BAGRAM, AFGHANISTAN — The last C-17 out of Afghanistan has been waiting for a Chief Warrant Officer 4 who said she'd “be right back” but they are starting to get worried since it’s been nearly two months.

“Chief told us she was going out for a pack of cigarettes,” Lt. Pete Simmons told reporters. “We’ve been on the tarmac ever since.”

According to senior defense officials, Chief Warrant Officer Angela Anderson has continued the time-honored tradition of telling subordinates she’ll be right back only to vanish for months at a time. But this isn’t the first time a chief has delayed operations.