Fittingly, Ft. Bliss!!!!!!

I am back on the ground in my own country to Ft. Bliss Texas and it is a good feeling. For all military members and spouses who know that once you move via transport you lack communication, and also are so into the travel and the cattle truck mentality that you forget about that piece. We got in here at 3pm yesterday after leaving Kuwait at 5am Kuwait time the 29th. We hd our customs brief 12 hrs prior to our departure and of course the planes was delayed for 3 hours so no sleep as we were locked down after going through customs. Curt and I volunteered for baggage detail for the flight cause you get to sit in the front of the plane and space yourselves out. I was able to get about 5 or 6 total hours of sleep on the plane as we trekked through Shannon, Ireland and Bangor, Maine. Both BEAUTIFUL places to land I can tell you that. I WAS able to pick me up 3 bottles of the finer Irish Whiskey and cool souvineers from BOTH places. Bangor Maine is famous for having this greeting commitee and they do it with style. They had a couple classes of Elementary kids there to greet us as well as about 100 other volunteers to cheer us on. Great people in Bangor! Ireland, well, they talk just like the movies and that was cool cause it it one of my favorite accents.
We ended up coming right into Biggs Army Airfield as we caught a day later flight but avoided the hassle of going through Ft. Dix and then taking commercial flights to our DEMOB sites.
We went on a plane with another unit from El Paso, and when we got to Biggs it was red carpet treatment with all their families, Generals, media, and firetrucks, bagpipes and motorcycle escort on the runway! 1st Class I can tell you that, and it was hard not to get choked up seeing the families greet their servicemembers.
Unfortunatley I got the Kuwaiti Krud a week too late, and Curt was ill in Kuwait and it got me starting on the plane. Whatever though, just have to work through it! A lot of peeps get the Krud in Kuwait cause the air is crappy and not like Iraq. Got it coming and got it leaving.
I should get home about next Tuesday as the process here will take about 2 more business days than expected. LTC Spear and I rented a Nissan Maxima for us all to get around in, and are staying at the Bliss Inn so it feels a little more like the states to decompress.
I will write more about my trip as the days go here, and what it was like to take that trek.
Thanks for ALL the support so far and kids and Mis, I miss you guys and Love You, I will be home not to lonng from now OK!
Later,
Erik