June 24, 2002

It started with a flight from Pope Air Force Base, which neighbored Fort Bragg, to Germany on a massive C-5 Galaxy cargo plane. A day or so in Germany, then we boarded a C-17 Globemaster bound for Kandahar.

After an the only in-flight refuel I’ve ever been part of, which occurred over the Black Sea, we were told we were on “short final” into Kandahar Airfield. This wasn’t like a normal long, slow decent into an airport. Nope. Since the United States had supplied the Afghan Mujahedeen fighters in the 1980’s with Stinger Anti-Aircraft missiles, and we didn’t know what happened to all of them, we had to do a very steep spiral down to the runway. Someone decided that lowered the threat somehow.

When the wheels finally chirped on the runway, two Air Force Ravens, popped out of their seats and went to the ramp. These guys have the job of air strip security for aircraft. Only problem was we were landing at a secure airfield. These two young Airman, while only doing what they were told and trained to do, looked like the Keystone Cops as they bound off the ramp and took a knee to “secure” the plane we all rode in on, to be met by an Air Force ground crewmember with a clipboard and sunglasses. You couldn’t help but laugh.

We walked down the ramp and onto the tarmac. I’ll never forget how hot it was. Holy shit, was it hot. And it was not long after sunrise. We were met coming off the tarmac by my oldest Army friend, mentor, and brother, Herb Kirkover. He was the operations Sergeant Major for the Battalion and had been on the ground for a couple of weeks. Herb used to be the First Sergeant for my Rifle Company before he was promoted. I got a big smile and a hug.

This was Day 1 of Deployment 1 of my career. I spent over 40 months deployed to combat while I was in uniform. I’ll never forget that day.

It was today. 20 years ago.