On one hand, I’m excited. I mean I’m a 19 year old boy and this is my first deployment, I’m still young and stupid enough to want to go. Plus, the money will be wicked.
On the other hand, I’m extremely anxious. If there are enemy lines, I’ll be behind them. I’m not really worried about myself in the least bit. What I’m really worried about is letting the people that depend on me down. I have my crew of three others and they literally trust their lives in my ability to make quick decisions, as I do with them. I’ve had a lot of training, and I do mean a lot. Is it enough? My unit seems to think so, and I hope they’re right.
I am so proud of my mother. I know this is killing her inside (I left for Basic the day before her birthday, and now I’m leaving in the week of her’s this year also). But for me, because she knows that that’s what I need right now, she is being strong. She isn’t complaining (too much), nor is she crying. Or, she’s not crying when I can hear her. I know it’s selfish of me, but I couldn’t handle it. I have so much on my mind right now, that I need as little distractions as possible. I do promise to make it up for her when I get back. I’m thinking of a nice weekend at the Venetian with tickets to an art show. I think she’d like that. Cyn, don’t say anything.
I’m also going to miss my grandparents 50th anniversary, that and Thanksgiving, and this will be my first missed Christmas. I guess that’s a right of passage of some sorts.
Should we be in Iraq? Was it right to invade? I really don’t care. It doesn’t matter what I think, it doesn’t matter if it was right or wrong, all that matters is that I’m going to do a job the best that I can so “…that others may live.”
Do me a favor. Many young men are foolish and want to play up the danger. This worries their families sick. Be cool and downplay the danger. No sense making things worse who worry so much for you.
A silly question, do you have any sort of packing list from your unit?
You kidding? My mom and I have an agreement that she is not to ask many questions, and if I don’t answer, there’s a good reason for me not doing so. Mostly that she really doesn’t want to know the answer. I didn’t even tell her about water survival until it was over.
Just the normal stuff like uniforms, and whatever I think will make my life easier while over there. There’s really no set “list” or anything. They told me the best thing to do was to talk to people who’ve been there and ask what they brought.
Good luck, man, (I’d say “sir,” but I wouldn’t want you to take it the wrong way. ) and take care.
If there’s anything you think you might need before you ship out, don’t hesitate to post! I’m sure someone here could help out. My mother and sister are involved in sending books to troops overseas—any reading material you might be interested in?
I personally could probably whip together a mix CD of any number of themes, if that’s any help.
I hope you will never need it, & you probably won’t, but the second will take care of you, & the first will protect your Mom, in her Golden Years, if bad things do happen.
In troubled times, to places far
You men do bravely go
You give your heart, your soul, your lives
That peace and liberty grow
But know the limits of your solemn duty
If ever the query is made
By anyone nervously searching the ground,
“Where’s the pin to this grenade?”
Good luck, and in the immortal words of Dave Allen, “May your God go with you.”
The food sucks, bring Tabasco or whatever you can to make things more palatable. Most of the cooks are locals, and have no idea how to make decent chow.
If you have an Armed Services account for your pay to go into, make sure someone back here that you can get ahold of has all the needed acess codes and numbers so they can take care of stuff for you. It’s damned near impossible to call 800 numbers from Iraq if you have to. I mention this because you will be spending your own money on creature comforts like good deoderant, better socks, better food, and other incidentals. If you need to do a balance transfer or something else you might not be able to do it from there.
All sorts of people will be asking you if they can send you anything. Make sure you include adult wet wipes in your list of things. Trust me.
If you can, bring as much Copenhagen or Kodiak as you can manage. It’s worth more than diamond encrusted gold to the right people.
Stay low and be cool. Take care and come back soon. You don’t even need pie.
I’ll join the chorus to add that if there’s anything you need, please let us know. In fact, if you want to email me (email is in my profile), I’d love to “adopt” you for your tour and keep you guys supplied with stuff – it’s the little things that can mean a lot! Plus I’m an Air Force mom, but my son’s in a stateside job so doesn’t need care packages from home the way you guys in the sandbox do.
How long is your tour for? Will you be there into the winter? If so, and if you’re going to be spending much time outdoors, let me know and I’ll send you and your buddies [url=http://www.operationhomefront.org/Community/knitters.shtmlwool helmet liners to make your time outdoors more comfortable.
I’ll bite my tongue and pretend that you are trying to be helpful. The Army’s life insurance, SGLI pays out $400,000 upon death, combat related or not. Most life insurance policies from private companies do not cover combat. This is nothing new, they have excluded combat for as long as I can remember.
If you were trying to be snide or political I don’t think this is the place.
Good luck Rand.