Long and winding road

A group of soldiers was to fly out of here this morning at 0030 (half hour after midnight). To be ready to fly then, they assembled at 1800, did roll call, did a little bit of processing, and loaded their bags. The bags are stacked on a thin metal pallet, then secured with a web of nylon straps, so they don’t come loose during the flight. The soldiers leave here on Air Force C130s, and the palletizing is one of the ways they do business.

Well, the 0030 plane didn’t come. It broke down. So the soldiers waited. Another plane was to arrive at 1000. It did, but some other group got on it. So they waited. Another one was due at 1500. It got diverted. So they waited. While they wait, they have to stay in the terminal, because a plane can drop in at a moment’s notice, I guess.

One lieutenant here, going home for leave, encountered the usual delay. He didn’t want to hang around the terminal, so counting on the planned next arrival, he took off for a little while. He thought he’d be back in plenty of time. Of course, a plane came in early, and left without him. So everyone just stays in the terminal.

I saw one of the stranded soldiers in the chow line, and he looked tired and unshaven. He doubtless got virtually no sleep last night. How well do you sleep in an airline terminal? And, because the bags were palletized, they weren’t allowed to get to them. No access to his shaving kit, or a clean t-shirt.

It's surprising he was allowed to go to the chow hall. Last time I was in the terminal, we were allowed to help ourselves to MREs and bottled water they had available. His next chance at a flight must be a ways off. Still, he was philosophical. He's going home, if he ever gets on a plane.

I think the reason that flights are so unpredictable is that soldier transport is, must be, the lowest priority on the Air Force’s list. I’m not sure what else the big transport planes are being used for now that is so urgent (got to get that shipment of MREs to Pakistan TODAY, it can’t wait until tomorrow, they’ll go bad), but the unpredictability, from a soldier’s view, is impressive.