I like going out on missions. It is too easy to get depressed and home sick sitting around here with nothing but stupid little stuff to do. Missions keep me busy and happy. I get beat up standing in the gun turret by the bumpy roads and feel like I fell down the stairs when I get back at the end of the day, but I am getting used to it and it isn't as bad as it used to be. The only real problem is the cold. It was near freezing the past couple of nights and I ride in an open hatch. All that motorcycle riding in the winter is paying off!
Friday, January 2, 2009
Glorified Guard Duty
The past couple of nights I have been guarding construction workers as they set up a blast walls. It is not the funnest mission we have to do. We drive our 30 ton trucks down to the construction site and sit in them until their night's work is done. We can sit for as much as six hours guarding them just in case. We bring lots of snacks and empty gatorade bottles. The snacks are to keep us awake and the gatorade bottles are for convenience (so we don't have to get out of the bullet proof truck). All the snacks that you at home send me are put to use during these missions. This mission we didn't quite make it to lead scout, but we were moved up to 2nd truck. That means that we lead the convoy and set it's pace. The lead scout is as much as one km ahead of us so we are the first element in the actual convoy. I have to have good eyes, but not as good as the scout. It is fun being up front instead of at the back. I can see farther out in front and can anticipate things better. It also carries with it some prestige. For this mission we escorted some construction equipment driven by local nationals (LN...our name for Iraqis). I had my hands full looking out for danger and making sure the crane driver behind me didn't get lost. There were some close calls as I think the driver was later to be discovered to be RETARDED (notice the sarcasm). He almost hit several parked cars on the side of the road and missed rear-ending us by only a couple of inches. They told us in training that leading LN or TCN (Third Country Nationals...non Iraqis but not American) was like herding cats, but now I've seen it for myself. Apparently he was a better crane operator than a crane driver and we finished our mission ahead of schedule.
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4 comments:
Sending this post to Robyn. She just started a new job this week and is in the process of whipping herself into shape physically. I'm sure she can relate to some of what you've said.
Had to laugh about the Gatorade bottles. I loathe Gatorade, so it seems a perfectly appropriate use for the empty bottles!
Keeping busy....that's the key. It's fascinating to learn about the acronyms used in the military LN, TCN etc. I would never have guessed....
Good job on the second truck thing. Sounds like a near ideal position. I personally think about 3rd would be best, but I'm happy if you're happy. Now, how are Gatorade bottles a convenience? OHHHHHHHH. "Convenience"...
You have to stand up in that turret? I figured there was some sort of high chair kinda seat or something. Not like a front or tail gunner pod, but more like something onboard a ship. But I suppose you don't have a gunner's mate to spin the chair for you either.
Just want you to know that you have inspired me. I knew you had been cutting your own hair, but I hadn't been brave enough to try it until driven to it by desperation last week. I had some cheesy clippers that cost about $9, but I managed to not butcher my head with them. I got a better set this week and am now absolutely hooked on the self-tonsorial thing.
Then I shouldn't tell you, Michael, that I enjoy getting my hair cut by the barbers here and that I haven't cut it myself since I have been here. It helps that it only costs $3!
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