Wednesday, July 02, 2003 :::
 
I am attempting a long distance blog entry- let's see if it works.

Have been very busy out here flying airevac missions in the theatre- and it's not all Iraq.

Since the 6 june entry, we actually had a day off, and we were sent into town on what they call a "morale trip", which is kind of like regimented time off. This was accomplished by loading up the squadron's toyota hi-ace minivan with my crew, (me, Hunt, & Flarity) and my old crew (Dietrich, spires, and now Savidge), and driving into Downtown Doha for the day. Spires drove, and was adept in the middle-east high-speed roundabout method of vehicle operations. By the end of the day, I was, too.

Most of the day was spent lying outside in the sun at a swimming pool at the hotel Intercontinental, getting hopelessly sunburned. (like we couldn't do that in camp). My crew did eventually venture off to the local mall, leaving the other guys behind at the pool. The mall was huge, and complete with an indoor ice rink, bowling alley, and about 42,000 stores. It was considerably larger than the king of prussia mall, and had lots of nifty persian carpets, designer clothing, gold jewelry, and everything else the well-off Qatari desires. Needless to say, we couldn't afford very much in the place. (I did get some tea for Chy which she doesn't know about yet.) (oops-I guess she does now!)

Regarding Doha (Homer would say it D'oh!-a), it was good to see something other than runways and tents for a few hours.

We managed a coup of sorts, and manned a flight from here to Ramstein on a C-17 from McChord. It was an AE flight, picking up 60-some patients (several critical) in Kuwait, and then on to germany (about eight hours flight time). We did this with a full five person AE crew, plus a three person CCATT team for the critical patients. When we got to Ramstein and transferred our patients, we found out that there were no rooms availiable on base, because of the enhanced operations tempo- therefore we were forced to be lodged off base at a hotel outside of Kaiserslautern. The horror, the horror! Of course, since we were about 12 miles off base, we were authorized a rental car for our crew (the CCATT was on their own) to go back in forth in. We got the very last car availiable, which happened to be a mercedes benz C230 tdi, which was very fast. To make a long story short- the two days we spent in germany waiting for the first flight back to the gulf beat the pants off the "morale trip" to D'oh-a. I was designated driver (I love that), and hit 200 km/h on the autobahn. Paul, the FN we picked up in kuwait, calculated that we hit about .2 mach in the car. (this is the same guy that thought it would be a good idea to open the rear window at that speed- which was the first time I ever had a rapid decompression in a car.) Anyway, that's enough about germany.

We came back on a C-5, and got stuck overnight at Kuwait city waiting for a flight back to al-udeid the next morning. Camp wolf at kuwait has really poor overnight accomodations. It was like being in the army or something!

Over the next two weeks, we continued frequent patient evacuations out of Iraq, and also made it out to Jordan, and to Djibouti on the coast of Africa (you know, right next to Somalia). And that's it for the immediate update- more to follow soon. (let's see how long it takes for Chy to read about the tea!) :)




::: posted by M. at 12:34 PM



Friday, June 06, 2003 :::
 
Date: 6/6/03 8:11:47 AM Pacific Daylight Time
From: MIchael.Shaudis@*****.af.mil


Hi again- computer ate my last email-I'll try again-back on bravo 3 alert so
I gots to be quick-


We had a busy couple of days, POTUS was in town (also known as the CiC) who
came out to the Qatari desert just to visit his airmen (and soldiers,
sailors, and marines as applicable). Unfortunately, we were on alpha alert
again, so we could'nt go meet him (although several from our squadron were
able to do just that). We were too well armed, and the secret service does
not like that. Incidentally, at dinner the night before, I sat next to a
table of SS agents, and they looked really silly in their black wool suits,
ties, and wires sticking out of their ears. I bet they enjoyed the 114
degree temp yesterday. Ha! ha!

More about yesterday: there was an emergent airevac mission to Iraq- and the
crew that took it (my old crew from Scott) turned back after about 45
minutes because of a massive fuel leak. So our alpha crew was alerted to
take the mission over on the alpha bird, and the mission was upgraded (to
30+ patients, several critical) to include a CCATT team (surgeon, trauma
nurse, respiratory tech) and all their specialized equipment, and we also
picked up a two-man AF public affairs team, there to document a priority
medical airlift from "the box". Anyway, about an hour fifteen out, our
aircraft develops a fuel leak, threatening shutdown of number three engine.
(it's about three hours to Baghdad from Al-Udeid) So we turn back, and radio
ahead to have a new 130 ready and configured for us. So we touch down,
transfer all the gear into the new bird, and go through the run up, where
the flight engineer finds excessive fluid leakage from the aileron linkage
gear. So we stop, and they determine that it's safe for the duration of the
flight, and we head out to the runway, where the throttle for number three
engine starts running up by itself! Flight scrubbed, equipment offloaded,
and reloaded onto a fourth aircraft. But by this time, both the up front
crew and us (who all volunteered to go on, and were overridden) burned out
our crew duty days, so a third medcrew and third flight crew manned attempt
number four (which was ultimately successsful) . And yes, the PA guys went
all the way through. They got a real taste of how missions actually work! I
wonder if the press release will say anything about how many airplanes it
took to fly one mission?

Incidentally, on my current crew, the MCD from the bronx went home, so my
new MCD is a McChord person. I am now on an all-Washington crew! (I know
Chuck is still with the 714th at mcGuire, but he's really from the Maryhill
area and has a "5" SSN.) This makes things easier, especially
communications-wise.

Hot, windy, and sandstormy today, with that fine grit that gets everywhere.
(the kind of grit that makes good brass polish) But my Bennington '76 flag
is flying high from our tent's radio mast flagpole, so that's kind of cool.

Got an Email from Dave A. today.

Let me know what's going on that's exciting, and even things that aren't.

Love you!

Michael


::: posted by Chy at 10:15 AM


 
Date: 5/31/03 10:26:14 AM Pacific Daylight Time
From: MIchael.Shaudis@******.af.mil


Hi again!

Got your box yesterday, thank you! It was a good selection, but it arrived
opened on the end. Doesn't look like anything's missing (unless there was
money in it). Did you make the soap? The ginseng tea will go well for health
maintenance, and so will the vanilla flavored stuff :) . My folks sent me
some GNC mega-men vits, so I'm back on a vitamin routine again. I think
"cat" is probably my favorite Heinlein book, even if it does bog down in the
end - but the first three quarters of it can be re-read adinfinitum. There's
some mystery about rotation dates right now - some of the crewmembers who
thought their rotation out was in September have just been given a heads up
that they may leave in July. I'm not on the list in any form. I may not have
shown up on the theatre manning document yet. Today was a safety down day, so no flying- but now
my crew is now sliding into the alpha alert position- so chances are pretty
good that we'll go somewhere interesting in the next 48 hours. I'm painting
and drawing some artwork for you, hope you like desert landscapes (they're
pretty easy to do, too!). Any luck on that silver colored fountain pen or
.05mm pencil leads? Everything else is good. I'm starting to get a little
bit of an art reputation, and am starting to get some requests. (for barter,
of course.) Haven't been able to make an LDS service here on camp (We have a
real LDS chaplain who's pretty cool) because I'm either always flying on
sunday or on alert. It's called a "high ops tempo" or something like that.
Rumor is that the Commander-in-Chief will be here this week sometime... I'll
probably be flying and miss it. How's Daven doing? I haven't heard from him
on line or from you yet. Oh, yeah, and the cat? Got to go , talk to you
later!

Love,
Michael


::: posted by Chy at 10:13 AM


 
Date: 5/27/03 12:05:39 AM Pacific Daylight Time
From: MIchael.Shaudis@*********.af.mil

Hi!

I'm counting on getting extras. Having a hard time coordinating the jpeg files for the patches, they keep getting dumped. T-shirts haven't been ordered yet.

Awards and decs, I have been assigned as awards and decs NCOIC as an addittional additional duty (everyone has at least two extra duties), because when the command cell started to figure out squadron assignments, the 714th people said "Sgt Shaudis ran our A&D program, he'll do it!" when I was flying a mission and couldn't defend myself. But I'm good at it, so that's actually a good thing because it keeps me in the air conditioning, also.

This is as safe as it gets out here .
Only Seeb was hot and humid- here it's REALLY hot and dry, with random blowing searing sand storms. (like yesterday).

Of the 714th aircrew, I got real lucky with the two I got attached to. SSgt Chuck Hunt was an "outcast" like me, who is originally from washington state; and
Capt D'alois-Velez is goofy enough to be Okay, if you can look past the New York city (He from da bronx) attitude. (he can't help it, it's environmental).

I was planning on sending the Choctaw box to you when I refilled it with local stuff, but one of my new scott buddies needed a box really bad yesterday so I gave it to him.

More artwork is on the way.

Good news on vartec et all- I take it most of the allowances are showing up on the checks already? cool.

Tea? like the british east india company? I'll see what I can find if I ever get off base.

oops got to go

-M.



::: posted by Chy at 10:10 AM



Thursday, May 29, 2003 :::
 
Date: 5/29/03 9:31:21 AM Pacific Daylight Time
From: MIchael.Shaudis@******.af.mil


Hi!

Just got back from Khandahar, Afghanistan. ( a new line on the map - no
intermediary stops) Brought back some injured (shot up) military personnel
*********(sanatized - sorry)

Don't pay the gov't visa bill - travel pay accrural should hit next week and
take care of it- the accrual is filed every thirty days after 28 april, so
it should not be a problem. The accrual voucher gets faxed from here to
active duty pay at McChord.

No, i don't have any cash. All I need is haircut money (weekly). When ******
sends check, just send me the portion we already discussed, that should be
fine. A check is okay, it can be cashed at finance. Keep paying off
everything with the extra like you are, that's kind of what we're doing this
for. :) You asked what else is there to spend money on? There is a BX in a
big tent that has essentials, (like soap, shampoo, and DVD players), there
is an embroidery/alterations shop that repairs uniforms, a contract photo
developer, a barbershop tent, and then the stuff in the commons area "wagon
wheel" which has the pizza hut, baskin-robbins, and a bar; none of which I
have spent any money in, nor do I intend to.

I have hit my folks up for various stuff; art supplies, desert camelbak, a
bag of pretzels, etc. Haven't recv'd anything yet. Hopefully some cash from
them so I can get the photos developed. I have some cool ones of Iraq.

Tell Dave K. that maybe in PREVIOUS wars military personnel lost weight--- Not
here! Too much good Air Force food. My exercise program consists of going
outside for five minutes, getting heatstroke, then going back inside.
Seriously though, flying the missions is actually pretty exhausting. I plan
on coming home a bit fitter.

How many socks? with or without holes?

That's it for now, I just got a great quote from eastern on the patches ( 94
cents each for 500!) got to follow up.

Love,

-M.



::: posted by Chy at 12:06 PM


 
Date: 5/27/03 12:05:39 AM Pacific Daylight Time
From: MIchael.Shaudis@*******.af.mil

Hi!

I'm counting on getting extras. Having a hard time coordinating the jpeg files for the patches, they keep getting dumped. T-shirts haven't been ordered yet.

Awards and decs, I have been assigned as awards and decs NCOIC as an addittional additional duty (everyone has at least two extra duties), because when the command cell started to figure out squadron assignments, the 714th people said "Sgt Shaudis ran our A&D program, he'll do it!" when I was flying a mission and couldn't defend myself. But I'm good at it, so that's actually a good thing because it keeps me in the air conditioning, also.


This is as safe as it gets out here .

Only Seeb was hot and humid- here it's REALLY hot and dry, with random blowing searing sand storms. (like yesterday).

Of the 714th aircrew, I got real lucky with the two I got attached to. SSgt Chuck Hunt was an "outcast" like me, who is originally from washington state; and Capt D'alois-Velez is goofy enough to be Okay, if you can look past the New York city (He from da bronx) attitude. (he can't help it, it's environmental).

I was planning on sending the Choctaw box to you when I refilled it with local stuff, but one of my new scott buddies needed a box really bad yesterday so I gave it to him.

More artwork is on the way.

Tea? like the british east india company? I'll see what I can find if I ever get off base.

oops got to go

-M.


::: posted by Chy at 12:03 PM



Tuesday, May 27, 2003 :::
 
----- From: Shaudis Michael SSgt 320 EAES
To: 'Linda Shaudis'
Sent: Monday, May 26, 2003 10:34 PM
Subject: RE: Holiday

Yes we are in tents, yes we have real showers (but are limited to 3 minutes of water, but there is no limit on the number of showers you can take.) I have a little extra personal room in my tent, since I am the official squadron art guy and have been given a drawing table - I have more personal space than the field grade in the same tent.

There WAS a big memorial day thing here, but we were on a mission (which broke enroute) and missed it, but when we got back got leftover steak, ribs, and chicken from the cook out. Each crew is flying, on average , every other day. General Shallikashvili? If that's the general, this is his name. I met him a couple of times, he's originally from Poland. Glad gram is doing well, and I am doing well as a Choctaw Spouse (official title). If you can find the photo of me outside the C-130 in winter flight gear, tell Cheryce and the Choctaws will print it in the Bishnik (tribal newspaper). We're on Bravo alert again, I have just been informed. talk to you later.

M.


::: posted by Chy at 11:49 PM

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