Hot Cuz I'm Deployed!

[TrunkMonkey]

So I am sitting here waiting to leave for my second deployment. I've got about two hours to go. The bags are packed and I need something productive to do, so I thought I'd pass along a few of my hard-won lessons learned in case they help anyone else physically/mentally prepare for deployment. I will caveat that I am not a flyer (Intel-O), and I have never deployed on a ship, so I'll try and keep this as general as possible.

- Call the bank and let them know you're deploying. They'll usually reduce your credit card interest rate to 4% or so. For USAA, if you're awarded the Iraq/Afghanistan Campaign Medal, they reduce it even further.
- About two weeks prior to a deployment, you are officially on the "pointy end of the spear". At this point your shop/division WILL get what it needs from the Wing. Maybe not exactly what you want or the way you want it, but they will for sure patch together the solution at the last minute no matter how much it seems like they will not.
- Mail is free from a combat zone - you don't need stamps. Just write "Free Mail" where you'd usually put the stamp
- Things worth their weight in gold - Nintendo DS, small Leatherman tool, WetOnes baby wipes, 550 cord, duct tape, computer with ready access to amazon.com
- On military flights, pack extra T-shirts, underwear, baby wipes, and shampoo/soap in your carry-on. If the plane breaks and your sea bag is palletized/sealed up with weapons or classified, the load master will not let you get it. Sometimes those planes break for a LONG time.
- Get the smallpox shot in advance if possible. It gets gross and drippy as it heals and makes some people really sick with flu-like symptoms. It's easier to deal with all that in the comfort of your own home.
- Say one good-bye to your significant other/family, and make that it. Once you've said good-bye, just keep walking away. Dragging out good-bye either in person or over the phone makes everyone miserable.

Anyway, that's all I've got right now. Feel free to add your own thoughts or dispute anything I've said!

 

[phrogpilot73]

Say one good-bye to your significant other/family, and make that it. Once you've said good-bye, just keep walking away. Dragging out good-bye either in person or over the phone makes everyone miserable.

I would tend to agree with this one, but only in person. When I did my last deployment, PSW was headed to Baghdad shortly after I got underway. When I finally got to Onslow Beach so I could "hurry up and wait" for the LCAC's, I called her a couple of times. Why? Because with both of us deployed, the chances to talk via anything other than email were probably going to be far and few between (I thought). Turns out that when you deploy as someone that's sorta important in the green zone, you get a cell phone - so I could call her whenever I wanted... And of course, when the ship went into comm lockdown, we had the SIPR to communicate...

 

[skidkid]

The oozy drippy smallpox sore and the one good good-bye to a signifigant other are for the most part in conflict. Getting smallpox in theater sucks but not as much as having it while trying to enjoy the company of the fairer sex. Just a thought.

Crocs are the best in theater shower shoes ever made, believe it.

 

[squeeze]

OIF Deployment Lessons Learned...

...in no particular order.

• Good shower shoes are key (MCX black plastic ones do not count as 'good').
• A bath robe is pretty handy.
• Take a laptop. Chances are you'll have internet access (AA has it in the cans), but be careful. Boredom + lots of money + Amazon.com (who, btw, get stuff to Iraq in 7-10 days) can be dangerous.
• Take a headset with a mic for the laptop. Free phone calls via skype or YIM/GoogleTalk/AIM w/ above internet access.
• Take a large external HDD. 500gb should be seen as a minimum. Share drives in theater are amazing.
• Don't pack too much in the way of toiletries. Just enough to cover your trip and an initial settling period. There is so much care-package stuff to be had for free.
• Take white socks. For some reason, lots of people got athlete's foot and switching to white socks helped immensely (myself included). Also, Gold Bond foot powder is huge.
• Good sunglasses. Iraq/Kuwait (and probably the rest of that whole shitty region) is the brightest place on Earth. Take Croakies (or equivalent) for them. Sunglasses go on/off so often you risk damaging them.
• Baby wipes are huge as well, but the exchanges sell them and care packages always have them, so avoid the urge to pack a 6 month supply.
• Avoid the urge to pack every bit of 'oorah gear.' If, as an aircrewman, you really need a FLC with grenade pouches, they'll probably be plenty of them lying around. On the same note, unless you are a grunt (or a skid pilot), avoid the temptation to buy a bunch of tacticlol stuff because you're going to the shit.
• Smallpox is annoying no matter when you get it. At least if you get it stateside, you'll be more immune to all those nasty mofos who leave smallpox band-aids in the showers.

That's all I can think of off the top of my head. I'll add more as I remember.

 

[Mumbles]

these are gay!!
and gold bond is better to put on yur nuts.

 

[mb1k]

Crocs are the best in theater shower shoes ever made, believe it.

Yeah ...but nothing screams "gay guy" like a pair of Crocs™

 

[squeeze]

Yeah ...but nothing screams "gay guy" like a pair of Crocs™

Crocs makes flip-flops smart guys.

 

[FlyinSpy]

Here's a couple OEF (specifically Bagram) lessons learned:

-December and January can be damn cold - when the guy you are relieving says "A good sleeping bag and an electric blanket are mandatory", you should listen to him.
-North Face camp boots work extremely well, unless you like snow squishing thru the toes of your shower shoes as you walk to the shower.
-Hadjinet in your B-huts works well, except you have to pay for the $100/month level of service to get sufficient bandwidth to make Skype work.
-Good rug deals are to be had at the bazaar - held every Friday
-The guns you can buy at the bazaar are pretty much all fakes - nice, but fake
-I'm not sure the Air Force is on the same team as the rest of us
-Not as many care packages float around as I saw in Al Asad (other than the ones your own families send), but they have two decent Exchanges that have pretty much everything you need
-...except Navy uniform stuff - make sure you have whatever you need before departing
-Chow is KBR standard stuff; they have excellent fresh fruits & vegetables, though - I ate "5 a day" for the first time in a long time
-Running can be hard - it's dusty, the roads have lots of trucks, no shoulder to speak of in a lot of places.
-The views are spectacular!

 

[gaijin6423]

What about Kandahar? I'll be spending about 1.5 months there before heading to (even) less friendly locales.

 

[Scoob]

What about Kandahar? I'll be spending about 1.5 months there before heading to (even) less friendly locales.

Might as well be the dark side of the moon, compared to Bagram. But the dark side of the moon in a good way; Bagram is very much the blunt end of the tip of the spear.

As an IA aviator, update any expired NATOPS NASTP quals before you gog. You never know when a good deal hop will present itself, only to be squashed by the required 3-star waiver for an ejection seat qual.

 

[MasterBates]

That is exactly why I renewed EVERYTHING, not just the quals I need now, when I was at ASTC for my 4 year renew.

Never know what will present itself to be flown, but I got the ASTC qual for it!

 

[Single Seat]

J.G. Write often.

Big thing I learned for those freakin' MAC flights, bring a Hammock. Loadmaster will even find a place to put it up for you. A sleeping bag is a must as well for C-130's (especially 8+ hours).

 

[phrogpilot73]

Big thing I learned for those freakin' MAC flights, bring a Hammock. Loadmaster will even find a place to put it up for you. A sleeping bag is a must as well for C-130's (especially 8+ hours).

That's good advice for assault support helo pilots as well. You can easily string one up in the cabin of a Phrog or Shitter, and it makes for a good night's sleep if you're staying in the Boeing/Sikorsky Hotel...

 

[snake020]

I'd bring extra foot spray. They ran out when I was at Al Udeid, and a lot of places on the internets would not ship it because it was in an aerosol can.

 

[TrunkMonkey]

P.M. - I'll hit you up on SIPR when I get there
New lessons:
6 pack at Canadian exchange - 9+ dollars
Last beer before deployment - priceless