The past month has been a blur. Not only is it physically getting hotter here, but the pace is simply heating up. The Taliban, soldiers girlfriends,disease, most Afghans, my chain of command, the dog have all decided to band together to make life an unending rollercoaster of excuses, lies, and overall chaos.
But then, what other job lets you manage 240,000$ in benefit projects while coordinating the drop of highly lethal and accurate artillery/aircraft fire? HAH take that Dairy Queen.
Sorry for the sarcasm, but I have to point out that humour really is the only release out here. Now for the sake of children and descent people out there I won't dive into the debauchery that is combat infantryman humor, but I really have to express to the world how necessary it crass humor can be. To think of the absurd situations that have presented themselves in anything other than an un-serious context would lead to an unending maze of psychotic behavior.
Back to keeping this thing short. Once again I am only here online for a few minutes so I simply wanted to get the word out about the imbed reporter that has been with us for the past month, Jim Foley, who is a freelance journalist that has written a much more intelligent blog on how my platoon has been operating for the past few weeks. His blog is:
www.aworldoftroubles.com
I highly recommend you read it, not only since it is about my platoon, but also because I feel it is the closest thing that people can read without extra-political-sensitive-whatever crap that comes with all our media outlets these days. His point of view is direct and raw. He sleeps, walks, and jokes with my guys day in and day out, and I think he gives a unique perspective to what real soldiers do in the field. And it is not the usual tripe you hear, it is the dirty foul in your face kind of writing we like out here.
Anyway, check it out for yourself.
Also, DUKE sucks. It had to be said.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Friday, February 12, 2010
Go Pack
Well I don’t know how the rest of the world perceives this fight to go down, but we are making headway. And by headway, I mean tiny little advances that are measured in conversations and perceptions
I am currently on my second full month of deployment and the days seem to blend together as missions, people, and events blur together into one crazy rodeo. Now my day is usually spent organizing a patrol, adverting a small local crisis, or losing horribly at spades. Spades if you didn’t know is the unofficial game of the deployed soldier. I have made small headway into learning the game but as of now, I remain a novice who will require many months of training before I will be declared proficient
I have also been brought into supplement-laced world of lifting by one of my squad leaders. Now I have always been a fan of the natural method of physical fitness that includes plenty of water, exercise, and stretching. Apparently out here soldiers try to get “prison big” where a series of supplements, proteins, and artificial muscle stimulants are used to achieve large gains. Currently I am benching 230 and enjoying the small pleasure of just keeping up with my more motivated soldiers. My goal is to bench 300 while maintaining my run which is difficult because I only have access to the treadmill back at our main base only once every 8 days or so. I am also currently reading “Stones Into Schools” a sequel to Greg Mortensons “Three Cups of Tea”. Both my mother and a friend Alyssa Moore sent me the exact same book at the exact same time. So I gave one copy to my boss and began reading the other. So far I am a few chapters in and I will tell you it is pretty wild to read a book that setting takes place often only 10 miles from where you a reading. In fact an old Lt Colonel is in the pictures of the book with one of the locals when he built my unit built a school in one of the districts of Afghanistan
The best thing about being deployed is the amount of support that comes to my soldiers. I know it is not the most popular war, but I am really proud that our nation has learned the lesson of previous fiasco’s were criticism is required but not at the cost of the soldier. I am really proud to have a chance to serve with my paratroopers. Everyday I learn something different, and I continue to be inspired by the simple truth and honesty that comes with working with soldiers. Now I won’t lie to you either. Soldiers have some of the dirtiest/darkest humor on the planet (which is most often the truth and hysterical) and political correctness is practically non-existent. But it is the guys out here that make the boredom and bullets worthwhile
I found out that NCSU will play UNC on my birthday and I can’t be more excited to hear about the tarholes ultimate demise. I mean come on if there was ever a day for a State victory it has to be my birthday. Go PACK!
I am currently on my second full month of deployment and the days seem to blend together as missions, people, and events blur together into one crazy rodeo. Now my day is usually spent organizing a patrol, adverting a small local crisis, or losing horribly at spades. Spades if you didn’t know is the unofficial game of the deployed soldier. I have made small headway into learning the game but as of now, I remain a novice who will require many months of training before I will be declared proficient
I have also been brought into supplement-laced world of lifting by one of my squad leaders. Now I have always been a fan of the natural method of physical fitness that includes plenty of water, exercise, and stretching. Apparently out here soldiers try to get “prison big” where a series of supplements, proteins, and artificial muscle stimulants are used to achieve large gains. Currently I am benching 230 and enjoying the small pleasure of just keeping up with my more motivated soldiers. My goal is to bench 300 while maintaining my run which is difficult because I only have access to the treadmill back at our main base only once every 8 days or so. I am also currently reading “Stones Into Schools” a sequel to Greg Mortensons “Three Cups of Tea”. Both my mother and a friend Alyssa Moore sent me the exact same book at the exact same time. So I gave one copy to my boss and began reading the other. So far I am a few chapters in and I will tell you it is pretty wild to read a book that setting takes place often only 10 miles from where you a reading. In fact an old Lt Colonel is in the pictures of the book with one of the locals when he built my unit built a school in one of the districts of Afghanistan
The best thing about being deployed is the amount of support that comes to my soldiers. I know it is not the most popular war, but I am really proud that our nation has learned the lesson of previous fiasco’s were criticism is required but not at the cost of the soldier. I am really proud to have a chance to serve with my paratroopers. Everyday I learn something different, and I continue to be inspired by the simple truth and honesty that comes with working with soldiers. Now I won’t lie to you either. Soldiers have some of the dirtiest/darkest humor on the planet (which is most often the truth and hysterical) and political correctness is practically non-existent. But it is the guys out here that make the boredom and bullets worthwhile
I found out that NCSU will play UNC on my birthday and I can’t be more excited to hear about the tarholes ultimate demise. I mean come on if there was ever a day for a State victory it has to be my birthday. Go PACK!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
