I was more concerned with getting to my final destination, wherever it was, and finally getting more than a few minutes of sleep after days of travel, than anything else. I left Ft. Benning on a Friday, flying to Europe first, then various countries within the Middle East, to make it to Afghanistan. It was Sunday evening before I was finally headed to Bagram Air Field, the military base where I was to report. I worried that my arrival was unexpected after listening to the conversations of other Soldiers also on their way into country. My orders clearly stated I was to report for duty to the 82nd Airborne Headquarters at Bagram, where I assumed I would in-process, before traveling to Kabul for the job I volunteered for, just months ago. But from what I was piecing together, the entire 82nd Division had left days prior, replaced by the 101st Airborne Division.
Shit, I thought to myself. These guys don’t even know that I’m coming.
During my trek across the world, I met other Soldiers in similar situations as I was. We quickly banded together, trading information to see if we could glean anything from
