Directions On How To Get Home to Hawaii From Iraq
By: David Kucic RA, ABR, AHWD, e-PRO, GRI
First Sergeant, USA (Retired)
Tropic Lightning Real Estate, Oahu, Hawaii
Simple directions: Drive towards Baghdad and then head south. When you get to Kuwait turn right and keep heading west until you see a sign that says "Welcome to Hawaii". Approximate mileage: 8,406
The troops from Schofield Barracks, Hawaii on the outskirts of Mililani, Hawaii are soon on their way home after a 15 month deployment to Iraq. The Soldiers and their family members that are waiting for them could not be happier.
DO YOU THINK THESE GUYS ARE HAPPY WE ARE LEAVING?????
Getting home from Iraq is not as easy as getting on a plane and flying home as you might do when taking a family vacation to Florida, Texas or Hawaii. There are considerably more steps that must be taken before the Soldiers arrive home.
On my last tour of duty in Iraq from Jan 2004-Feb 2005, these are the steps that we went through to "get home". Things may have changed slightly but for the most part I am told that the process is almost exactly the same.
- Spend numerous days in tents that leak, have no AC, overcrowded latrines, lack of hot water and no transportation after signing the CHU's (Containerized Housing Units) over to the unit that is replacing us.
- Have all bags inspected by Military Police dogs to check for anything illegal such as explosives that may be packed in bags.
- Bags get loaded up onto pallets and sent over to the C-130 Hercules Aircraft to be loaded up. The bags are sometimes taken away and the C-130 is delayed somewhere in Iraq. That makes for some long days and nights if you must continue to wait on the aircraft and not be able to get to your sleeping bag, change of clothes and other personal stuff that is packed away in the bag which is loaded on the pallet.
- If there is no immediate airfield for the C-130 to land, you may either take a UH-60 Blackhawk Helicopter, CH-47 Chinook Helicopter or ride in the back of a military truck to get to the location where the C-130 is waiting for you.
- Once you finally get on the C-130 then you take off and if there are no stops in between, you most likely will land in Kuwait where you will get on buses and take a 1-2 hour bus ride to Camp Doha in Kuwait City.
- At Camp Doha you will stay in old warehouses for several days as you wait for your Civilian Charter Aircraft. Camp Doha is a pretty nice place and is peaceful as compared to Iraq. The mess hall is great, it has a real nicely equipped gym and has a PX and food court.
- Also at Camp Doha, you will turn in some of your TA-50 (Military Gear) that was needed to get you from Iraq to Kuwait but is no longer needed and needs to be left in Kuwait for a Soldier that will be going to Iraq. SAPI plates will be left here at Camp Doha.
- So finally, you get manifested and get on the plane to fly home. After stopping in places such as Nicosia Cyprus, Shannon Ireland, Bangor Maine, Seattle and San Francisco you finally arrive and put wheels down at Hickam AFB in Honolulu.
- Buses take you to Wheeler Army Airfield where you will turn in your weapons and other sensitive items.
- You then march in formation with the rest of your unit over to one of the hangars where your family members are patiently waiting in the bleachers.
- After standing in formation inside the hangar with your family members still unable to touch you, someone will make a very brief speech, you will sing the Tropic Lighting song and then after all that anticipation and preparation, you will be released to your family.
- This is the point when the crying starts, the kids get reunited with Daddy or Mommy and all the pain and memories of the past deployment seem to momentarily disappear as you are now in the comforting arms of people who love you and are not trying to kill you.
EVERYTHING SEEMED WORTH THE PAIN AND MISERY WHEN WE WALKED THROUGH THE DOORS OF THE HANGAR AND SAW OUR FAMILY MEMBERS AWAITING US.
God Bless America and those Soldiers that Protect our Freedom everyday.
www.davidkucic.com
mailto:david@davidkucic.com
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Hi David,
Wow! What a process, I guess I never thought about what was involved in getting home. Thank you for sharing this with us. I do have a tremendous respect for your military men and women. The sacrifices made for all of us certainly humbles me.