BALAD AIR BASE, Iraq –
Maj. Ryan Krietsch
Home Unit: Air Combat Command Headquarters A3TO
Location: Balad Air Base, Iraq
What do you do? Air Planner for Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force
What's a day in the life like ... while in Balad? I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you.
What will you remember about your deployment 20 years from now? Separation from family was the only difficult thing
What's the most useful item you packed? Bible
When did you realize you "weren't in Kansas anymore;" aka your "Dorothy" moment? Air Mobility Command Pax terminal in Norfolk
What has been the highlight of your tour? Unlimited cartons of Cookies & Cream ice cream
What's the best part of the deployment? Skype - I want to hug whoever invented that. Helps tremendously.
The worst part? Family separation
What new survival skill have you learned? Jamming plastic knives into snack pack milk to create an opening larger than the little straw hole (it's the only milk we have)
What do you do during down time? Pray, read, eat, workout, repeat
What is the first thing you will do when you return? Hug my family
What is the first thing you will eat when you return? A large steak, medium rare and a very large beer
What insight/experience will you take away from your time over there? Working with the Army is a new experience (square peg, round hole analogy).
What do you miss the most? Watching "Elmo's World" with my children (due to the resulting peace vs. my personal enjoyment of "Elmo")
How is your job that you are doing now different from the job back stateside? Basically the same except for the bad guys, bombs and dust storms.
Have you tried the local cuisine? If by local you mean DFAC, the answer is yes. The Asian contractors who make the food make an awesome chicken curry (minus the little bones)
What do you think about what you hear on the news from what is going on stateside? Obviously there is much in the news to be sad about, but I feel very good about our people being free to exercise their disapproval (or approval) of every issue going on in the U.S. I think the health care open forum debates are a good example.
Do you have plans for any extra money that you might be making from this deployment? I already spent it on my house purchased in 2005
About when are you to return? Mid January 2010