“The Last Journey” #4 Destination Afghanistan
Wednesday
28 July 2010, 2000 hours
In a C-5 Somewhere over Asia
Like most people living in the USA prior to 2001, I did not know very much about Afghanistan. But after the events of September 11, Afghanistan would take precedence in my mind and I determined that one day this combat photographer would have to go there. Who would have thought it would take me nearly nine years?
As I write this, I am in an Air Force C-5 heading to Kandahar, which oddly enough is not my primary destination. Kandahar is however, where I will touch ground for my first steps in a country where so much has changed all of our lives. It’s been a very long and complicated day and I am worn down beyond description.
The day started out once again stuck in Ramstein, Germany. It’s a daily ritual that one has to go to the Pax terminal at 0400 hrs and sign up for what is called the “present” list, meaning you are present that day to travel. My destination is Bagram Air Base. However, for the past several days, every flight that was headed to Bagram decided not to take passengers with one exception and on that flight I didn’t make the cut. Days are beginning to turn into weeks and the delays are costing me a severe amount of money.
Another layer of complication is that each day I have to book and prepay for my room at the Air Force Inn. This starts out by the front desk telling me, “no rooms are available” but somehow my luck holds and I’m able to get a room. The daily headache of lugging my belongings back forth for another failed departure wears me down.
Originally four birds were scheduled for Bagram this morning. By the time I got to the first roll call, that number had dropped to three. The first roll call was being delayed which is not uncommon, the movie Ground Hog Day could have easily taken place at the Pax terminal. Finally, I’m told by a civilian, who seemed in charge, that the flight I was trying to get on was not going to be taking passengers but an aircraft going into Kandahar was. Another option that at least gets me into country so I roll the dice before anymore time and money is wasted.
Now the real problem with this gamble was that once I made a decision to change destinations I would then immediately drop myself off the waiting list for Bagram; a crap shoot if the Kandahar flight fell through. So along with a guy who works at the Pentagon, also desperately trying to get to Bagram, I take my chances. We rushed our bags through, checked in, and got situated in the holding area. Sure enough everything comes to an immediate standstill. Adding insult to injury I find out the Bagram flight has ten open seats and then other folks get rushed through. I’m almost at the boiling point and this reeks of conspiracy. I feel like I’m really just a nobody in this big game of how to get from point A to point B. But somehow I make it happen and there’s always someone that helps me pull through.
So I’m thankful to finally be on this C-5 and believe this truly is my Last Journey. Iraq taught me how the system works one slow step at a time, it’s never easy. God only knows how I will get from Kandahar to Bagram and then from there to my first embed location. What I do know is this: I will be landing in Afghanistan and it took me nine years to get here.
Reporting,
Jim Spiri In The Stan
Candi, I love you and soon I’ll be home.
Donate money to keep Jim Spiri in Afghanistan!
All funds go directly to Jim Spiri. The more funds we raise, the more time Jim can remain abroad giving us an unvarnished look at our conflict in Afghanistan. All monies remaining in this account upon his return will be donated to Soldiers’ Angels. Not a single dime will be kept by Jim Spiri, Ranger Up, or Devil Dog Brew.
