Flying in the Face of Fear

Chapter 9RECOGNIZE, CONFIRM, RECOVER

“Whether outwardly or inwardly, whether in space or time, the farther we penetrate the unknown, the vaster and more marvelous it becomes.”

—Charles Lindbergh

Figure 9.1 75th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, during Operation Enduring Freedom.

INTO THE UNKNOWN

Life at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan in 2005 was drastically different from my first experience there in 2002. I walked into the Air Force compound and was shocked to see the change from a few wide‐open tents to a substantial compound with hard billets, tents on the inside with plywood frames on the outside for additional protection. In 2002, I was in one tent with officers and enlisted men and women. I stared at the sign on the outside of my tent that proclaimed, “Female Officers.” I would now unfortunately be separated from my squadron. Another big change was that there were no longer Afghans on the base working in our facilities since the United States had closed work access to the base due to security concerns. There were a lot more rules and regulations. We had to wear reflective belts everywhere we went because there were now so many vehicles on the base. There were some positive changes in living conditions, too. Instead of MREs (meals ready to eat), we now had chow halls and even a base exchange where we could buy supplies, coffee, or burgers. ...