The day started by them taking us all out to big tent by bus and asking us after we got there “Just to make sure, you’re all going to Iraq, Afghanistan, or Kuwait, right?” – Wrong, they sent us back to the CRC and kicked us (myself and a couple people going to Egypt, etc) off the bus without further instruction. We learned that we weren’t getting any uniforms so we could go back to our rooms and wait until late morning. Then we went to some breifings, none of which applied to Europe and then stood in a line at the end of which we signed a list for people they had checked the night before to see if we had done our mandatory training. Not sure why they didn’t have us sign the list when they checked the night before, probably just so we’d have a line to stand in. In the evening we went out to the airport to bother the Delta reps about our luggage. “I believe all of your bags will be on this incoming flight, just wait and check it and come back if there not” the man said. The flight came in late, one of my bags was there. The man was gone, but a lady had replaced him so I filed my claim. So, now I have my uniforms and equipment but no civilian clothes, no shower or shaving gear, no vitamins, etc.
2008.12.27
Left Portland at 0530 on Delta, arrived in Atlanta later in the morning and went to the Delta Military Holiday Lounge. Very nice, free food and coffee, etc. No wireless unless you want to pay a bunch, but otherwise very nice. However, Delta lost a lot of points later in the day when they canceled my flight to Columbus. They tried to rebook me for Sunday but that’s not happening. I took a shuttle but when I tried to pull my bags they told me I’d be somewhere past 2600 in line to get my bags, best to let them go on tomorrows flight. So, I’m at Benning without my bags.