Departing Bagram... BAF

[kimlangley7]

After 5 months here at Bagram [BAF] Afghanistan I'm "short" > down to one day and a wake-up... I'd like to thank my fellow Pelicans for just being Pelicans .. as I enjoy all the forums - 911 tech talk.. OT and even PARF..

Pinging Pelican over here is a touch of home - so to speak... and that's been good for me over here -

Additionally - I've been re-energized to get my 80 SC back on the road.. been in the garage way too long..

So >> no more midnight 107mm rocket attacks.. no more DFAC chow [which is Excellent - Fri night at North DFAC is steak and lobster!!] no more B-Huts... the Bazar at ECP-1.... the dust... the moon dust... the wind-driven dust!!!.... no more dodging MRAPs on Disney... man?? why would I want to leave??? It's been a good gig - but time to go home .. >> back to N VA...

thanks all .... kgl >> out

[widgeon13]

Safe travels and welcome home!! Thanks for doing the time.

What do you want most when you get home? No wait maybe you shouldn't answer that here.

[Jim Richards]

Glad to hear your so short. Get home safely! We've got heat & humidity here in the DC metro area. At least no dust!

[theFONZ]

I just got back from my forth Afghan deployment last week. It's good to leave and even better to get home.

[911_Dude]

Get home safe. I left there about 5 years ago. I dont miss it.

[cstreit]

Come home safe and thanks!

[fintstone]

God speed Col...and thank you for your service!

[JTO]

Thanks to you and the other Pelicans that have served and continue to serve.
Troy

[recycled sixtie]

Impressive! Welcome home.

[gt350mike]

Does BAF have a direct flight to Ali Al Salem or will you go through Kandahar? Regardless, I hope your return flights are safe an uneventful.

Btw, if you get a chance while you are in Ali Al Salem, have someone take you over to the USAF DFAC. It was a five-star DFAC (which isn't say much) compared to what we had and believe it or not, the USAF said it wasn't good enough.......whatever.

[FLYGEEZER]

Short timer...... haven't heard that phrase since I left Vietnam in 1968. Thank you for your service. Have a safe trip home & God bless.

[crustychief]

Congratulations on completing your deployment. Welcome back!

[Rikao4]

get home safe..

Rika

[Aggie93]

Thank you for your service (and everyone else) and godspeed.

[kimlangley7]

GTmike > I'm flying "DFS" airlines - a niche hauler > will fly from BAF to KAF to Dubai, UAE > decent aircraft primarily Airbus 300 series > I've done the Ali Al Salem thing before - I did a 8 month tour in Iraq in 2006.. got stranded in Ali... Al Udied. Qatar is another garden spot >> except that "the died" you can have 3 beers a night ..

all tolld - I've done 2 tours in Iraq - I was in the initial invasion in 2003 - USAR mobilized to active duty , then in 2006 another 8 month tour [intel/comms stuff] as a contractor... and now - 5 months in BAF as a govt guy.. more intel stuff... multiple shorter TDYs in-between..

I really need to get back > focus on my 80 SC > and get it running again - was OK when I put it to bed.. reading all you guys and how much fun you've had driving your 911's > I want that back.. I've ordered wevos - need to do the omega spring - had my speedo re-done by North Hollywood.... new heater duct hose SCEET from Aircraft Spruce.... I need to hear my SSI's and M&K sing to me again!!!!!! yeah baby >> "short"!!!

[Hugh R]

Thanks for your service, Sir. And welcome home.

[A930Rocket]

Thanks for serving and get back home safely!

[gt350mike]

Glad to hear someone made the decision to hire a charter to cover the flight from Afghanistan instead of using C-17s....better idea in every aspect.

I think the worst part of the "Freedom" flight returning home (if there is such a thing) was the layover in Germany. A crowd began forming in front of the beer cooler to include myself with happy thoughts of drinking a cold beer from the Motherland but the notion was quickly dismissed as all of us were reminded of General Order #1; consumption of an alcoholic beverage was prohibited. Although I've seen the commanding officer in other flights allow soldiers to have a beer or two, especially if they had a tough tour, but our CO didn't have the same mindset. I had to wait another 16 hours before sampling my first cold beer......good things are worth waiting for.

Again, hope you have a safe flight and you're able to enjoy some well deserved time off with your SC and of course, the family!

[Laneco]

Kim -

Watch your luggage when you hit dirt in Dubai. When Steve came home, all the guys had their luggage in one place - and each bag looks like the other - no tags on them yet as you aren't exactly flying commercial. Steve grabbed the wrong bag (as did at least one other person) and headed home.

When he got here, we opened it and it was obviously not his. It took us WEEKS to get the bag back to the owner. No tags! He had a journal in there and we reached out to him on facebook, etc trying to reach him. Finally made contact and got his bag back to him. The bad part is that this guy had EVERY bank account and password in his journal. Good thing for him that someone honest wound up with the bag. The airlines shipped it all the way back to him in Africa at no charge.

Stay safe and welcome home.

angela

[Hard-Deck]

Kim, be safe. God speed brother-in-arms.

Kim