Sharing a Sandwich on a C-130

Last year as I was making my way to my deployed destination in SW Asia, I was awaiting transportation at an air base in Qatar called Al Udeid, known by many as “the Deed”.  It is a hub where hundreds of flights come and go everyday, and it is huge.  There are hundreds of rows of tents to hold the transient travelers, a place to catch some sleep and have a shower before you travel onward, with hot white sand underfoot.

And so, I showed up at the “PAX Terminal” at my designated time, there were about 15 of us traveling in our group.  Where we were headed was a quick 45 minute flight from where we were.  So when they told us we were flying in a C-130, I was not surprised.

But when they filed us into a large warehouse looking room and gave us flak vests and helmets...I knew something had changed!  We were going to Baghdad, Iraq.  Completely in the opposite direction and out of the way, and an extra ten hours of flying....in a C-130.

And so we marched toward the plane with flak vests and helmets on, just like you see in the movies.  It was still dark and the sun was beginning to rise.  Walking in two lines on the flight tarmac, toward the opened back cargo hatch we boarded the plane.  We sat longways, (no rows or seats like in a commercial jet airliner) we sat on benches.  A C-130 is a cargo plane and there were pallets of cargo piled behind us, including all our luggage and bags. 

And so we took off, stopping shortly in Bahrain, and we continued on over the deserts of Iraq heading northeast to Baghdad.  C-130s are prop aircraft, so it took us much longer than in a jet. 

I looked out the one tiny window on the side of the aircraft.  Looking down at the ground, it was flat, and very beige.  So, this is Iraq I thought to myself.  I had been to other countries in Middle East before, but not Iraq, until this day!

Amazingly, the C-130 has a bathroom.  It is way in the rear of the aircraft, and you have to climb up to use it, and privacy is a green shower curtain looking thing that wraps around you and the toilet.  But when you gotta go, you are thankful this little toilet is there!

As we began to get close to Baghdad, the loadmasters took their places at each side of the aircraft, armed.  We were all locked in our bench netted seats with safety belts.  The plane began to turn side to side, deep turns and then began to dive.   It did what seemed like barrel rolls as we dove.  It was a sharp, sharp decline, not for a weak stomach.  We could not see out of the aircraft as there are no windows.  So it felt like we were flying in a corkscrew dive, and it was a bit dizzying!   This is called a “combat landing” and they do this to avoid or dodge any incoming bullets or artillery as we land.

We landed in Baghdad, at the main airport which is also a base.  We deplaned and as we walked across the tarmac I noticed fires on the edge of the tarmac in certain places.  The guy leading us to the PAX terminal said to us “Oh, if you hear any explosions, don’t worry about those!”

The sky looked very polluted, and I could see the tower across the runways.  The people there in the PAX looked like they had seen some long, hard combat.

We hung out at the PAX terminal a few hours, and then departed for our destination....which was another 6 hours of flying. 

I did not bring any food, as I thought our flight from Al Udeid was only going to be 45 minutes!  Now, I was getting hungry.

The young female airman that was sitting next to me unpacked a huge sandwich from her backpack.  She saw me watching her, and asked if I wanted some of it.

“Oh no, no”, I said.  “You go ahead.  But thanks for asking.”  (I did not want to take her sandwich!)

She insisted I take half, as it was quite large.  We went back and forth. Finally I accepted her offer. We conversed as we flew over Iraq, eating our sandwiches.

Dazed, hot and tired, we finally landed at our destination.  We in processed and soon began working our respective jobs.

That first Sunday upon being there, I was leading the various worship services, as I am a chaplain.    She showed up for Sunday services.  We hugged hello.

We had an instant rapport.  I heard the others ask her, “Oh, you know the chaplain?”  I heard her say, “Yes, I shared my sandwich with her!”

The rest of our deployment, we shared a special bond.  What an experience to share.... one of hospitality as she shared her sandwich, and we ate and talked as we flew over Iraq in a C-130.