CRASH Leadership

For the past 2 weeks,   I had the incredible opportunity of leading a 4-man Air Force training team to Colombia to teach high angle rescue techniques to Colombian Air Force helicopter crews and para-rescue personnel.  I was hoping to blog daily about my experiences, but I quickly discovered that internet access was in high demand and I had to beg, borrow, and steal just to get a chance to check my email every few days.  I was, however, still able to find time to do some writing throughout my adventure.  These are the chronicles of my adventurous trip to Colombia…

Day 2

My slumber was interrupted by a phone call on my hotel room phone (those things are so unbelievably loud!). It was one of the guys on my team. I had overslept. It was 642a and our ride to the US Embassy was scheduled to pick us up at 7a. My team was meeting for breakfast at 615 and I had slept through the whole thing. I rushed around the room getting dressed and packing my stuff up to arrive in the lobby just in time to pay my bill and catch our transport… (so much for breakfast!)

International traveling tip… if you use your phone as an alarm clock, it will not update time zones or work effectively if you are in another country and do not have cell phone reception. Even if the time looks like it’s working, the alarm clock isn’t.

Our morning commute to the embassy was filled with the sights and sounds of Bogota. What seemed dark and tranquil at night was fast-paced and bustling in the morning. I noticed subtly that the government van we were riding in was armored, and I thought twice about my dismissive attitude toward the threat risk in Colombia. The other two things of note on that short drive were the impressively insane drivers and the crater-sized pot holes that made the streets look like mine fields. These things were enormous! And they littered the streets like they had just undergone a mortar attack. But the drivers dodged and swerved around the craters, barely missing each other… like they had all majored in Advanced Defensive Driving and minored in Horn Blowing or something. It was an incredible sight to see!

Once we arrived at the embassy, we received our Force Protection brief and were reminded not to pick up prostitutes or get into unmarked vans with the FARC. We then grabbed lunch at an embassy restaurant called “Crepes and Waffles” (I love this place already!). I ordered the “Mexicano Crepe.” And since I like both crepes and Mexican food, I assumed the combination must be excellent. I was not disappointed. I added a hot spiced chai to my order and I was in culinary heaven!

We grabbed a couple of necessities at the embassy’s corner store and headed to the airport. Instead of the terminal, we were driven to an alternate airport ramp where we were scheduled to board a Columbian Air Force plane that would take us to Palanquero AB. To our surprise, we were met by reporters, top Colombian military officials, and even a brass band! We picked our way through the crowd only to watch this man emerge from a US E-4B.

For those who may not know who that is… it’s Leon Panetta, the US Secretary of Defense. I’d never seen him before in person, but it was pretty cool to accidentally run into him in Bogota. The fact that I was able to get close enough to snag these shots was a bonus!

Once all of the fanfare had ended, we loaded up this C295, strapped into the jump seats on the sides of the cargo bay, and headed north to Palanquero AB in central Colombia.

The flight was only about 45 minutes, but stunningly beautiful. Since it was such short flight, we didn’t have to climb very high and we could see the terrain clearly. The mountains and jungles of the Colombian countryside were breathtaking. We flew over the base and circled a few times before coming in for a landing. I looked out the window and imagined the FARC hiding beneath the jungle canopy. And after our Force Protection brief in Bogota this morning, my imagination may not have been that far-fetched.

Once we got on the ground, it took us 3 hours to get to our rooms. In what we were quickly discovering to be true South American style, the truck to pick us up was delayed, our brief tour of the base was delayed, and the person who had the keys to our rooms was delayed. So delays are the norm… got it. We weren’t in any rush.

The rooms are small, but clean, with two twin beds and a window air conditioner, which is key. I didn’t realize it was going to be so hot down here. I googled Palanquero before I left and saw 70 degree temps (must have been a different Palanquero). When we landed here and walked out onto the ramp, it must have been around 100 degrees with almost 100% humidity. We instantly started sweating!

We’re sharing rooms too, so I’m with our team’s other aircrew member, MSgt Friesz. We’ve been friends for awhile, so that should work out fine.

Tomorrow we get started teaching.

If you enjoyed this post, check out Colombia Chronicles – Part 1 here