(16SEPT2008) There’s no such thing as a guaranteed flight out here. The best I can do to get from Bagram to Sharana is to be at the APOD at 0230 when they list the flight schedule for the day and try to get on one of them.
0230 turns into 0300 before they list the flights, but I’m pleased to see two (two!) STOL flights to Sharana at 0330. My joy is short-lived, however, as it turns out neither will be taking passengers – mail and other cargo take priority, so I stumble back to my room with my armor (you have to fly with your IBA and kevlar) and bag. The next flight to Sharana is at 1115 so I catch some shut-eye.
I get on the 1115 flight as the 10th and last stand-by passenger. The flight doesn’t actually leave until several hours later (that’s par for the course), so I kill time reading my book and watching one of the many TVs they have around – the military is very good about placating the masses with media.
The STOL plane is a small, twin-propeller piloted by Blackwater personnel (yes, that Blackwater). The plane is loud and the ride is bumpy, and my seat back won’t return to its upright position, but it’s a short hop down to Sharana – about an hour. I get a window seat, but the window is so dirty I can barely see out of it.
I get into Sharana in the afternoon but have no way of getting in touch with my POC, so I walk around the post for a couple of hours – it’s small enough that you can actually walk around it. I especially liked the road on the East side that parallels the perimeter fence; the base is on a plateau and the fence is right on the edge, overlooking a flat expanse, some scattered Afghani homes, one paved road, and mountains in the distance. It was awfully purty.
APOD = Aerial Port of Debarkation
STOL = Short Take-Off and Landing
IBA = Interceptor Body Armor (armored vest)
kevlar = term used only to refer to our helmets
