Hear the Choppers Hoverin'

Probably one of the biggest signs that we’re back in theatre is the constant sound of aircraft flying overhead at pretty much every base we stop at. Most of the time it’s just helicopters, but occasionally (such as right now) we have F-16s or AC-130 variants flying over-head. For civilians used to the occasional medic flight in the states, or possibly commercial airlines at high altitude there’s a big difference in loudness between being near a military air strip and a civilian airport back home.

Most of the flights are just routine patrols of various areas of Iraq. Occasionally we have the misfortune of watching a medevac (medical evacuation flight) coming in or taking off. I say unfortunate because a medevac usually means someone, someplace, has been injured somehow.

Back in 2003-4 (I know, I’m referring to the Frontier Days yet again) there were a few special occasions when we were given air-support when hauling North of Baghdad for the Third Armoured Cavalry Regiment (3rd. ACR). Nothing is cooler than watching a fully loaded Apache come flying less than six feet off the deck and buzz a convoy. This trip we haven’t had dedicated air-support assets, although there was a night we stopped for maintenance issues and a routine over-watch flight had time on their hands and stayed in the area to help augment our security assets on the ground…that was way cool.

Along with utility choppers (mainly Blackhawks), and the attack choppers (the Apaches), the Chinook cargo chopper is a fairly common sight this trip. Having two large over-head rotors and no actual tail, the Chinook is kinda’ fun to watch fly. When I was first thinking of enlisting I was hoping to pilot one, but Fate and the Army (I have bad eyes) had other plans for me. I was able to spend the night sleeping in one on a stateside mission once and that was really fun. What always amazes me is that the pilots are often just as interested in our trucks as we are their helicopters. I guess curiosity about the grass on the other side of the fence is a common military thing after all.

Over all things are going well for the 1133rd. from what I have heard from the other platoons. At the beginning of the month we started pulling missions and so far we’ve been quite busy, which is good because as nice as Arifjhan is to visit some of us certainly would prefer not to live there. Besides, we’re truckers and being on the road is what we do best…just like flying is for the pilots we’ve met.

Everyone be safe, and rest assured that the soldiers are too.

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(Photo of a Blackhawk coming in for a landing at an American base in Iraq during sunset.)