Thinking Out of the Box

Woohoo! The first leg of the homeward journey is complete. Well, the first three legs if you count all the take-offs and landings today. But as the sun sets I find myself in Kuwait, after having bid goodbye to Iraq for the last time.

One of the local "slang" terms in the military for Iraq is "the sandbox". Even though there's plenty of sand here, it isn't "in the box" and is, therefore, a bit more relaxed.

Coincidentally, our aircraft stopped briefly at Baghdad on its way here, and the last time my feet were on Iraqi soil (concrete, actually) were very close to the first place that I set foot in the country over nine months ago. Back then I had no idea what I was getting in to. It was quite a different feeling having all the experiences behind me as I headed the other direction.

Now that I really have no possible way of checking my work email or helping my replacement out, it's safe to get my mind off the war and back toward getting home. I won't have much to do for the next two days other than watch TV, read, eat, sleep, and repeat. Well, that and 8 days' worth of laundry.

Homeward Bound

If all goes according to plan, this should be my last post from Iraq. Although I tried to sneak out today, first on a scheduled flight, and later by Space-A, things didn't work out. For having the entire day "off" I sure don't feel like I rested. In order to try to go Space-A, I had to wake up at 4am just to sign up for a flight. When I did finally wake up, and headed off to shower, I returned to find my room locked (with my key inside) and my roommate/replacement off on a 5-mile run. Various attempts to get a backup key failed until he returned. By the time I finished packing and had lunch, it was time to go up to the terminal to try to catch a flight. By the time I got back from that failed attempt, it was dinner time. Only now, in the evening, do I have some time to kick back. Well, at least I'm not complaining about being bored in Kuwait!

Several readers have been leaving comments recently on how much they've enjoyed reading over the last year. Thank you all for the kind words. It has been a fun part of my routine and a great way of helping the time go by. I do hope you've found some other great blogs, including some of the newly arrived folks, that you'll enjoy reading. As for the Desert Periscope, I expect to end this particular journal when I return home. I'm still deciding whether to start another blog (and on what subject) or fade back into the void of cyberspace. Suggestions are welcome!

As a final note, during my 4 years at the Naval Academy, I had a tradition of playing Simon and Garfunkel's song "Homeward Bound" the day before I returned for leave. It's appropriate now as I begin my journey back to home and family, and I've got the mp3 playing as I conclude this post.

"Homeward bound
I wish I was
Homeward bound
Home, where my thoughts escaping
Home, where my musics playing
Home, where my love lies waiting
Silently for me"

Persona Non Grata

One of the most common quotes I heard today was "Why are you still here?"  Apparently after a grandiose ceremony this morning where my commander gave me an award and I made a nice little farewell speech, people are surprised to see me coming in the office occasionally.  I did have a few final things to do, and am addicted to checking my work email just in case someone hasn't gotten the word that I've been replaced.

 

I did spend a good portion of the day waiting in line at the post office, having completed the second of the two categories of packing.  I'm taking advantage of free postage from APO boxes to FPO boxes, sending a footlocker of stuff to one of my friends who is the Executive Officer on a ship in San Diego.  (He was my roommate during my deployment two years ago, for those who remember those emails!)  I'll be visiting there within a week of going home and can just pick it up then.  It's all unimportant stuff, and saved me about $40 in shipping!

 

Originally I was supposed to fly out tomorrow, but that flight was cancelled.  Fortunately for me, I expected that cancellation and have booked backup flights the next two days.  So I'll hang out tomorrow with absolutely nothing to do.  Well, except make the final packing decision on what to carry home and what to leave here in Iraq, to my replacement's benefit (although he'll have to put up with a roommate for one more day).

Getting Short

You know you’re getting really short when people start saying their goodbyes “in case I don’t see you again”.  And in fact, I am down to one final (long) meeting before all my duties here are done.  Again, the farewell is bittersweet.  I’m reluctant to leave an assignment with such great job satisfaction, but boy am I excited to be going home to my family again.

 

I’m working through all the various checklists of things I need to do, to make my transfer smooth and keep me busy, and am organizing my things into four groups:  turn in to the Army, mail home, carry home, and abandon in place.  So far I’ve got part 1 packed, and need to get working on the others.

Right Seat/Left Seat

In the standard Army Relief In Place/Transfer Of Authority (RIP/TOA) process, they generally refer to two phases, "Right Seat" and "Left Seat" rides.  The analogy would be driving training.  You spend the first portion of the turnover process in the right seat, observing the more experienced person in the left (driver's) seat.  Then, about halfway through, you switch places.  The new person takes over in the left seat, with the more experienced person available in the right seat for some last-minute mentoring before departing.

 

I'm about halfway through my own turnover process with my replacement, and we executed our equivalent of the Right Seat/Left Seat swap today, as we moved files back and forth between our computer systems and he took over my desk (and my seat).  I'm now relegated to "guest" status in my own office, and have to reluctantly sit back and let him take charge of what was, up until now, my job.  Daily routines really get drilled into you over here (the only sane way to pass the time) so it takes a real mental effort to step back away from them.  But time marches inevitably forward, and it's time to let someone else have the fun and immense job satisfaction that I've had for nearly a year.

Airing My Dirty Laundry

No, I'm not about to disclose any dirty secrets, or whatever the subject line is supposed to mean.  It's meant more literally.

 

This week is a series of lasts, and today was my last chance to turn in my laundry, which is collected between 9 and 9:50am on certain mornings.  Except that this morning, for some inexplicable reason, they decided to collect it at 8:50am.  So when I went to drop off my dirty duds shortly after 9, I had missed the deadline.  So I now have an increasing pile of dirty clothes to carry around with me to Kuwait.

 

But even if I never had the chance to launder anything again until I got home, I think I'd still be happy.  Now that my return is a virtual certainty, it's very hard to disappoint me with anything.  Even very bad internet connectivity and a very busy schedule as I turn over with my replacement (poor excuse for lack of a post yesterday, I know.)

Grin and Grip

Every time my officer in charge sent out an update of the schedule showing who would go home when, it was accompanied by a caveat, "Subject to immediate and violent change without notice," as well as a warning not to be too excited about going home until you were shaking hands with your relief.

 

I haven't quite made that handshake yet, but my replacement is on an airplane as we speak, and before the night is out, I expect to be making that important handshake that really locks in the certainty of my imminent return home.  I am, of course, in a great mood and looking forward to a busy week of turning things over to him, as well as packing my bags.  Soon... so very soon.