Loving the Wild Blue Yonder

With short notice, Jack and I were able to get on a C-17 flying from Ramstein Air Base in Germany to Dover Air Force Base, Delaware....with a hitch. The flight would first go to Fort Campbell, Kentucky and have a 16 hour layover for the crew to rest. We decided to take the flight anyway, eager to get back to the States. Jack had been fussy all leading up to the flight, but the minute the van pulled up next to the huge aircraft, he was enthralled. The jet was loaded with lots of Army cargo and two Army soldiers in addition to us. We took our seats on the side-facing cargo seats and Jack fell asleep during the loud and rough take off. The flight was 10 1/2 hours, but felt much shorter. Jack basically had free reign of the aircraft and enjoyed running up and down the side aisles and letting his matchbox cars roll down the slope. One of the Army troops lent us a mat and sleeping bag, which we set up on the side of one of the connex containers. We were able to take two naps - which really only totalled about 3 hours of the long flight!

When we arrived in Kentucky, we sat on the plane and watched the cargo get unloaded. Jack was mesmorized by that and by the big Army Air Assault Chinook helicopters flying all over! We thought the plane might get to go on to Dover right away (a 1 1/2 hour flight) but the crew was ordered to stay put for the night and get some rest. Thankfully, they adopted Jack and me as part of the crew...Major Jesse Baker was the pilot, he had two first lieutenants as co-pilots and one staff sergeant as the load master. All of them fell in love with Jack, especially Lt. Dunlop who has a son just younger than Jack. The crew let us tag along with them to the hotel, where we got our own room and rested well, knowing we wouldn't miss the flight since the aircrew knew us personally. Jack slept pretty well, we had a GREAT continental breakfast at the hotel (I had been craving an American breakfast!) and when Jack started to follow the pilots out the door, an older couple said, "Oh look how sweet...he thinks he is going with them!" I said, "We ARE going with them!"

The flight to Dover was quick and Jack slept the whole way. The plane was empty except for us, our bags and the aircrew bags...our own personal C-17! It was a great experience and I am so utterly thankful that I still can have a tie to the Air Force family that I love.

We are now in Dover - happy to be here. Everything seems familiar, yet kind of surreal. After living here four years but being away for three, it is a strange feeling. Jenny and her two kids Katie and Casey are taking good care of us and Jack is in toy heaven with all the new things to play with! We got a new camera today, so pictures to follow! Thankfully, the loadmaster took a few pictures for us with his I-Phone so we would have some photo memories of our trip!