Eloquence
I was at the MWR (Morale, Welfare, Recreation center, or otherwise known as the Fitness and Recreation center, as noted on an old sign that was lying abondoned on the ground) the other day and I asked the soldier on the next machine about the Leupold sight on his rifle. The soldiers here are required to take their weapons everywhere with them and the weapon was lying on the floor next to the machine. He said he liked the sight, the zero didn't change at differant levels of magnification and the battery lasted a long time as long as you turned it on regularly.
We talked a little bit and I asked him when he was going home. November he said and added that the 3 month extension just about killed him with disappointment. When I asked how the other people in the unit took the extension, he said that when the news came through "a lot of people pulled over to the side of the road and cried."
That was as succint and eloquent a statement about the sacrifices made by our soldiers and their families as I have ever heard.
We talked a little bit and I asked him when he was going home. November he said and added that the 3 month extension just about killed him with disappointment. When I asked how the other people in the unit took the extension, he said that when the news came through "a lot of people pulled over to the side of the road and cried."
That was as succint and eloquent a statement about the sacrifices made by our soldiers and their families as I have ever heard.
posted by Carl at 7:38 AM
4 Comments:
How old was the guy? It also sounds like he's going out on patrols which from what you've mentioned is where the danger is. Did he mention if he was worried about another extension past November? I thought a lot of those guys had already been extended a year past their original obligation???
Not to be insensitve, but do the men there give you more of a challenge when it comes to exercising? If I remember right, you ran circles around the recruits in New Mexico.
the guy was in his late 20's. he said he used to go outside the wire up in Mosul. the extension was a three month extension imposed on Army units, instead of doing 12 months in country, they do 15.
he didn't say anything about another extension.
when i was in New Mexico, i was only 20 years older than the others. here i am 30 years older. they would probably destroy me, 40% of them anyway. i still think i could beat the other 60%. I can't run though, i have stress fractures, or pretty close to stress fractures, in both feet. i have been bike riding instead.
how are those feet, do you wear more supportive shoes than sneakers all day?
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