Transit

On 13 July, I finally left Gateway aboard a bus that took me, and an assortment of soldiers and civilians, to Kuwait International Airport. We all were dressed in civilian clothes by this point in an attempt to blend in (we still stood out from the crowd, believe me).

From Kuwait, I boarded a commercial flight to Frankfurt, and then to Chicago, and then to St. Louis and my ultimate destination, Scott Air Force Base. It was a long and uneventful journey. At the end of it, I found myself back on US soil.

There is a lot of truth to the saying that nothing makes you appreciate your country more than spending time away from it. I believe that truism is magnified even more if one serves in a war abroad. I marveled at the sheer normality of people moving to and fro at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago. You don’t know what you have here, I thought to myself, watching those around me. At my gate, I heard people grumbling about a flight that was delayed a whole half hour! Remembering my experience at BIAP, I chuckled to myself quietly. You have no idea, I thought to myself, listening to them.

It’s good be in the United States for the next ten days. Home.