An Orgy of One

So my first patrol with the infantry unit I was with wasn't particularly eventful, but I learned an important lesson - put effort into planning bathroom breaks. Sometimes you're going to be in a situation where peeing really isn't an option.

The really weird thing, though, was the end of the patrol. Our interpreter was going to take a few weeks off to travel somewhere, and it was his last day working for us for a while. He had us drop him off at his house. I had never really imagined that it would happen. The interpreters I've always worked with before were usually not Iraqi citizens, much less local residents. But the guy insisted that we take him to his house to save time. So we did. And it was surreal.

Labels: infantry

Posted by Joe Dirtbag at 6:11 PM | Permalink | Comments

A coworker and I recently spent a little bit over a month attached to an infantry platoon at another base. We were picked up in Strykers and convoyed over to where they live.

Knowing the poor reputation that pogues such as myself have among the combat arms types, I wanted to make sure that I knew what I was doing. Unfortunately, upon exiting our FOB, the squad leader instructed everyone to "PUT YOUR NODS (night vision goggles) ON."

Shit.

I had just gotten NVGs that day, and the mount wasn't yet put on my helmet. Being in a convoy outside the wire meant that I'd have to figure out how to put on my NVGs without taking my helmet off. It took me approximately 40 minutes of our 60 minute drive. Even my shoulders and hands were tired from holding my arms up trying to get everything on right.

So much for first impressions.

Photo by SSgt Stacy L. Pearsall, US Air Force

Labels: infantry

Posted by Joe Dirtbag at 3:01 PM | Permalink | Comments