Tyler Jewkes, Salt Lake City, Utah: an interview by John C. Worsencroft, December 14, 2009: Saving the Legacy tape no. IA-26

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Tyler Jewke 14 mb r 20 9 shipped into Kuwait and had been there for, I think the proce sing there t k u ab ut two weeks to get us all in. Then it was June 25th of 2005 that we entered country. JCW: So I mean, a small town kid, been to a handful of states, you know ... [break in recording] ... shock of landing in Kuwait. Did it shock you? Or was there so much you didn't even notice it? TJ: No, it was shocking. I remember we got off the plane and they had just a few guys that were kind of like the security personnel. So those people were required to have their flack vests on with plates and they were carrying full-loaded ammunition. Nobody else even had it. I wasn't really aware of any threat inside of Kuwait. But at the same time the fact that they were even doing that just kind of heightened my awareness of what was going on, that gosh, possibly somebody could attack us and we're going to need somebody to shoot back. But I remember getting off the plane. We got off the plane at one in the morning. The tarmac I think was still about 120 degrees, extremely hot outside. I couldn't believe how hot it was in those countries because we were getting there in the middle of summer in the first place. Got out and they drove us down to that base and I just remember riding on these busses. You're riding on dirt roads in the middle of nowhere. There's barely any light, you don't see anything of what's going on. These drivers, it's like they're rallying in NASCAR; they're in such a big hurry to get these busses to their location. So it just kind of puts you on edge the entire time. I was trying to relax, trying to sleep, but at the same time, there wasn't any chance for that. It was just so much was going on, so much was happening during that time. You didn't have a lot of time to stop and think about what was going to happen or what was going on until you got into your base. 23