti towers for some Jet Sking. It was nice and hot, the sand was nuclear. I saw lots of bait fish and mullet cruising around. Check out my pictures I have a hard life in Kuwait. Today, I thought it was my last day in Kuwait City and I was off to Ali Al Salem. Well, it seems I don't have the new type of orders and the military is requiring them starting today. So no love for me and going to Baghdad. If this keeps up I will have to rename my blog. I emailed my PM today about my situation. I asked to fly commercial to Baghdad and they said to talk to Rick. Breakfast tomorrow at 0700 and we will see what tomorrow brings.

What was lost in now found

Well,my luggage showed up today. Rick took me over to the Kuwait airport's cargo dock and low and behold my luggage was there. That was early in the morning and then we went to shopping for Rick's fiances family gift. We went to the Friday market over by Lu Lu's Hyper Market. Its was a huge outdoor flea market and it was Kuwaiti hot. They also have a livestock selling area and we checked that out for awhile. Then it was back to the DRS apartments and time for a pool break. I am going onto my next adventure, which is Ali Al Salem airbase and getting a military air flight to Baghdad. Once you get to Ali Al Salem you turn in your passport to be stamped out of the country. Of course, this is Kuwait so u wait for up the 48 hours for that. I am hoping I won't be there that long. While you wait you get a cot at transit tent which from what I hear is filthy dirty. One of the guys here said to go to the PX and buy some linen to throw over the dirt. Well tomorrow we get to do some site seeing before going to Ali.

Ground Hog Day

This is just another ground hog day still awaiting luggage in Kuwait.

Houston we have a problem

Well today I received one bag and it is my clothes bag. The bag that is still missing is my Kevlar, body armor and my boots. I am to call at 5:00 PM and see if my other bag is on the next flight. Well I called Kuwaiti Air and they don't know where my bag is. Tomorrow is groundhog day and we do it all over again. I think I will go to the Kuwait airline office and see if anyone there can help. Note to self "Don't Fly Kuwaiti Air"

The DRS apartments are full tonight with everyone leaving at 800 in the morning to go to Ali Al Salem airbase.

I have a Baggage problem

Well I went to the Kuwait Airport today at 15:00 to try and get my luggage. I have a luggage report on my missing bags. Kuwait airlines says my bags are coming in on the 7:45 flight from JFK. At 9:00 they said they have one bag and I can claim it at cargo on Monday morning between 9 and 10. So tomorrow's adventure is claiming my one bag and I am hoping its my clothes and such. If not I am going shopping tomorrow. What ever money Intecon saved on me going Kuwait Airlines they will lose now with me being in Kuwait for three days.

Flight into Kuwait

I decided to start a blog about my year working in Iraq. I left CRC Fort Benning on August 22nd and drove to Atlanta and flew to JFK in New York. Well, our plane was late leaving Atlanta and once arriving in JFK I was running around trying to find Kuwait Airlines. Kuwait airlines don’t really give seats or gate information; you get to figure it out when you get there. My ticket from Delta said seat assigned at gate, which was not correct. You have to go to another terminal go to the ticket counter and get a paper ticket. Then it’s back though security and to the gate. I make the flight in a lather and counted my blessings. I get on the Plane and I am next to the window. A man sitting in my row asks me if I could swap seats with a aisle seat in the front next to the bulkhead. I agreed and sat in the baby row, the bulkhead is used for baby beds in flight. I had babies on both sides but I could stretch my feet out in the aisle. I was happy to get this seat. I put on my noise reducing head phones and mp3 and slept. I arrived at 4:00 pm Kuwait time and no surprise my luggage did not make it. I filled out the missing luggage report and Andy from DRS picked me up and took me to the DRS apartments. The DRS apartments are very nice. The DRS guys took me to a Lebanese Restaurant and we heard stories of the Jersey shore all night. Andy says he knows my friend Doug Verduin from Jersey. Today’s adventure is getting my luggage from the Kuwait Airport. Check out the rest of my pictures at http://picasaweb.google.com/aubuchonz I am out ya'll.