21 Hours

Day 12 – Thu 15/3/2012

Today I returned from my first official week vacation, although some people called it a gift and not the first “vacation project”, but nevertheless I call it A Vacation.

I got up early, around dawn to get ready and eat a small breakfast before I go, this time it wouldn’t be my dad who will drive me there, because he’s on a business trip in Ismailia and he’s going to get back today then he will go to Alexandria next Monday.

I arrived at the airbase a bit early and I went through minor searching on the gate and we had to wait for the base commander “brigadier-general Hesham” while he was taking his morning walk from the gate to HQ before the can allow us to pass.

Foggy Days

Days 8-11

Mon 5/3/2012 – Thu 8/3/2012

 

it all started on Monday, the day we had to go back again, again like we have a choice in this matter, what was so special about this day was the sudden fog that descended on Cairo and whole Egypt it made any horizontal vision is practically zero. I was with my dad, he was driving me there and he had to go back again because he was going to Ismailia on a business trip, you see he’s the CEO of the audit department in Piraeus Bank Egypt and he sometimes goes to check on some branches with a team from his department.

Anyways, as we couldn’t see the road ahead we kept going in circles around the airbase and not seeing the gate or the walls or anything, neither did anyone, the fog was so dense and the road was practically hidden. After a couple of U-turns and couple of phone calls and by using my good old’ phone, my amazing Nokia 500 “because it has GPS and  Nokia maps” which I thank god who inspired me to take it with me that day, we managed to see the gates somehow, here’s a version of the story I heard:

“They say that some workers from a civil company called Contrack which is doing some work in the airbase, who wear that light reflection vests so they can see each other in the dark were standing on the highway so we can see them and to guide any coming vehicle to the airbase”

Days 3 – 7…Five days in a nutshell

Days 3 – 7

Sun 26/2/2012 – Thu 1/3/2012

After that short break we took, we returned back to our unit, not knowing exactly what’s going to happen or what’s going to be, although we may have had a background that we are going to be guarding some stuff over there, but are we ready for this task yet? Nop we aren’t, according to them we have to undergo some theoretical training on how to use the most popular weapon in history, the might AK-47 because it’s the main weapon of an infantry soldier
“yeah like we go to war with this junk of a weapon”.

Day 2 – Highway Adventures

Day 2 – Wed 22/2/2012

 

I spent my night on a bunk, it was so unstable and so uncomfortable, I slept on the lower part, and the mattress was sheets of wood!!! And above me was a heavy dude who slept on the mattress-less top part of the bunk, together we made the bunk more unstable, because he might fall on my head and kill me or I might try to move and make the bunk collapse on my head and die too along this imminent menace, I couldn’t sleep a damn minute on that damn thing, my back hurt like hell, my sides as well, my legs, I was shivering, it was the worst night I have spent in my whole life.

Day 1 – Deportation day, take 2

Day 1 – Tue 21/2/2012

 

Another attempt to get deported this time, hopefully there won’t be any more surprises so we won’t be delayed any longer.

We woke up around 5:00 to get ready, and it didn’t take us long, then we started our journey towards the gates waiting for our representatives.

I remember we started to move somewhere after 6:00 and we took the 7:00-ish train towards Cairo, and it was one hell of a journey from the gates towards the station, carrying heavy bags and duffle bags on our necks, walking on unpaved terrain and sand, wearing uncomfortable boots, etc..

On the train there were like millions of people standing and sitting and people coming and people going, this journey is going to be tough this way, we had to wait for many people to get off the train before we can find a place to sit.

We didn’t land in Cairo, or to be exact in Cairo’s station depot, the main station in Cairo, we landed in some station called “the institution” and we waited there for the buses that will take us to the airbase.

After a short while the buses came and we boarded them, we were so tired so we were falling asleep, until we found ourselves crossing the gates of Cairo towards Alexandria through the military police slot!!! I was terrified because if I had to pass through that lane every time I take a vacation and  to get back to the airbase I might get harassed by the MPs , so I hoped and prayed that won’t be how it’s going to be.

We reached the base somewhere in the afternoon, and we were seated in front of the security office to be checked and to get instructed and to fill in some form needed by the military security, which is something very scary for all people whether they were civilians or not.

After we finished the whole security things we marched towards our place, the 59^th ground defense battalion; an infantry unit attached to the airbase, with only one purpose and mission, protect all ground targets at any cost!!!

We reached the gate of our battalion, we dropped our luggage and the chief of staff of the base came “bearing gifts” he said that the commander of the bas has granted us a vacation till Sunday starting tomorrow; Wednesday. We were somewhere before nightfall and they told us the mess hall will be open for us now so we can eat something, of course we didn’t eat a thing since we woke up, and so we went to the mess hall to eat, we entered on 3 or 4 groups because the mess hall isn’t spacious enough for us, but the food was much better than boot camp’s mess hall.

We finished eating and we headed back to our barracks, we were randomly inserted in dorms so we can spend the night, and here’s a funny story: the bas was informed that they are going to receive 40 troops, then 80 but the actual number was 175 “112 came and the rest will take a mortar training and to be attached to the base by the end of March 2012.

So the natural result of this unexpected number of people came is that the dorms aren’t spacious enough for us too!!! And there’re no sufficient beds so we spent the night on the ground, well most of us did, and some of us spent it on mattress-less beds trying not to get a backbone ache or a slippery disk or something, it was really annoying and painful.

Day 28 – Deportation Day, Take 1

Day 28 – Mon 20/2/2012

Today we woke up as usual, or let’s say, I woke up at 5:00 totally surrendered to the shocking reality that we’re spending some time here until we’re out, what gave me hope was that I slept on a rumor saying that our representative is spending the night here and going to deport us today, so after a silly 1 hour check we were dismissed to be gathered again at 7:00 , at this point I was certain we’re going to be slaughtered until we’re rescued.

Day 27 – So it begins

Day 27 – Sun 19/2/2012

 

Woke up in the morning feeling that I’ve a cold, it wasn’t a feeling it was a fact I caught a cold!!! Like I needed it at this time.

Anyhow, we gathered a bit early today before 5:30 wearing suits that means that means that we are going to do some fitness.

Day 26 – Change of Plans

Day 26 – Sat 18/2/2012

 

Theoretically we’re supposed to have stayed a month now in boot camp, if we added the week vacation we took but like I said if we hadn’t had that vacation we might have gone mad certainly.

Today there was a slight change in plans, we’re supposed to gather in suits then we’ve been told to gather in camouflage and so it was done. The second gathering we’re supposed to gather in camouflages like the 1^st one but we’ve been told to wear the training suits so we were going to do some sports and that’s what happened: we went there and after the usual routines and protocols we had a different sort of organization they divided us into groups according to colors of our suits and we skipped the jogging part and right to stretches. Our team was supposed to play the finals today because the match was canceled yesterday due to bad weather, so Godspeed C2.

After the match we were going to be gathered again with the same manner at 9:45 or so. And so we gathered around 9:30 to go and cheer for our team but as soon as we reached the playground we’re told to bolt if we want to and so we did. And while we’re resting they told us our team lost in the final match with penalty kicks L so we lost the tournaments, kudos C8.

After that we headed for the playground to listen to the our distribution bulletin, only this time it was detailed, not only am going to serve in western Cairo airbase but also am going to be in a ground defense battalion L which means that am going to be guarding some gate or wall and carry a rifle and that’s something I wasn’t built for, but then mom and dad told me try not to worry as they will do their best and leave the rest to god, so I hope and pray that I will get attached to HQ to be near my home.

Now it’s 12:25 and there’s a rumor says that we will be gathered at 15:30!!!  Nothing big happened after that gathering actually we gathered as usual as I recall we sat at the 17:30 gathering to talk about what we heard and to ask our staff officer about anything we don’t understand then at the final gathering for some advice because there were some people out of line and need to behave, anyway we went to sleep in time to prepare ourselves for a brand new day.

Day 25 – Final Friday

Day 25 – Fri 17/2/2012

Yet another Friday in boot camp, you can say it’s the fourth Friday I’ve spent here, three without visits, and only one with visit, imagine how hard it’s to spend a whole month away from your home, your family, your friends and everything you’re used to whilst being a civilian.

Being a military personnel sucks big time, at least while you’re in boot camp, and if we hadn’t had that week vacation I think we might have gone mad, people already are getting bored, they started to fight, we’re waiting to get the hell out of here, but seems to be not before tomorrow, hopefully we’ll start to see some representatives tomorrow.

Today I woke up as usual, went out to find our fearless and ever active leader “Mohammad Hassan” standing by the flag pole, the weather seemed to be heading  towards a cloudy, windy and a cold day, we’re dismissed at 6:00 gathered at 7:30 for some cleaning and change of clothes and to be gathered again at whistle blow, but I doubt that because now it’s 10:17 and after an hour or so I’ll be heading to the mosque for Friday prayers, after that we’ll be heading to cheer for our team, go C2, woo. Today is the final match; let’s see if we can pull this thing off.

Here’s what happened next:

After we went to Friday prayers we went back for some rest waiting for the final match, even if we weren’t going to cheer or attend but we heard it was canceled and the commander of eastern aviation region canceled his visit too, so we stayed in bed or some time, they also said the bulletin will declared after 16:00 so we went to make sure and it was official, I was assigned to the western Cairo airbase a place I don’t know the slightest clue about.

The bulletin was canceled due to the bad weather and it was raining from morning till now but not continuously, now it’s somewhere around 18:15 and we’re finally set for the 20:00 check more than an hour from now.

Day 24 – Let the game begin!!!

Day 24 – Thu 16/2/2012

I woke up today not feeling anything in particular, looks like I got over the feelings I had last night, because I don’t know for sure whether or not these news are official, I guess I’ll have to wait.

Today I’m the “dorm keeper” I don’t know how to say it in English, but it’s like a shift you take to take care of our things, clean the place and tidy the beds, and so on.

I only attended the 5:30 queue and I slept till around 7:00ish, I got me a broom and started cleaning, you can’t imagine how much dust and garbage I cleaned today, yet the dorm still looking dirty to me, or maybe am being over reacting or maybe I have a hyper conscious .

Today was a good day on many basis, I got to relax in my bed for a while, we will meet C8 in the finals tomorrow morning after Friday prayers, the commander will attend the match and they say the eastern aviation region commander will attend too, so it’s going to be “legend……” wait for it……”daaaaary” Barney Stinson’s style and they say there would be a trophy and some rewards, so let’s see.

On other side of events I called my mom more than 3 times today and I called my dad for a long time I haven’t heard his voice, and I called a friend of mine.

I was betrayed and attended the 17:30 check then the 20:00, tomorrow we will be gathering in training suits, for it’s going to be a sports day.