Ahh... back at Bagram Air Field (BAF) for a few days. I left my home FOB at 1am and arrived at Bagram at 4am after a freezing cold Chinook flight through the dark. I walked a few miles from the rotary terminal to my temporary lodging, and then drank myself silly with coffee. I had three cups of Air Force coffee (marginally better than Army coffee) and then went to the Green Bean (an actual coffee shop) and had a $4 mocha latte. Pretty good. Actually, just being in a coffee shop (imagine a faux Starbucks) was nice.
I watched one quarter of Monday Night Football (nice treat, but bad loss for the Broncos) and spent an hour or so talking with the other members of my unit who are posted here at the Bagram hospital. Wow! Being around Air Force people is great! I haven't heard the word "fuck" for about 15 hours now!
Being at BAF is great too! The internet speed is 10 times faster, the DSN phones don't have a 10 second lag, I have my choice of dining facilities and the bathrooms are clean. I think today I'll do some shopping, get a workout in, make some phone calls and then catch up on sleep.
My sleeping arrangements are adequate. I'm in a dorm room, taking up a bed by the door in a four person room. It's hot and stuffy in there but it's a clean, safe place to sleep for a few nights-- and there are non shit-stained toilets and non moldy showers for a change. It's the samll things in life...
It's enjoyable to walk around on pavement and concrete instead of dirt and crushed rocks.
I remember bitching about BAF when I got here in July. Now it's less crowded and cooler, and my perspective has been warped by living in Paktya province for the last three and a half months. I'm going to enjoy Bagram while I can and when I leave this time I will be reassured that I have the minority of my deployment left before me.
