Journey to Iraq - Part 2

As I have mentioned in previous posts, this isnt my first blog. I used Blogger to document my 13month Experience in Baghdad, Iraq. This blog garnered me some level of fame (yeah, i was featured on a couple of news segments around Christmas '04) so I feel it's necessary to share with you excerpts from my previous blog. I assure you that everything happened to me, HotAirBalogger, not some one I know or something i read on another blog. Due my desire to remain anonymous, I will have to do some editing before posting it here (my updated comments will be in red), but I will also try to fill in some of the gaps and enhance my posts with some pics of a place most of you only see on the news. With that said here is:

My Journey to Iraq Part 2:

For those that need to catch up, here's Part1

Once again thats me. I dont know why i keep putting sh*t in my mouth!!!

Houston, TX

Post 1

H-town is in the house!!!!!!!

Ok it has been almost a week since I last posted. That was the day I was leaving. Well lets start off with Sunday:

Sunday 3/14/04
This was a sad day in the Balogger home. I think I cried more than my kids. It was really rough leaving them. Both *(NAMES OMITTED)* were sick with colds (both are better now). I had my mother take me to the airport. My flight left at noon and got to Atlanta about an hour later... and was there for another hour and then flew on the BUMPIEST ride of my life. I got kinda nervous. Even though I was in the Airforce, I have never been a fan of flying. I always envision the plane bursting in a ball flames right as it leaves the ground.

So I get to Houston around 3:30pm and that's where the madness started. I was told by KBR, *(aka HALLIBURTON)* the company that's sponsoring this excursion, that when I get my bags to contact the Wyndham Hotel for transportation from the airport. Well, I called the hotel and they tell me that the shuttle has already left and to "go outside and wait".

OUTSIDE WHERE?!?!?!?!?!

Outside the baggage terminal?

Outside on the Runway?

So I go "out" the first door I see, and I am waiting out there with a young lady also from NC, who is also here for the same company. She was following me, I guess because I "looked like" I knew where I was going. So we stood out there for about 15min and finally an airport employee asked us who we were waiting for. I advised her we were waiting on the shuttle for the hotel. What else would we be doing standing outside of an airport?

She tell us that we went out the wrong door!!!! (WTF?!?!?) and to back inside and go through the door for hotel transportation.

Ooooooohhhhhhh...

Outside the HOTEL TRANSPORTATION Door

I guess I should have known that.

We go through the door and we see the shuttle for the Wyndham Hotel, right as the driver was pulling off!!!! So we are out there screaming for him to stop, which he does. He gets out of the van and ask us for our names. He checks and loads the girl's luggage and she gets on the van. I tell him my name and he tells me that "due to over booking at the Wyndham, that I am not staying there but instead I am staying at the Airport Marriott."

He then tells me to just go to the Airport Marriott.

Suppressing the urge to strangle his stupid ass, I ask him "how in the hell am I supposed to get there???" He tells me that there is a tram that goes between the terminals (by the way, Houston has a huge airport) and makes a stop at the hotel.

Let me remind you that I am carrying all of my belongings that I think I will need for a year long stay in another country. I am not just going on a weekend trip. I had about 3 HEAVY pieces of luggage with me.

I know what you are saying..."Stop Bitching"...well F**K YOU TOO!!!....just kidding

I go down in the "basement" to catch the infamous TRAM where I am told by another airport employee that it is.......

Shut down due to maintenance!!!

AAAAAAUUUUUUGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!

F- this....I am going back to NC.

I then go back upstairs and to look for the information desk. I was told that there is another shuttle taking people to the hotel and go back outside and wait for it.

Guess which door I had to back through.

THE FIRST ONE I ORIGINALLY WENT THOUGH!!!!

I was fuming at this point, but too tired to complain.

I get dumped in front of the hotel (which was pretty nice). I finally get checked in and I go to my room which has beautiful view of the back of the airport.

This sucks!!!

Monday 3/15/04

Today is my first day of processing. I am awakened at 530am by my "friend" *(Name Omitted)* in Kuwait. He thought I had to be up early. I withheld my profanity and calmly explained that I don't start until noon...back to sleep.

The first few days were uneventful. Basic briefings about safety and being overseas in Iraq. The physical was interesting. 7 tubes of blood, half a cup of urine, x-rays, eye exam, hearing test, a pulmonary test (which was one of the hardest things ever...I had to put my mouth on this tube that was about as big as an empty toilet tissue roll and blow until my lungs exploded), and full physical at which a young girl placed her fingers on my sack and told me to cough!!!
very uncomfortable.

The whole medical process ended with 3 shots in the back of my arm (which left a nice bruise).

Wednesday 3/17/04

More training

Thursday 3/18/04

NBC training!!! No its not the TV Network NBC. NBC stands for Nuclear, Biological Chemical. We were trained to use chemical suits and wear gas masks. During the whole training, anytime the instructors yelled GAS GAS GAS, we had to slap those masks on, which, by the way, were a lot more comfortable than the mask in USAF.

At the end of the training, we had to be able to put the entire suit on in under 8min. I am thinking 8min is more than enough time for some shit-head to gas me and everyone around me.

I did it in 4. Hoorah!!!

My partner, to "assist" me in putting my suit on, was John McCain's grandpappy, or so it seemed. This guy was OLD and after getting our suits on, our partners had to tape up any exposed areas (where the suit meets the boots and gloves and where the hood comes over the head to the mask)...well I was nervous the entire time while taping his hood because I kept touching hearing aids...

YES AIDS!!!

in both ears!!

Later that evening we signed our contracts and began the waiting game. All the hard stuff was over and now we just wait to be notified of when we are leaving. I really could go back home and wait, but I have shed enough tears!!!!

Friday 3/19/04

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

So now we are up to Saturday. I finally get to a PC so I can email my people and update this page. I am really excited about going to Iraq. There have been more bombings, but I am noticing that the assholes are no longer targeting the military, but instead they are going after Iraqis, trying to break their spirits, I guess. This cant last forever.

I really have no more to say so I am ending here. Don't know when I will be able to get back to update this page, maybe in a day or two. I have to go on Monday to get my military ID, so probably after I get finished with that. I am going shopping now for a bookbag and some DVD's

Stay tuned for Part3!!!!

*Greetings to any first time visitors. Be sure to check out my other articles, too. Best place to start is over there on the right under "My Favorite Posts". Thats the best of the best