My seven-day USO trip starts off nicely in Kyrgyzstan

Peter King talks to soldiers stationed at Manas Air Base in Kyrgyzstan. Michael A. Clifton

MAILBAG Peter King will answer your questions each week in Monday Morning Quarterback: Tuesday Edition. Your name: Your e-mail address: Your home town: Enter your question:

(Editor's note: Peter King recently completed a seven-day USO trip with NFL players. Attached are his daily files.)

BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan -- On the way from Istanbul to this military outpost 225 miles from the China border Monday night, defensive lineman Luis Castillo of the San Diego Chargers pulled out a copy of Skylife, the Turkish Airlines in-flight magazine. He started looking at the world map, with the routes that Turkish Airlines flies. "Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan,'' he said in amazement. "Who's ever heard of these places?''

Who's ever been to these places? And who can spell this country? I dare you. Look away from this page, and try it. I have to check every time I write it.

Early Tuesday morning Kyrgyzstan time (11 hours ahead of Eastern time), three NFL players got off a plane in the K-country, on the first day of a seven-day meet-and-greet with U.S. troops here and in Afghanistan. Castillo, Chicago Bears defensive tackle Tommie Harris and Carolina defensive end Mike Rucker led an eight-man NFL/USO delegation. The other five: USO tour manager Jeff Anthony, NFL director of community relations David Krichavsky, USO chief financial officer Philip Parisi, military photographer Mike Graham and me.

Travel is cool, particularly going to places you've never been before and likely never will go again. I mean, ever hear your kids say, "Hey, let's go to Kyrgyzstan instead of Disneyland this year?''

But just try getting here. Took off from JFK Sunday afternoon around 5:30 on a comfy Delta 767. Nine hours from New York, due east-southeast, to Istanbul (I watched four Curb Your Enthusiasm episodes and Juno, which was just as good the second time). Then a five-and-a-half hour flight east on a Turkish 737 to Bishkek (the highlight, easily, was the Turkish tortellini, some of the best airplane food in recent King history ... come to think of it, some of the only airplane food in recent King history), which is the site of the air base that serves all the aircrafts the United States uses to support its forces in Afghanistan, a 90-minute flight to the south.

Amazing culture change when we land in this breakaway Russian republic. The airport employees speak Russian and look almost Mongolian -- a cross between Russian and Chinese. The writing on the walls and the airport is Russian. We're not in Russia, but only the map indicates that. And, of course, the strange sight of the United States Air Force and the city of Bishkek sharing this airport.

Other than the fact the Turks lost my luggage -- I am quite pungent right about now -- the most amazing part of this young trip happened when the Kyrgyz prevented our party from leaving the airport to travel to our quarters on the base here, just a few hundred yards away.

As we headed for the exit, two barred doors stood in our way, and the security officials refused to open them. An American translator was called from the base, and he got into a discussion with the Kyrgyz airport officials. We waited with a country band from Portland, Ore., Pete Ford & Texas Hold 'Em, to escape the airport. After 20 minutes of negotiation (my theory is a little American green changed hands), we were free to leave. But first, we had to have our bags X-rayed and we had to walk through metal detectors. Strangest travel note of all time: We had to go through security to LEAVE an airport.

"Where are we? Russia?'' I said.

"That's what it feels like sometimes,'' one of our military greeters said.

Dave Krichavsky, one of the most pleasant fellows you'd ever want to meet (and a Harvardian too) and I settled into our 8-foot-by-14-foot prefab room with bunk beds in the barracks here. Very pleasant. He can't sleep. I can.

Tuesday, 11 a.m.

BISHKEK -- "You up on all the news this morning?'' said my Air Force greeter, A1C Mike Mihelcic, a Steeler fan, as he gave me a wake-up knock.

"No,'' said me, a football ignoramus, wishing for another hour or so in my Air Force sleeping bag.

"Steelers signed Ben for $105 million,'' he said. "And the Patriots resigned Moss. Three years for $27 million, I think.''

I knew that Moss-Culpepper and Moss-Packers stuff was the figment of some agent's imagination.

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