Track Jack

Most people would say: I just worked a 72 hour-ish day. I slept a total of 6-8 hours in between guard shifts, and have put over 500 miles on my vehicle while help keeping a blistering hot region stable. I am going to go to take a well deserved shower and go to bed. Well, me and my guys aren’t most people. We did take a break to eat a warm meal in the chow hall, but oh the death stares! Did we look like Soldiers? Yes. Did we smell like death warmed over? Yep. Did I have dust caked boots that puffed when I walked even though I stamped out my boots before going into the chow hall? And roger. In fact, until I looked into the mirror to wash my hands and take what I like to now call DFAC (dining facility) showers I hadn’t taken the time to notice my newly forming beard growth. Can I blame everyone for looking at me and my rag tag band of tankers charging into the mess hall for what we and every tanker ever known to man base each day’s schedule on? Not really, but I definitely took satisfaction in the fact that I was dirty and out of the Army standard tolerance, not because I was lazy, but because I worked hard and wore my filth as a badge of honor.

But, I digress, the real point of the story is the fact that right after the meal, I broke formation with my men to go do “Officer stuff” while they went to start tearing up and replacing tank track. My work and meeting immediately following didn’t take overly long, and by the time I made it down to “the line” (tank line, imagine tank parking lot but done in an orderly militaristic fashion), my guys had removed one track and were putting the new one on. I immediately got down and dirty and must admit, had some of the most fun I have had in weeks.

Now some may say I am crazy or that Officers don’t belong there, and I was even told that as soon as I made a mistake or slowed them down I would be “removed” from the line cause I am “an O and O’s ‘F’ stuff up.” Well there were a lot of young and eager people there, granted all privates, but when you put a task in front of tankers involving our babies, we jump at it. Even our First Sergeant was out there cranking wrenches and what not. It was just good, old fashioned, focused, fun. Most people probably think we are crazy to choose work over sleep, but the cool of night and the respite from the desert sun during the day is cause enough to go “Ranger” and complete a mission through the night.

My guys are awesome. I can’t think of any other words to describe them or their work ethic.

C-RGR

"My Buddy, My buddy, Wherever I go, He goes..."

So this post is exclusively about my terp. A terp is what American GIs call Interpreteurs. So anyway, I have this terp who is crazy. He isn't committable, but I am sure if anyone closely related to Oprah would have him arrested and or deported back to Kurdistan. Yes, I did not make a mistake, I said Oprah.

Picture a young 14 year old kid who is excited to be in the world for the first time, seeing new things and having adventure being the order of the day. Imagine all the information he has ever taking into his brain concerning America comes from British based english classes and movies/ television. Imagine he is well to do and does not want for money (an unusal feat considerign the poverty of Iraq), now also imagine his English is so confusing you often have to explain things to him in his native language or three times in English.

Ok, I am pretty sure I beat that imagination horse to death, but I HAD to get that picture in your head so you could then picture that boy in a 30 something year old body. Now you can understand "Carl". Yes his name has been changed to protect his identity.

Now Carl has the sense of humor of a pre-pubescent male on top of everything else. Maybe all of that helps you understand why he told me, and albeit randomly and unprompted: "Sir, Do you have number phone of Oprah? I gon call and tell her I can be there in 48 hours. She needs to get ready cause I gon call her and she gon to say: 'Carl I Love you'. And I gon say, 'Okay Oprah no problem , I gon come.'"
ME: Carl You can't handle Oprah, she'd hurt you.

CARL: sometimes you have to get hurt to learn, but then you got to more and more try and then it's no problem.

ME: Why Oprah anyway?

CARL: Oh, suh, I LUV big black beautiful woman.

ME: Carl, she'd break you.

CARL: No, No, you see, Just one call.

....

Musings

So, I always wondered when the next "cycle" in American history would come about, but I NEVER thought it would happen this way. I mean, I figured at some point the phases would go from the retro throwbacks even further on the sliding scale of time into that bygone era of the boomers, but I never thought we would see the re-emrgence of militias. I mean I am all for civil liberties, but I am almost afraid to come home. Yes, I am a Soldier and yes, I have just spent over 8 months in combat and yes, I am worried about returning to America the beautiful...

Have things really gotten so bad as to have militias running around training in backwoods camps, preparing for...something. I mean who knows what they are doing! I have a pretty good idea, but I must warn you, when I do return home, I am going to use my concealed carry permit to the fullest extent of the law. I did not come over here to fight for freedom, to have mine taken away by some fanatic. Ignorance has bread a new cultrue of fear, conspiracy theorist, and down right hatred for our freely elected Commander in Cheif. People, you elected him! He can't "fix" the USA in one year and even one term would be a miracle. And what is with politicians not supporting him, i mean there is no outright dissention, but I personally believe that not nipping conspiracy theorists' ideas in the butt and allowing their paranoia to infect the ignorant is deplorable.

This is not the Nation I knew 7 months ago...