Hello from the other side of the world.
I arrived here in Qatar on the night of the 5th... approx 1030 pm.... We caught the rotator plane from Norfolk, VA to Shannon, Ireland to Kuwait City to Qatar.... 5 hour flight to Shannon... 2 hours down time.... 6 1/2 hour flight from Shannon to Kuwait.... 5 hours down time (don't ask!)....1 hour flight from Kuwait to Qatar. I slept most of the flights... don't sleep much here.... basically the matresses are box springs.... yep, ROCKS!
Here is the scoop... We are 8 hours ahead of you guys back home (Wisconsin time). It's actually not as bad as I thought it would be.... I work 12 hour days 9am-9pm... and the temperatures is COOLING down a bit... today was comfortable.... 105*. Its rather windy right now.... The dorm rooms are quite small... enough room for 2 beds and 2 wall lockers.... So be careful on the amount of stuff you send me.... lack of storage space.
Chow hall isn't that bad...we have one in the billeting area (Coalition Compound dorm area) that is open 24 hours... grab & go is also 24 hours (In ops area) and the other has special times during the day). Shower are max 3 minutes.... 30 second rinse, 2 1/2 minute wash down... its not that bad. Bathrooms (latrines) are called Cadillacs... dead serious!
After 6pm is quite dark... we need to wear a reflective belt.
I'm not in the Port (Aerial Port) as I previously thought I would be.... I'm in Logistics Readiness now. So, the office symbol has changed. Instead of TROL (office symbol) it is LGRRP.... everything else in the address is the same. I deal with transient personnel (people to/from Iraq/Afghanistan)... We had a whopping 1 group today... Much more slower than the port operations.
What ever you do absolutely DO NOT write Qatar on the address... it will slow the mail down and is subject to different customs.
It might be better to send email to this address.... smitsn11@gimail.af.mil.
Have a nice day back home.
Shannon
