...A Moderate Nuisance...

12 JUNE 2010

Today is day two of our ‘validation’ mission to JBB and back. That I have a tag along TC to give a go/no-go on my abilities as an assistant CET leader—especially when you consider that my grader and I have completed the same amount of missions on this deployment, that I out rank her both in position held and time in grade and time in service, that her only previous deployment was to Washington, DC for some POG assignment, and that I’ve more combat experience in my baby toe and so on—is only a moderate nuisance. That it’s day two and we’re still stuck at Buerhing on account of two trans unit trucks breaking down prior to movement is just absurd.

This stay of execution, of sorts, did afford me the chance to welcome back home my old CET, the one I was just yanked from for an exercise in stretching beyond our means. The night before, an IED had detonated on their convoy. No injuries, no damage. But, still. I am unsure of the good luck/bad luck ratio of having not been with them.

These are the Joes I’ve been with for the better part of a year, involved in the training for and running of combat missions. Their well-being and performance of their duties are still a great concern for me—proved by my inability to walk away from the Ops center, monitoring their movements until they reached the border safely. It was a mistake to worry so—a result of the small amount of Irish blood in me, my Father might say—I had my own mission and sleep is a must.

Any Infantryman will tell you, when you can sleep you do sleep. I know a guy from my first deployment, whose intent was to sleep every spare second of the day. His theory was, for every hour of extra sleep he had, was an hour less spent in theatre. When we flew home in 2004, I remember he claimed, strictly according to his theory in practice, that he’d spent two months less in country than the rest of us. I am fairly certain he was paid his full year’s wages. Someone might want to look into this.

- The Exodus