So the Soldier finally got manifested on a flight last night, after spending a couple of days in the hospital at KAF. The trip from KAF to Germany was long and exhausting. But it was a pretty cool experience to see first hand the pretty awesome process that is the medevac process. Luckily for our Soldiers, the military has this down to a science.
When we left KAF we stopped at 2 others FOBs before heading to Bagram. Those flight were on C-130s. Not my most favorite aircraft. Luckily, this one was fitted for medevac, so we weren't crammed in there like my last ride on a C-130. At Bagram we transferred over to a C-17. This C-17 pretty much looked like a hospital on the inside.
We arrived at Ramstein air base here in Germany some time this morning. I'm pretty sure all together I was traveling for more than 14 hours but it really is a blur. I know I took off and landed at least 4 times last night. Germany, of course was a sight for sore eyes. And stepping off the plane this morning and breathing fresh air was definitely a welcome experience. They then transferred the full plane of medevac patients to busses, so we could set off for the hospital. The servicemembers who do this are very efficient, and I was impressed when I watched 4 petite females lift a male who had to weigh around 250 pounds up onto a bus like it was nothing.
After getting the person I was escorting all settled into the hospital, it was time for me to go find my room where I would be staying. Landstuhl is pretty much where all medevacs go out of theater. Again they have it down to a science here. It makes me feel good knowing that all the servicemembers being medevaced out of theater are being so well taken care of. They have a lodging facility right next to the hospital, and those who don't have to be admitted as an inpatient get to stay here instead of depressing hospital rooms. I know that this goes a long way to helping their morale and getting them well enough to fly home.
I don't really have anything to do while I'm here, but it is still nice to be out of Afghanistan for a while. I went and visited the Soldier I escorted up at the hospital and she is already starting to look so much better. I will most likely be here until Sunday. Once she gets on the plane to go back to hawaii, then I can try to get a flight back to Afghanistan. I'm really in no hurry, but I know it will be so much better for her to get home and heal there.
I only have one pic that I took on the C-130. I really wanted to take a pic of the inside of the "flying hospital" but I didn't want to invade anyone's privacy. So you will have to settle for one of me. I'll try to get some pics of Germany while I'm here.
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