26 hours later, troops land in a new world.
News Tribune.com
Tacoma, WA - September 29, 2006
Striker Troops from Washington, not our guys
This is not about our guys, it's about a "Striker Troop" from Washington state, but it's current and similar to the experience
Nathan described about his flight and arrival in Kuwait.
SEAN COCKERHAM; The News Tribune Published: September 20th, 2006
CAMP BUEHRING, KUWAIT – The glare of the sun is staggering, even with sunglasses. A sand moonscape stretches for
what seems forever. This camp, in the middle of nowhere about 20 miles from the Iraqi border, is the temporary home for about
50 Fort Lewis soldiers from the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division.
These troops left Washington on Sunday and in a few days will join the rest of the 4,000-member brigade that came to
Iraq in July. The latecomers might be newly assigned to the unit, or coming off an injury or illness or a training session.
They might have a special skill that brigade leaders decided they needed to reinforce.
Some are worried girlfriends won’t be there when they get back. Others are just glad to be done with the rules
and the bureaucracy of garrison life, where they can get hassled for being a day late on a haircut.
Some are itchy to finally put their training into practice.
“I just get to do my job,” said Staff Sgt. Curtis James of Tacoma, who took shrapnel in his eye from a rocket-propelled
grenade attack on his last Iraq tour with this Stryker brigade. “I’m good. I’m ready to go.”
The Stryker soldiers’ 26-hour trip into this desert oven began with a chartered commercial flight from McChord
Air Force Base.
There were stewardesses, hot towels and in-flight movies. It was almost like a normal flight.
Almost.
“Please stow body armor under the seat in front of you,” announced the captain before takeoff.
The soldiers were told not to bring cigarette lighters or bottled water on board. Some civilian travel rules were in
force, apparently, even for a plane of Iraq-bound troops.
“So we can bring our Stryker knives onto the plane but no lighters?” asked one soldier, brandishing a long
and nasty-looking Army blade.
Soldiers also packed on M-16s – unloaded – and many traveled with pistols strapped to their thighs.
The flight halfway across the world to the Middle East was a marathon, with the disorientation of jumping through so
many time zones. Kuwait is 10 hours ahead of Pacific Daylight Time. (or 8 hours ahead of Central Time)
This will be Walters’ first time in a combat zone. He said he’s confident his training will see him through.
“I know who to shoot and who not to shoot,” he said.
Teary-eyed wives and kids gripped the chain-link fence circling the McChord airfield, hoping for a final glimpse as the
soldiers boarded.
Five hours later the plane landed in Bangor, Maine, for refueling. It would be the last glimpse of America before Iraq,
and an enthusiastic receiving line of residents greeted the soldiers as they got off the plane.
Each soldier was met with applause, handshakes and warm thanks for their service. Several greeters told a reporter later
they remembered how badly soldiers were treated 30-plus years ago.
“Some of us are veterans of the Vietnam era and we can’t allow that to happen again,” said Dusty Fisher,
who drove out from Brewer, Maine.
The volunteers, many of them senior citizens, greet every flight coming or going from Iraq that passes through Bangor,
a common stopover to and from the war zone. The McChord flight was the fourth to come through Sunday.
Fisher’s day of welcoming soldiers at the airport started at 2 a.m. He expected to be there past midnight, having
taken a morning nap to keep going.
Lt. Jaime Breckenridge, 24, said he thought about the contrast with Vietnam at the Bangor airport.
“It was really nice that people come out and support us. Even if they don’t support the way of the war, they
support what we’re doing,” he said.
This will be the Tacoma resident’s first time in the Middle East. On the ground in Kuwait, he said Camp Buehring
is a good jumping-off point for Iraq. Soldiers can get used to the heat and sun, while still enjoying some comforts.
Tucked into nondescript trailers on the base are a Baskin Robbins, a Burger King, a Subway, a Pizza Hut – even
an espresso place that serves a pretty good mocha blended coffee.
On a large outdoor projection screen, soldiers watched the Jacksonville Jaguars shut out the Pittsburgh Steelers on “Monday
Night Football.”
“It’s not really as bad as I thought it would be,” Breckenridge said
