Nightmare in Qatar

So the plans to travel to Djibouti shifted at the last minute. We had to be packed out, bags loaded and staged in order to fly out at midnight as opposed to 1000 the next day. This of course did not happen on schedule. We lifted off at 0100 onboard 1 of 5 C-130 Hercules in the United States Air Force. It was the most uncomfortable flight in my life(roughly 90 minutes in length) not to mention half my body was asleep from the vibration.

We touched down in Qatar and were bused to customs where we started filling out paperwork to be processed into the country. Our Senior Leadership failed to brief them that we were flying out on another flight at 0300. A flight that we would not be able to make considering we touched down at 0230. In Qatar you can be sent to jail for possessing pornography. This includes actual nudity magazines, or magazines that show women scantly clad such as Maxim, FHM and Stuff for example. Even some fitness magazines are considered controversial.

So naturally if you possess any of the listed material you have to purge your collection, computer and mp3 players of such material. Which caused a great panic in many of the men and women. So they collect our CAC cards and orders and begin to process us into the country while they continue the brief. Eventually they find out that we were supposed to already have boarded a plane and left the country. They turned tail and began to correct there mistake and process us out of the country. Our bags which had been neatly stacked were torn out of the stacks and thrown about in preparation of being searched by customs.

Once the situation was corrected we were ushered from tent to tent before boarding our flight. Now we were told we were flying on a C17(or was it 14) anyways as we walk up the airport tarmac we are greated by our plane another C-130.

Now a C-130 is not a very comfortable plane, it is ment more for cargo and hauling items. This plane was outfitted with cargo netting, straps and steel benches for seats. While flying it is loud to the point you have to wear earplugs. Warm enough to require constant hydrating and uncomfortable enough that you cannot sleep in it because you are butt to nut with someone else next to you. Then factor in that the flight is 6 ½ hours long. Needless to say I’ve been off the plane for 12 hours now. My ear feels clogged and I’m at partial hearing in it because of what feels like swimmers ear. Hopefully it will clear up soon, so here is to hoping.

In reflection I leave this sage piece of advice: Steer clear of Qatar at all possibility.