Look out on the Emerald Isle!

 It really didn't sink in completely that I was getting a respite from the craziness of Iraq until I was on the flight the next evening.  It is difficult to get any sleep the whole time you are transient.  Folks come and go at all hours to catch their flights.  You can't turn all the lights out in the tent, and the loudspeakers announcing personnel who need to report to a certain manifest tent go off all day/night. They are pretty loud.  I went to get ticketed around 1300 on the 4th.  Then I had to report at 2000 to get the customs brief at 2100.  Then we get transport to the commercial airport.  The flight leaves for Germany at 0030 on the 5th.  So, another night with little sleep.  Needless to say I racked out hard for the first hour on the plane. Lufthansa, my favorite.  I got into Germany at about 0600 so I went to grab a bite as my next leg to Ireland wasn't until 1000. I grab a nice leisurely breakfast then go look for my flight to see what gate it is at. 
 I find it is not on the screen anywhere.  I feel really confused.  So I go to the courtesy desk and ask about the flight. Volcanic Ash has closed the Dublin airport. Aw, heck!!
"So what do I do now?", I ask.
The agent says, "well you can do a couple things.  We do have a flight leaving at 1600 today. You will have to be on standby for that if hte airport opens up.  There is also a 1500 flight to Heathrow, but if you do that all travel expenses from Heathrow to your destination are at your own expense."
  I think on it for about thirty seconds.... "Heathrow." Now I have to figure out how to get from Heathrow to Dublin... Train.  I look and I have 2 hours from landing in London to get to the train station - that includes customs.  My handy computer and the gracious WiFi in Frankfurt inform me there is a special for 30EU I can get a Train/Ferry combo. Done!

I was lucky to be on the last leg of the flight to the staging base in Kuwait where I waited for my commercial flight.  By the time I got assigned a transient tent with some other guys it was around 1700.  The facilities there were decent, internet cafe and gym so I was all set for waiting to get a flight hopefully the next day. It was refreshing to wear 'real' clothes again.

The whole R&R (Rest and Recuperation) Leave trip to Ireland was an adventure in itself.  First off I still had to worry about the rumblings of Eyjafjallajokul (the volcano in Iceland that has messed up so much air travel for the last month).

I left my FOB by a cushy Air force ride.  Well let me back it up a little, for fixed wing flights they want you at the terminal (tent) two hours in advance. That is when I consider the travel really beginning.  This is on the 3rd of May close to noon.