Orders

Thursday 7 August 2008
1815

Finally! My orders arrived overnight and were waiting in my email when I woke up this morning. They could not have been any later and still been on time. I am now assigned to a different UIC (Unit Identification Code) within USARCENT. An interesting thing about this set of orders is that instead of being deployed in support of OIF (Operation Iraqi Freedom) I am deployed in support of OEF (Operation Enduring Freedom, i.e. Afghanistan). I am still far in the rear away from the actual combat, but I think it’s interesting that I’m now aligned under the effort in Afghanistan.

Today was a flurry of last-minute activity. I was pared down to the amount of stuff I can carry, plus a couple of last-minute boxes to mail. One of these contained a bunch of books for my younger daughter to read, plus a t-shirt I had forgotten I’d bought, but found when cleaning out my room. Since it happened to be her size, she got it! The other box was a bunch of cleaning stuff that I needed to use to clean my room. I added up the cost and it was cheaper to pay the $7.50 to mail it to Qatar than to toss it all and buy replacement stuff.

So I final-packed *everything*, then cleaned the room to prepare to clear. Once that was done I went and mailed the boxes. After lunch I cleared housing and put all my stuff in the truck, then cleared Battalion HQ, closed out my email accounts, turned in my FMO keys and access badge and signed out. I am officially “not here” – I am a transient in travel status.

Someone in NG/ARA advised me to go to Finance with a copy of my orders, and I am glad I took their advice. Because my orders were so late, and I was scheduled to demobilize, they had already stopped a lot of my pay. Under normal circumstances my new orders would have been routed to them in time to prevent this. By hand carrying my new orders to them today (the day my current mobilization orders ended), I was able to prevent the final cutoff and ensure that at least my base pay will continue. A lot of the allowances and special incentive pay will have to catch up with me later, because it was too late to reverse the processes that had stopped them. But at least I will get a paycheck of some kind on 15 August – my concern was that I would get nothing. Of course, this being the Army, that is still possible. But I’ve done what I could.

After that I went and signed into the transient barracks, got assigned a bunk in an open bay, and drew linen from supply (pillow, 1 each; pillowcase, 1 each; sheets, 2 each; blanket, wool, olive green, 1 each). The setup is very similar to the barracks we stayed in during Annual Training in Korea. In fact, it’s very similar to any Army barracks anyplace (funny how that works!). I’m now sitting on my bed since there are no chairs or tables in this bay. There are some out in the common areas, and I may go there later, but this is OK for now.

Tomorrow I’ll wake up, turn in linen, sign out, and catch the early bus to Ali Al Salem Air Base. From there I’ll go through the process to get on a plane to Qatar, where I hope someone from my new command will meet me and show me where to go. I wasn’t able to contact anyone there today – they waited until my orders came to assign anyone to contact me, but of course by then it was too late because I was so busy clearing. I did get a message from someone and I’ll try to call them tomorrow from Ali. There ought to be plenty of down time there for me to call and get in contact with someone.

There is no way to know when I will get a flight. I will be on standby with a low priority. R&R is first, then emergency leave, then TDY, and finally redeploying soldiers (which is what I am). So if the flights are crowded I could be at Ali for a week or more just waiting.

I plan to just kind of relax tonight and try to get some sleep, since it is likely to be an exhausting few days. Once I get to Camp As Sayliyah in Qatar, I will want to turn around and leave as soon as possible, so I can get home. At least then I’ll be on leave and should have a higher priority for a flight. With some luck on catching flights I may yet make it home by early next week!

Mood: Ready to go
Music: Mozart: Le Nozze de Figaro