Day 200

12:30am and the alarm goes off. Why? It's time to get back on the Yellow Brick Road and put Oz in my rear view mirror. By this time, I was totally packed and had cleaned my room yet again so I'd leave it in perfect condition for the next person. The admin guy in my office met me at 1am and we were off to the terminal to meet a few other fellow sailors and found out right away, that the flight wouldn't be taking off for about 4 or 5 more hours. But, where else were we to go?! I had tried to sleep in my room but I swear, I was like a kid on Christmas Eve...not too much sleep at all. So, a lot of sitting around, palletizing all of our seabags and gear for the trip aboard the C-17, and a little catnap. Eventually, the call came and we were on a bus and rolling across the flightline to a waiting C-17...my chariot out of Afghanistan...finally.

After a short wait as cargo was loaded, we walked aboard and found our seats along the outer walls facing in. As I sat there, I still hadn't yet decided what song I wanted to listen to as the wheels left the earth. I finally decided on Toby Keith's "American Soldier." Yea, I'm a sailor but it still applies. So, as the engines fired up and we started to roll, I cranked it up and silently inserted "sailor" in the place of "soldier" in the song and heck, it worked! I could feel the wheels leave the tarmac and as they did, I snapped a screen shot of my phone just to prove it...precisely at 6:12am local time I left Afghanistan...hopefully, forever. For the next hour or so, I switched the tunes to Passion 2011. I was just in one of those worship kind of moods.

We climbed and climbed quick. I had watched countless C-17s take off from our airfield and always dreamed of being on one so I knew exactly what we looked like from the ground and how it has to climb fast to clear the mountains that surround the airfield. Oh yea, now that Afghanistan is in my past, I can tell you where I was: Bagram Air Field. It is the major airfield for the entire country and boasts over 40,000 in population, of which barely 15,000 are U.S. military. Tons and tons of contractors from around the world and local nationals working on base. Anyway, I tried to sleep and did just a few times but I always did it in a way that my neck was killing me. I just couldn't get comfortable in my First Class accommodations! About an hour into the flight, I stood up and walked over to the tiny 6" peephole and snapped this photo of what I saw. Not much but still kinda cool. After a few hours, we arrived in Kuwait...stop #1. We could feel the heat as soon as we touched down. At elevation in C-17, it was cold and we all had our jackets on. Quickly, those were all shed as the heat poured into the wide open space of the C-17. We boarded a bus and headed on over to the holding camp where we needed to catch the 2hr shuttle to the Navy's camp where they welcome us back, take our weapon and gear, and give us much-needed "decompression" time.

Well, we missed the shuttle by about 15 minutes. It was 9:15am local...we picked up 1 1/2  hours from Afghanistan and now we're 7hrs ahead of the East Coast vs. 8 1/2. The next shuttle? 6:30pm! ugh... But, just like the Navy has been doing great for us, they did it again. They rounded  up two Suburbans and we overstuffed them with people and gear and made the trek immediately. Interesting trip, too. I'm so used to going no faster than 15mph on base that doing 90mph took a little bit getting used to. No speed limits and wide open highways. It also felt really weird to be in a normal vehicle...on a highway, and not be worried about a rocket attack or small arms fire. We were no longer in a war zone but our minds have been for so many months so it just took a little bit getting used to. Once at the base, we had our weapons taken immediately and briefed about what was going to happen. But first, this is what I walked into and you know what they say about first impressions:

Bottom line from their commander: "Your job here is to relax and rest. Nothing more." OK!! We don't even have to wear a uniform anymore. Anything is acceptable. In fact, I'm wearing running shorts and my red tech tee from the Air Force Marathon back on September 17th. AND, no weapon strapped to my leg!!! WOO HOO!!!! So I got my rack made up with linens they provided and spent the day just doing this, that, and the other. I did two loads of laundry (amazing how good that felt...to do my own laundry....yea, I know I'm a bit off my rocker but I enjoyed it!), sent some e-mails, rested a bit, walked around a bit, and even ran into a fellow Supply Officer friend of mine who I used to serve with. Small world! He's going to give me the tour of the base tomorrow.

So friends and supporters...it's Day 200 and I'm on my way home. I really couldn't be happier. It's hard to even tell you how it feels inside because even I don't really know. I'm happy to be heading home...yes. I'm humbled by the unbelievable outpouring of support from SO many people. I cannot wait to hold my family in my arms....of course! Still, though...I don't think it's truly hit me. I think that "hit" will start when I board the plane for the United States after my time here concludes and I finally set foot on U.S. soil and then arrive back in "Kansas." It's going to be like a slow IV drip of medication flowing into my body called "Coming Home." For now, though...I've had practically no sleep since I woke up at 5am on the morning of Day 199 so I must get a shower and get to my temporary rack inside of a very old, green, Army tent in this desert called Kuwait. I will sleep like a baby tonight and will enjoy no F-15s taking off and no incoming rockets by the Taliban. Tomorrow? Weapons cleaning and lots of "decompression" time.

Goodnight, everyone.