A Little Dusty

We have been pretty busy out here flying 5-6 hours a day doing what we love doing the most--supporting the ground guys! Lately though, it has been pretty dusty. So much so that we were unable to launch our morning teams becaus of the limited visbility. I'm on the morning shift so I had two days to get everything ready to fly and then wait and patiently hope the skies would clearso that we could get out and up and do our job. Tonight there was a beautiful sunset and the weather has finally pushed through so tomorrow we should be back in the ball game!

Me in the aircraft after I ran out there to make sure th doors were on and the covers on the sensitive equipment. The dust gets everywhere!
For my APART flight the other day I got to shoot some of the more entertaining versions of the 2.75 inch Hydra Rockets that we fly around with. I shot some illum rockets that lit up a whole grid square and then some white phosphorous (every little kids dream, the jolt in the aircraft as the solid fuel rocket booster ignites followed by the whoosh of the rocket screaming 2,000 ft/sec at the target and then the fire works display explosion that shoots flaming trailes of "willy pete" in a star-like dispersion incinerating all in its path. Under night vision goggles its a sight to behold.) We wrapped it up with some flachete rockets that airburst above the target and rain hundreds and hundreds of fin stamped nails onto the target area. Needless to say that if I were a bad guy that's the last thing I'd want those "mosquito" helicopters (that's what the bad guys call us) to be packing.
Notice in this pic I'm a 1LT and have no combat patch...not for long!

Your eyelashes are great dust collectors. I never knew that!
Unloading the .50 cal, I do love those belts of armor-piercing explosive tip tracer rounds.
The "Avenger" wasn't using its .50 cal so we stole it for the Kiowa Warrior. That's pretty much the story of our airframe...the red headed stepchild of Army Aviation.

The Air Force weather guys were saying the weather was clearing up. A step outside proved that forecast to be the exact opposite of reality. I'm sure they are doing their best...but seriously lets take a look out the window fellas.

We typically fly our aircraft at its limits and know that every pound counts. So its a bummer when sand accumulates inside and on the aircraft because that's essentially wasted weight that could have been .50 rounds or more fuel. Our crew chiefs are studs though and they keep our birds as clean as they can be in this "moon dust" environment we live in!

How many blackhawks can you count?

You can see my beloved kiowa...but the hangars behind it, not so much.

This is our equipment storage area. That black fridge is a lifesaver! Nothing in this world is quite as refreshing as the cold sweet and life sustaining nectar that is bottled water.

Yep, we couldn't really see through our windscreen so probably not th best idea to go flying.

This is what pilots do when they are not flying. We usually will quiz each other on random facts we should know on the helicopter and try not to let the boredom settle in.

This is our Command Post. There on the right side are the crossed sabers and "Condors" logo of our troop. We are proud to be the "infantry in the sky" as the ground guys here call us. It is often sureal being a part of this effort but much like when I was serving a mission in Brazil I have a sense of peace in my heart that I am serving exactly where I am meant to be at this time.

I miss and love my beautiful wife and boys and can't wait to see them again. Thanks so much for the packages and for the letters, prayers, fasts, and support. It means the world to me and my family. The troopers here are in good spirits and we are all thankful to be fighting in the service of our beloved country. Never take advantage of the blessings and freedoms that are so common stateside. America is the promised land.

I'm pretty sure this isn't his room building or anything. I'm guessing it is his company's building.