We have shifted all operations into the LRS office… everyone has a desk, a phone extension and a place for doing not much. My productive nature consists of listening to my IPod, reading Harry Potter or walking to the Cadillac (the bathroom if you forgot). Yea, real productive. Due to the fact that I’m not in my career field, many of the topics my co-workers bring up are well above my head. Thankfully, I’ll be able to work back in the Air Transportation career field (my field of work) sometime in the near future. I have to complete a handful of required (core) tasks before I get back to the states.
We are in our off day pattern… I’m on 7 days on; 1 off, 5 days; 1 off, 4 days; 1 off, 6 days; 1 off, and finally 3 days; 1 off. Trust me, its confusing. I have a calendar posted on my wall in order to keep the days straight. November and December also have this pattern. We should be back in the Reception Center come middle of December… this is when we get the augmentee help (they’ll activate guard members to fulfill the need). The hours of operations have also changed… we are now 7am-5pm or 9am-7pm… it depends on who you are riding with (which vehicle you choose).
We do have our weekly Freedom Planes (Patriot Express) where we have to deal with passengers; however, only 2 out of the 6 people deal with the Freedom Bird, everyone else does not work it. Usually if you have off the day after (or the day of… early morning arrival), you have to work the Patriot Bird. As of right now, it sounds like we will be extended until late January/early February. I’ll probably be the last person to leave Al Udeid. Again, that pertains to the job that I’m working. The reason for the delay… Army is switching out in January along side the Air Force swap…. Army has priority over Air Force. Our commander thought it would be logical to have the 'trained' RCC personnel for the swap out... newbies are not that useful until a couple of weeks into their training.
I’ve been swimming to keep in shape… one of the Grand Forks (AFB, North Dakota) guys used to be a swimmer and we’ll try to get in the pool at the same time, if possible (when he's not flying)… I’m not a big gym person; I’ll stick with my lap swim lane. Yes, there have been times when I catch myself helping people with their swimming strokes. Swimming is the best workout.
The Grand Forks guys have ‘adopted’ me into the ‘Stratotanker club’. These guys fly KC135 Stratotankers… hence the name. (Refueling planes). Anyways, my co-workers are trying to figure out why don’t hang out with them after work or go to bed in the early hours of the morning. Time flies when you are having fun. I see my co-workers at work everyday... my flying buddies I see ONLY when they are not flying or on crew rest.
Shannon
