No Buddy Left Behind: Bringing U.S. Troops' Dogs and Cats Safely Home From the Combat Zone by Terri Crisp; C. J. Hurn Page B
Authors: Terri Crisp; C. J. Hurn
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again."
In spite of my exhaustion, I didn't sleep well that night. I was too excited to close my eyes; the anticipation of the next day's adventure kept me rooted at my window, where I spent much of the night gazing at my limited view of Kuwait.
After a breakfast of cucumbers, tomatoes, olives, feta cheese, and flat bread, I returned to my claustrophobic room with seven hours to kill. I was tempted to go back to the airport and get a visa so I could see more of Kuwait but decided to play it safe. I didn't want to risk missing my flight if something were to go wrong.
Meanwhile I was bored. Nothing held my attention. I turned on the TV only to find the movie My Best Friend's Wedding playing in Arabic. I tried writing but couldn't concentrate. What really drove me crazy was not being able to communicate with Eddie and the security team. Without Internet or a way to phone them, I had no clue if Charlie had even been picked up.
Only six hours togo...
Five hours and twenty-two minutes ...
Four hours, ten minutes....
Finally it was time to return to the terminal! Once again the shuttle and signs were my allies, guiding me to the Gryphon passenger check-in counter. When I spotted "Baghdad" on the departure board, the realization hit me full throttle. I was about to fly into a country at war.
As I greeted the agent and gave him my passport, my hand was trembling from excitement.
"I need your DOD CAC, please."
"My what? I have no idea what you're talking about."
"You need a Department of Defense Common Access Card in order to enter Iraq."
"I won't be staying in Iraq," I said, trying not to panic. "I'm only flying to the airport to pick up a dog, and then I'm coming right back. I won't even be getting off the plane."
"Oh, you're the Dog Lady!" His reassuring smile washed over me. "I heard you'd be flying with us tonight. Glad to have you aboard."
Promoted from a regular passenger to an expected VIP with the title "Dog Lady," I took my briefcase and my new status, proceeded to the gate, and settled on the plane.
The flight attendant had just finished demonstrating the usual safety procedures with seat belt, oxygen, and flotation device. This routine was one I could deliver myself, having seen it at least a hundred times on journeys to and from major disasters.
"When we begin our descent over Baghdad ..
I gazed out the window.
"... in order to avoid detection from unfriendly forces on the ground ..."
Now the flight attendant had my undivided attention.
"... we will turn off all interior and exterior lights."
The next announcement was one I had never heard on any flight I'd ever taken.
"As we enter Baghdad airspace, we will remain at eighteen thousand feet, beyond the range of weapons. Once we are immediately above the airport, the aircraft will begin a corkscrew landing, which involves flying a tight circle while making a steep descent. During the landing approach, which should take approximately ten minutes, all passengers must remain in their seats with belts securely fastened."
As I visualized our plane descending the equivalent of a spiral staircase, I double-checked the tightness of my seatbelt and threw in a short prayer as an added precaution against surface-to-air missiles. "Please, God, if they shoot, let them miss."
As I leaned back against the seat, the thrust of engines lifted us into the sky. It suddenly hit me-I was less than an hour away from meeting Charlie. I imagined that Eddie must be sweating bullets by now. If only he could sense that in the darkness of the star-filled sky above the desert, our souls were meeting somehow and wrapping a protective shield around his beloved dog.
About fifty minutes into the flight, all the lights went out. Even the illuminated "No Smoking" and "Fasten Seatbelts" signs vanished in the dark. The sensation of flying in a pitch-black cabin reminded me of an amusement park ride. I nearly started to giggle, but when the corkscrew descent began, I knew this was no
In spite of my exhaustion, I didn't sleep well that night. I was too excited to close my eyes; the anticipation of the next day's adventure kept me rooted at my window, where I spent much of the night gazing at my limited view of Kuwait.
After a breakfast of cucumbers, tomatoes, olives, feta cheese, and flat bread, I returned to my claustrophobic room with seven hours to kill. I was tempted to go back to the airport and get a visa so I could see more of Kuwait but decided to play it safe. I didn't want to risk missing my flight if something were to go wrong.
Meanwhile I was bored. Nothing held my attention. I turned on the TV only to find the movie My Best Friend's Wedding playing in Arabic. I tried writing but couldn't concentrate. What really drove me crazy was not being able to communicate with Eddie and the security team. Without Internet or a way to phone them, I had no clue if Charlie had even been picked up.
Only six hours togo...
Five hours and twenty-two minutes ...
Four hours, ten minutes....
Finally it was time to return to the terminal! Once again the shuttle and signs were my allies, guiding me to the Gryphon passenger check-in counter. When I spotted "Baghdad" on the departure board, the realization hit me full throttle. I was about to fly into a country at war.
As I greeted the agent and gave him my passport, my hand was trembling from excitement.
"I need your DOD CAC, please."
"My what? I have no idea what you're talking about."
"You need a Department of Defense Common Access Card in order to enter Iraq."
"I won't be staying in Iraq," I said, trying not to panic. "I'm only flying to the airport to pick up a dog, and then I'm coming right back. I won't even be getting off the plane."
"Oh, you're the Dog Lady!" His reassuring smile washed over me. "I heard you'd be flying with us tonight. Glad to have you aboard."
Promoted from a regular passenger to an expected VIP with the title "Dog Lady," I took my briefcase and my new status, proceeded to the gate, and settled on the plane.
The flight attendant had just finished demonstrating the usual safety procedures with seat belt, oxygen, and flotation device. This routine was one I could deliver myself, having seen it at least a hundred times on journeys to and from major disasters.
"When we begin our descent over Baghdad ..
I gazed out the window.
"... in order to avoid detection from unfriendly forces on the ground ..."
Now the flight attendant had my undivided attention.
"... we will turn off all interior and exterior lights."
The next announcement was one I had never heard on any flight I'd ever taken.
"As we enter Baghdad airspace, we will remain at eighteen thousand feet, beyond the range of weapons. Once we are immediately above the airport, the aircraft will begin a corkscrew landing, which involves flying a tight circle while making a steep descent. During the landing approach, which should take approximately ten minutes, all passengers must remain in their seats with belts securely fastened."
As I visualized our plane descending the equivalent of a spiral staircase, I double-checked the tightness of my seatbelt and threw in a short prayer as an added precaution against surface-to-air missiles. "Please, God, if they shoot, let them miss."
As I leaned back against the seat, the thrust of engines lifted us into the sky. It suddenly hit me-I was less than an hour away from meeting Charlie. I imagined that Eddie must be sweating bullets by now. If only he could sense that in the darkness of the star-filled sky above the desert, our souls were meeting somehow and wrapping a protective shield around his beloved dog.
About fifty minutes into the flight, all the lights went out. Even the illuminated "No Smoking" and "Fasten Seatbelts" signs vanished in the dark. The sensation of flying in a pitch-black cabin reminded me of an amusement park ride. I nearly started to giggle, but when the corkscrew descent began, I knew this was no
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