al Asad Air Base Attack

Fox ^ | Self

[Rocco DiPippo]

Yeah, it was pretty nuts. Because I look Arabic, I used to do a monthly solo trip to Basra to deliver cash to a site the Mahdi Army had infiltrated and staffed with its own workers. I'd meander my way there and back via a series of helicopter and fixed wing rides ending in a taxi ride in "Indian Country" to do the handoff of cash and docs. 50K cash in a backpack.

Would sometimes hop on a C-130 as part of the journey back to Baghdad. The pilots would keep that plane hugging the ground way past the end of the runway to build speed to avoid gunfire, then jack it straight up. My stomach would head straight for my assh*le when they'd yank the stick back.

But the best part of the journey was the last leg - an SAS buddy hooked me up with some Brit pilots on whose Puma choppers I'd fly. A crazy, ground hugging roller coaster of a ride over the sewage-stinking craphole known as Baghdad.

I loved it. All of it, even when I was scared and hating it.

[Rocco DiPippo]

In AFG they used washing machine/dryer timers.

[Rocco DiPippo]

Kaf or Bagram?

[paddles]

KAF

[Rocco DiPippo]

KAF sucked. Lol! I got jacked there once on the perimeter road doing 80mph. Crazy MP was screaming like a lunatic in my face from 6 inches away when he pulled me over. All I could think was WTF? - Our guys are getting blown away out there and folks here are getting maimed and killed by rockets and you're bitching about some asshole (me) breaking the speed limit? Bwahahaha!

Of all my gigs, KAF sucked - bigtime. Excellent cash but a DEI-hire sociopath boss and shitty tent living (right near the A-10 practice range) for a year. Great CO, cool coworkers and hilarious, ballbusting Air Force crew though, so that made it doable.