Saturday May 5 – Sunday May 6, 2012

Saturday morning: Wake up, shower, shave, breakfast, pack, link up with Team 2 just back from the field after an extended stay and then off to meet the CG (commanding general). Harvey is itching to get going and has secured space for us on an outbound C-17 transport plane Kuwait.

Marine Corps Major General Gurganus, his British Deputy, and a coterie of staff officers meet us at the 1 MEF headquarters. The CG greets us each individually, presents us with his coin, we take a few photos. He then he gets back to running the war and we start the journey home. We did, indeed, make the afternoon plane to Kuwait where, after an easy 3 hour flight, we are met by some of the same Marines who were our driver/escorts during our first passage through there a week previously. The instructions that had received from their higher-ups were simple: take these guys to the civilian airport, drop them off, and get them the hell outta there. And that is precisely what they did. We did – rather, Harvey did – some last minute re-planning of our return flight arrangements, grabbed a hotel room in Kuwait City and went to bed.

Sunday morning: Back to the Kuwait airport to board a British Airways flight to London and then onward passage to home.

Sunday evening: Home. Glad to be back in Texas and renewed in my respect for our fighting forces and the selfless service they willingly render. They risk all so we don’t have to. Semper Fi, Marines, and thank you for your service and for your hospitality to the members of Steak Team Mission. Godspeed your mission and your safe return home.