Good To Sea: November in Kuwait

Seeing as it's already 8 days into December, I should probably give everyone an update from this side of the world. November started with some good flight hours, and for a while, it looked like I was going to keep the average going and break the 25 hour mark for the month, but about halfway through, the mission pace slowed down quite a bit. It's definitely a good thing overall, with less people needing our help, but from our perspective, we'd like a few more opportunities to fly. Sometimes it's tough to say what we really hope for!
I definitely got settled into a routine out here last month, but there haven't been quite as many "firsts" as in the last post. I've managed to fly a few more MEDEVACs but most of my hours have been spent getting the new crews ready to stand the alert, flying out to the boat to keep us current on ship landings, and a flight or two just to make sure everyone is getting enough hours to stay sharp. It's crazy to think about, but once the next crew takes off back to San Diego, I'll be one of the "senior" pilots down in Kuwait. After only 2 months in the area, I hardly feel senior, but it's good to finally feel comfortable with the mission.
One of the more memorable flights out here was an orientation flight for the new Commanding Officer of the NAAD. She arrived in November, and spent a few days getting used to the area, getting a pass down from the old CO, and when it came to fly, I got scheduled for the task of showing her around. She's going to be good for us here, and is already instituting some changes to better the squadron. The flight was awesome, though not because anything happened, but rather that I was the HAC for the flight, and even though she is much more experienced in the air, she let me lead the mission. It was a very uneventful flight, which is always good, and I tallied a few more hours for the month. As far as operational missions, I got to fly with my roommate Justin on a MEDEVAC, and was part of the first mission for Zach, one of the new copilots from SD. Before you ask, yes, he did buy pizza in the chicken suit already. There was a pretty good run for a week or so where it seemed like every night was a Pizza Night.
So yes, we're definitely still having our share of fun. The wiffle ball games are still going strong, and we've managed to reduce the number of people hitting the concrete floor to a more acceptable level, though a few bruises still come out of each game it seems. There hasn't been a concert on the main stage in quite a while, but right around the last post, I got to catch the last half of a performance by "DJ Skribble" and "Naughty by Nature." Both of them were more popular around my 10th birthday, but it was still fun to hear some loud music and see another side of the troops out here for a couple of hours (though in all fairness, the concert only lasted about an hour).
The big night last month was Thanksgiving. I wasn't sure what to expect for festivities, but I was pleasantly surprised with everything Kuwait had to offer. I had the day off, which for the first time, meant I didn't have to go into work all day long. I decided to start the holiday in true Dolan fashion, and wake up for a 6am 5k Race. I managed to set a new Kuwait best time for myself, but it took almost more energy than I had to spare. Rest assured I went back to bed until sauntering over to the DFAC by about noon for a good old fashioned government meal. They had a huge spread, and decorated the building from floor to ceiling with some good "home" style streamers and pictures. Cranberry sauce was definitely on the menu, and though most people gave me strange looks for serving myself a whole bowl, I didn't think twice before polishing it off... along with a healthy serving of shrimp. Not quite like at home, but close enough for government work I suppose.
After digesting that by way of a 2 1/2 hour nap, we picked up a couple 6 packs of NA-Beer and headed to Nicole's trailer for Thanksgiving Part II. Zach and Nicole had picked up a turkey and had the rest of the trimmings sent out just in time for the big day. I've never tried grilling a whole turkey before, but it turned out delicious. Nice and juicy, and the microwave version of the rest turned out good enough to fill our bellies again. Those of us who weren't on duty hung around and watched TV for a while, and then I got back to the trailer to call home. The internet was actually working pretty well, and despite a pixeled version of the scene, I got to say hi to the whole crowd back in Utah from half a world away. I can't wait until I can actually make it back for another holiday season, but I suppose the internet will have to do this year.
The workout schedule is as fast and furious as ever. It's much different than last deployment where I was lucky to get 2 or 3 days in the gym a week, but I already feel like I'm in much better shape than when I arrived. It's great to have a group of guys to join up with so that I can push myself more than I would on my own. They'll be moving up North when I do, so it looks like the program will continue for the next few months.
I'll post the new set of pics and try to add captions to fill in the gaps that I may have missed.

Flying towards Iraq... it gets greener up north

A look to the back

Smile!

A cloudy sky above Kuwait

Another sunrise on the flight line. It'd be worse waking up that early if it wasn't so gorgeous.

Training with the new ambulance crews at the TMC (troop medical center) Pad.

Awaiting the next "patient" during the training

A view from the control tower

EMT's practicing their walk

AWS2 Minchew and his "Captain" pose

Panoramic view of the base from the tower. Our Trailer Park is towards the left side of the picture (just below the tower in the background) and work is obscured by the big hangar in the foreground on the right.