First Day of Flying

Well, my new rotation's first flying day was not without its series of challenges.

I do believe the old saying is, "When it rains, it pours."

Quite a few challenges with the routing and weather around the country yesterday.  A diversion, and a recovery flight with a few hours on the ground in Kandahar.

Fortunately, we were in Kandahar.  There were some issues in Kabul that forced the city to close the airport for a couple of hours, which would have occurred at our scheduled arrival time.

Safe and sound in Kandahar, even though it was frustrating, was by far the best place to be.

The Baron and the Airport both went into Lockdown for a period of time, and the airport was closed for about 2 hours.

Well, that's the reality of the situation over here these days.  Especially during the Holy Month of Ramadan.

During Ramadan, Muslims must fast from sunrise to sunset.  No food, no water, no gum, no cigarettes, absolutely nothing can pass their lips.  Obviously in these kinds of temperatures, that can lead to fairly hostile attitudes due to fatigue, dehydration, and a number of other factors.

The religious overtones of this period of the year can also lead to issues with Radical Islamic groups.  Feeling that committing attacks at this time of the year will earn extra "brownie points" adds to the complexity and dynamics of the situation.

It's actually a trifecta of tensions right now.  Vast areas of the country in the north with mixed populations are in turmoil because of the Election of the new government.  A process that a number of people strongly feel has been tainted by corruption.  The Chief Executor of the election resigned and was recently arrested trying to flee the country.

Interesting times ahead for sure...