(Yes, that is a Subway in the green zone)
Not that that, necessarily makes my Christmas more special than yours–I’m just saying…
I am finally at my duty station. It took a while to get here. Nothing in the Army is a straight line, there is always a double back, a sit and wait, an indefinite delay, a, “requires additional authorization”, a miscommunication, frago, SNAFU, FUB-well, you get the point. I sat in a helicopter hanger floor for 2 days, then after the helicopter got here I had to wait another day to hitch a ride to my duty station. Had the mission been a straight line I would have been there in 40 minutes not three days. Anyway, straight line or not I did get here safe and sound.
I’m with a small group which is good. There is Big Army, and there is Small Army. Big Army is about haircuts, and uniforms, and getting soldiers to chow on time. Small Army is about the mission–haircuts, and uniforms and chow be damned. The mission I’m supporting is more interesting than a reservist mechanic has a right to expect. For instance, did I go shooting yesterday with an firearms instructor from a his speed commando unit, taking me through a whole array of weapons I was not familiar with…?
Maybe.
Nothing in the Army is a straight line, but sometime the curves can be extremely satisfying.
Merry Christmas everyone!
Sam
