Kirkuk, Iraq

Well today started off way too early for me. Up and thru my ritual in the dark to make a flight to Kirkuk. There was a change of command ceremony up in Kirkuk and I was part of the General's staff to visit the base and be a part of the dignitary party. Way cool. The aircraft we flew on was one of those with the United States of America on it and we were assigned some special escorts. As we descended into the airport we had to make a few defensive manuevers for a few flying objects but of course our highly skilled pilots smoothly lead us in for a perfect approach and landing. After landing at Kirkuk, we were quickly put in a protected convoy and shuttled around the area. I was in the General's car along with the old and new commander and we got the royal treatment. Not bad for a boy from Callahan, FL (that right near Jacksonville). I knew right then and there that this job over here was gonna be way different than I expected. The city of Kirkuk has 700,000 pissed off people and most are not necessarily mad at the US. They've been fighting for a very long time. But as we were having the change of command ceremony a suicide bomber blew up, I guess a bank killing more than a few Iraqis. We were not really that close but the timing was perfect. It put us all in a different mode with the protection and all. We finished the ceremony and we were briefed on the incident and a few other things planned that evening so we did our business and left town. I did get to see a significant amount of damage to many buildings, including a tree that had a big hole in it from a big bullet. We got back onto the aircraft and flew back to Balad only to have to hold for awhile due to some unwanted visitors. Once that was taken care of we landed and taxied to parking. But, the most striking things I saw all day were the dedication and professionalism of our United States military people. True to what anyone would expect, the military does their job under the most extreme conditions and does not flinch when danger is close. And yet with all of the ugliness outside, the pomp and circumstance of an established tradition that defines a military change of command ceremony goes on with such dignity and demeanor, that it still puts a lump in my throat. This is especially true for the Air Force Honor Guard..well done. Then, as we taxi to our area at Balad with the outgoing commander onboard our airplane going home to the states, Balad airmen had gathered into formation to receive and welcome the outgoing commander in style that again made me proud to be a member of the best group of people in the world. And that will be that for now.