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
Sunday, May 25, 2003 :::
Date: 5/24/03 6:33:12 AM Pacific Daylight Time
From: MIchael.Shaudis@*********.af.mil
Hi!
I was out for a couple of days, we flew out to Seeb on bravo alert overnight
to pick up a patient. (no new map marks) so that was two days of flying to
log 1.7 hours. Seeb is just about shut down, (most of their operations have
moved out here) and coastal Oman has gotten really humid and hot in the last
three weeks. If it wasn't for the mountains in the background, it would be
just like New Jersey! Speaking of New Jersey, this was my first mission
with the newly assigned McGuire crew. Things haven't changed any with the
714th/514th, and I think I got really spoiled flying with the Scott guys.
Anyway, I'm back at Al-Udeid tonight, and will on the launch and recovery
crew at midnight. When I got back to the tent, the Choctaw box was there!
Inside was a nice letter from Chief Pyle, and all kinds of little useful
goodies including: disposable razors, a toothbrush, hand sanitizer, my
favorite toothpaste, baby wipes, sunflower seeds, jolly ranchers, a
mini-nerflike football (perfect size for inside a C-130) , ziploc bags of
mixed hard candies, and miniature hotel shampoos/conditioners, among other
little things I can't remember at the moment. I will have to write them to
say thank you. Have you received any of my letters yet? BTW, I saw "pet
sematary II" here on base a couple of days ago, and this may very well be
Clancy Brown's best movie! (well, okay, "shawshank" is pretty close.) If you
do a movie night with the kids this week and they want something violent,
you could do a lot worse than that one. That just about wraps up my computer
time for now, I should be able to get back on tomorrow since I'm not on
alert.
Love you!
-M.
::: posted by Chy at 11:01 AM
From: Shaudis Michael SSgt 320 EAES
To: 'Linda Shaudis'
Sent: Thursday, May 22, 2003 12:16 AM
Subject: RE: Goodies
Hi again! The 3L camelbak you described is the right one. (Aren't scavenger hunts fun?) Our new crew rotations are now in place, so I may get more computer time through our squadron's office space. I am definitely looking forward to receiving some snail mail! Mess halls have real food. (and real flies). It was 120F again yesterday! And you know what? It feel like it's only 118! Ha! Ha!
M.
::: posted by Chy at 10:39 AM
Friday, May 23, 2003 :::
If you would like to post an e-mail from Michael or a letter, email me and I'll get you an invite to post here. chy
::: posted by Chy at 12:11 AM
Date: 5/22/03 12:33:29 AM Pacific Daylight Time
From: MIchael.Shaudis@*******.af.mil
No, they didn't know the 714th would be here when I was deployed- what happened is that they consolidated all of the aeromed units scattered about the theater into our new squadron here at Al-Udeid, and that's how we got the 714th.
The Scott AFB guys I've been flying with don't like them much. (They like me, though. - I'm a chameleon.)
When not flying, I have been put to work designing the new squadron patches, t-shirts, signs, etc. Good thing about that is it keeps me in the air conditioning and gives me a little extra living space to have a (goverment issue) drawing table in the tent.
The 714th people managed to get me assigned back onto awards and decorations, knowledge of which I did NOT volunteer Oh, well
Latest word on deployment length (which is always subject to change) is between september and december, this year. , The December date means it's over 179 days, so does that mean VA bennies??? . That's it for now.
-M.
(I editted this letter for personal content)
::: posted by Chy at 12:09 AM
Wednesday, May 21, 2003 :::
Date: 5/21/03 7:59:27 AM Pacific Daylight Time
From: MIchael.Shaudis@*******.*********.af.mil
I figured the !!!! !! !!! would look like a secret spy code, but I'm silly
like that.
I have talked to M***** IN PERSON and he promises to give me the $200 IN
CASH soon...When I get it I will send you the $150.
Yes you can mail cookies, but obviously leave out things like chocolate
chips... It was 121 degrees in the shade at around 1pm today. This is just
wrong.
Anyway, the 714th guys have shaken up our entire unit structure and have
broken up our hard crews. No one is sure why, or even how they were able to
do this. I'm now finding out what the rest of airevac thinks about the 714th
and in general people from Joisey! (hint- it's not positive
I don't have any tweezers except for what's in my Swiss army knife.
Talk to you later,
love M.
::: posted by Chy at 8:14 AM
Tuesday, May 20, 2003 :::
Hi!
Flying like crazy out here, mostly as alert crews. I'm going to try to get a
phone call in (I'm on the list) on the 22nd (for Daven's BD). Don't know
exactly when it will be in the day, but I'll try for between 0500-0800 your
time. (if I don't call it means I was alerted again.)
I Love you!!! !!! !!!!!
-M.
::: posted by Chy at 6:52 PM
Saturday, May 17, 2003 :::
Subj: RE: e-mail working?
Date: 5/17/03 2:56:47 AM Pacific Daylight Time
From: MIchael.Shaudis@*******.af.mil
Sure, the blog site is good.
I know you are good at sanitizing, and I have now figured out how to use the
blog on a government computer. I have been picking up some cool (free)stuff
for daven, which I will send out when I fill a box ( and after my folks send
some money -letters are free, but boxes ain't.)
My crew is on alpha alert today, so that means we have to be in the air 30
minutes after the alert call. Like bravo alert, it lasts for 48 hours, but
unlike bravo, we get a crew vehicle so we can cruise around. (I mean, so we
can get to the flightline when alerted.) I'm okay on horsey sauce-
apparently there's an Arby's at the **** mall, and services guys have been
bringing it back. We haven't gotten off base, because we're always on some
form of alert. Let me know when my letters start showing up. Do you have
Jake this weekend? woof!
If you have a box going, .05mm pencil leads, my silver fountain pen (on my
desk), a couple of little sample size squeeze bottles for liquid soap, a
black sharpie, a pair of my khaki shorts (I can't believe I forgot shorts!),
a selection of sewing thread, Heinlein's "the cat that walks through walls"
, and my Khaki "Flyers" pants (which should be hanging in the craft room
closet) would be great things to have.
other notes- Iraq is strange. Qatar is hot. Saudi Arabia is hotter. Kuwait
city is really big.
Tell Daven I love him, give Jake a hug, say "Hi" to Dave and Mary.
Love you!
-M.
::: posted by Chy at 9:33 AM
Subj: RE: e-mail working?
Date: 5/16/03 12:15:08 AM Pacific Daylight Time
From: MIchael.Shaudis@**********.af.mil
Hi again!
I didn't get back to a computer last night, we got alerted and flew back up to Iraq to pick up injured marines. (they call that "going into the 'box' ".)You should have gotten some snail mail from me by now, I've been outlining locations for the map, and drawing pictures and stuff. These computers are a pain in the butt - the system regularly shuts down and dumps for priority traffic, so if the flow doesn't make any sense, it's because i've restarted the same sentence for the Nth time.. I've flown 4 missions in past 6 days, 2 of them into Iraq. busy busy busy. Did you know that AK tracers are green? Don't believe what the news says about the war being over, it's not. It's just smaller scale. Food is decent, but it's the only thing around here that's cold!
Anyway, physical mailing address is:
Ssgt Michael Shaudis
***** EAES
APO ** *****
Our operational name is the 320th (soon to be the 379th) Expeditionary Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, also known in the theater as TAMU (for Tactical Assault Medical Unit). We're located at ***** ****, **-*****Air Base, in case Shep mentions it online. I'm going to try to get a very quick message off to my folks before I get kicked off this thing again.
Love You!!!
-Michael
::: posted by Chy at 9:31 AM
Subj: RE: e-mail working?
Date: 5/14/03 8:55:35 PM Pacific Daylight Time
From: MIchael.Shaudis@*********.af.mil
Hi again!
Good, the e-mail works! You are the only person I have emailed yet, time on
computers is difficult to get, and phones are near impossible to to get to
use here in the fine desert state of Qatar. (all phone calls have to go thru
the dsn gov't system, get routed to mcchord, and then to you by commercial.
trouble is, the dsn lines are all tied up with official traffic.) Didja get
my letters yet? I will try to get on line again tonight, if i'm not flying.
Love you lots and lots!
::: posted by Chy at 9:28 AM
Date: 5/14/03 7:08:02 AM Pacific Daylight Time
From: MIchael.Shaudis@**********.af.mil
Hello, testing testing...
This is a test of the official e-mail system, I have about two minutes on
the computer. Hi! I'm flying all the time out here, just got back from an
Iraq mission, and that's a story and a half. got to go- email me - love
you!!!
::: posted by Chy at 9:27 AM
Friday, May 16, 2003 :::
I got deployed, and just figured out to use the computers here. Here's an observation. Deserts are, like, HOT. And truth is, this is the most flying I have done (as aircrew) in years. Does anyone want some genuine Qatarian sand? There seems to be plenty to spare.
::: posted by M. at 9:07 AM
Thursday, May 15, 2003 :::
So, it's been awhile.
Michael got deployed, he's in Qatar, or flying somewhere to or from Qatar.
::: posted by Chy at 9:13 PM
