TRANSIT AND ARRIVAL, CAMP VIRGINIA - KUWAIT

Greetings everyone! After we gathered our things from the barracks, we sped off to the Columbia Airport for our flight to Kuwait. As soon as we stepped off the bus, we were greeted by a whole bunch of VFW folks and other Veterans, waving the flag and shaking our hands. On a Friday night, when these folks could be with their families, they take the time to say thank you. They ask about what we'll do when we get out there, how our families are doing, and then give each of us a box of Girl Scout cookies....

Damn, I love this country!

As we line up to get on the plane, the Vets do as well, and meet us to shake our hands one more time. They wish us God-speed, and tell us to "keep your head down!" Our Drill Instructors, who have taken us through this transition, meet us just before we board the plane, give us a hearty "HUAH!!", and wish us well.

What a great way to end this chapter.

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Our flight makes a stop in Leipzig, GR for refuel and crew swap, and I'm able to let email folks and let the famjam know I'm doing ok. We jump back on for the last leg....a measly 5 hours to Kuwait.

We arrive in darkness, and convoy to post under guard. We recieve our "ground rules" briefing for the base, grab our bags, and head to our tents. If I remember correctly, it was about 3 am when I hit my sleep-system.

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Camp Viriginia is a transit base for folks coming in and out of theatre. Regardless of what other folks have said/blogged/whatever, life just isn't bad here. The exchange has all the amenities you need. The gym is more than decent. Your tent is air conditioned, and there's more bottled water than you can shake a stick (or a camel spider) at. There are shower trailers to take showers, and there's REALLY good pressure.

They take the Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR) mission seriously here. There's even a movie theatre that plays movies twice a day. A library is available. The Personnel Support staff is aggressive in taking care of any pay issues.

We'll be here for a couple of days, and then well head to the Udairi Range for some shooting and convoy training. Can't say exactly when, of course.......

No pix just yet, but they're coming.....more to follow!

SEMPER FORTIS,

BEAR