The Bus Ride

Ft. Riley ceases to amaze me. I would personally like to meet the person that arranged our transportation and give him the "Total Dumb-xxx Award".

"For going above and beyond the call of duty to transport soldiers, airmen and sailors in the most sadistic and cruel fashion imaginable."

Our "hero" (who ever this dumb-xxx is), decided to schedule a 48 passenger bus for our travels from Ft. Riley to Dallas/Ft. Worth with a departure time of 22.00 hrs and an arrival time of 06.00 hrs. Therefore the intent must have been for us to sleep on the bus.

Sleeping on the bus is possible if you place a 15 man team carrying 2 dufflebags, 1 rucksack and a large weapons case each on a 48 passenger bus. However, our "hero" decides, that IF he attaches a trailer to the bus he could also deploy a 24 man medic team with all their gear (4 dufflebags, a rucksack and medical gear). But our "hero" doesn't stop there. He also includes 4 additional soldiers who need a ride down to Dallas to catch the R&R flight.

Math must not be one of our "hero's" strong points. 15 + 24 + 4 = 43 passenger. Certainly a 48 passenger bus can carry all 43 passengers... at night... with 26 hour flight still ahead... yep... nothing but the best for our soldiers, airmen and sailors !!!

I felt really sorry for the 6 ft 8 in Air Force Lieutenant, who could not fit in any of individual seats on the bus. Typical to any bus, there are two seats connected together. The person sitting next to the Lieutenant would spend most of his time using the bathroom seat (when no one had to use the bathroom) so the Lieutenant could fit into a spot !!!

8 hours on bus, crammed like sardines only to wait for a flight scheduled to leave at 15.00 hrs (but has a 12.00 hrs report time). The right answer would have been to order two buses and allow the soldiers, airman and sailors to spread out and at least get some rest on the drive down.

I hope they fire the transporter who planned this trip... Or at least make him travel for 8 hours in a bus port-a-potti for every time he tries to fill a bus more than half full on an all night journey.

OK... Yes... I'm being very sarcastic here. But the ride really did suck. The person that planned it really wasn't thinking about the troops at all and it really ticks me off, when you have people sitting behind the desk planning this type of stuff with no real clue about what it's like to be on the other end living through it.