DAY 54: Let’s do the Charleston

Wed, 19 October 2005

0400L – again. This time, it’s just me and I make the call back to base. We’re informed of a 1200L showtime. So, I leave a note on my door and let the folks sleep in. I doze back off and then head for breakfast around 0700L. This hotel is absolutely wonderful. Just as our dinner two nights ago was superb, so was breakfast with both European-styled continental breakfast along with an American-style eggs and sausage/bacon breakfast. I naturally opt for the second version and we all enjoy a leisure breakfast and good conversation. I wish I could tell you more about some of the emergency leave pax – interesting life stories, but their jobs are classified because of the special operations mission.

Past American Icons
The hotel is comprised of several buildings that sit in a complex. I journey outside and soon discover that a mural decorates an end of each building. Each mural was beautifully painted in 2003 and portrays a past American Icon. First one up is Jayne Mansfield. Wow, she is literally spilling out of her bra – those naughty Germans! I walk around and find others including Marilyn Monroe, Neil Armstrong and Ronald Reagan. Interesting collection of building art celebrating our past American culture.

Plans G, H, I, J
Just as plans change, our departure time here has changed seven times. The aircrew that we thought we had lost appears at our hotel and informs us that they will be flying – but there’s a delay. I call back to the base and find out otherwise. Back and forth we go, until I’m informed that we should board the shuttle I had arranged earlier. We pick up some lunch at Subway and Taco Bell and head for the pax terminal. It’s official – the aircrew changed our mission itinerary and we are now heading for Charleston AFB first. I inform the emergency leave pax of the change – it would be best to get off here since Charleston Intl Airport would be just across the runway and they could get flights to their final destinations (Omaha, Austin, Fayetteville, NC). About 1-1/2 hours later, we board the aircraft and – voila – we finally takeoff.

Charleston AFB
When we land at Charleston AFB, things are not looking good. First, there was a miscommunication on putting an aircrew into crew rest to take over this plane during the refueling stop and fly us onward to the Moffett Field. Second, we are informed that it could take DAYS before a new mission is cut for us. Third, we now have to download the entire cargo and change planes. Okay, the chief’s and my blood pressure just zoomed – we contact all parties involved and give them a piece of our mind regarding this poor execution that is screwing up our dedicated mission and pushing numerous delays into this itinerary. Not much use – the system is too big and complex to maneuver at our level, so we depart and bed down for the night at a hotel a few miles off base and cap the night at the local Waffle House.