Helo again. It’s been awhile

Back from a break, though it wasn’t a break at all. Just been super busy at the office, what with the regular summer transition. Probably 75 percent of the staff in my little section turned over. It’s a weird thing about this job: there’s constant turnover. The larger the section, the more people come and go.

It can be sad, but at some point, you get used to it. It’s a gig where everything is temporary. In Baghdad, it’s more intense because at normal posts, people stay 2-3 years, but in Baghdad it’s 1-2. With my timing – most of the turnover is early in the summer and I arrived in late September – I’m on target to work for three bosses in two years, which, due to my weird timing, should turn out to be 26 months.

 

With the new bosses, though, comes new introductions to everything. Not just people, but procedures. And since, in Baghdad, we don’t get out much but the security people need to know the area, getting familiar with the lay of the land includes a helicopter tour of what’s known as the International Zone.

Since we’re the federal government, we go big. It’s never just one person, so we took two groups of people in a helicopter tour, and I got lucky and got a ride.

I totally love helicopters. I did the first one in Alaska, and I remember thinking I would film the takeoff and when I went to take a shot through the see-through floor, I realized we’d already taken off. It was an amazing sensation, just lifting into the air.

For this tour, I was all-in! We did about 20 minutes, and I had “coms” – headphones the pilots use to talk to each other. I – and three other people – could listen, but not talk.  It was hard to hear, but I eventually figured out when to expect “maneuvers” – we did some fun moves to get around radio towers and things.

 

One of the big things to see in Baghdad is the “Crossed Swords” monument, and there was some kind of armed forces photo op going on. There was a camera drone around somewhere and I could hear the pilots talking about it. (Obviously, we didn’t want to ruin anyone’s pictures.) Those guys were good – I never saw the thing.

Baghdad is huge. We only went over the International Zone, but there were white buildings as far as I could see. The pilot pointed out things like Route Irish and some of the sites of the presidential palaces (yes, plural). To me, it was just amazing to look down and see the Tigris, the same one that flowed in Adam and Eve’s time. I swear, I love this part of the country.

And helicopters. It was so much fun. We had two legs going and when the first group got off they were all smiles and thumbs down, saying, oh, it was awful – you don’t want to do it. I’ll take your spot. Definitely my Baghdad highlight.

I told the new boss all I need now is a photo op for me in front of Crossed Swords and I can leave! Kidding, of course, but since I don’t have a prayer of making it to the zoo and have already seen Saddam’s swinging site, Crossed Swords is my last realistic (somewhat, anyway) bucket list item.

It was a great way to wrap up my first year in Baghdad. Technically, my anniversary was September 15, but because I left for home leave on the charter flight yesterday, I had two weeks of “bonus Baghdad time.” My second year doesn’t start until I return, which is due to be October 18.

Now I’m in DC, getting ready to head to Florida just when everyone else is trying to get out. I’m due in tomorrow at 1 and have a lab appointment at 2:30 and then possibly a dentist appointment; that was scheduled for Thursday at 8 a.m. but apparently they called me this morning to reschedule. I hope I can; I need a crown.

 

My big home leave trip this time is not taking Zippy to a softball game, though; instead I’m driving her to see her brother at his son/her nephew/my cousin’s wedding. It’s in Asheville, which is cool because I’ve never been.

Unfortunately, I’ll have to drive. No helos.