December 10, 2003
Fort Drum is Cold
Oh yeah, I almost forgot. The first night we were in the field, Dan got a concussion. Our company NBC (nuclear, biological, chemical) guy is this… hmm. Ya know, I don’t want to talk bad about the kid, so let me just say that he probably won’t be going to the soldier-of-the-month board anytime soon. Anyways, NBC super trooper had his rifle slung over his back and caught Dan right above the eye with his barrel when he swung around for some reason. Dan blacked out, puked, and did all those concussed things. After getting sent to the rear and examined, he was confined to quarters for three days and will be on profile for the rest of the week, precluding him from participating in any training. This sucks because in addition to Dan being down for the count, my SAW gunner, Peter is a friggin’ sick-call Ranger and always seems to be getting blood work done or having his tonsils looked at or having his snoring looked into or having his excema examined. The day Dan got clobbered, I lectured my guys on “The Aura”, the dark force that causes soldiers to get injured. My squad is having aura problems these days. Oh yeah, one more thing. The new guy in our squad, Cola, is going through the classic situation where his live-in joint-checking-account-having girlfriend decided to change all the locks on their apartment and drain his bank accounts. Cola won’t be part of this exercise either so he can try to sort out the mess this financial succubus has made for him.
In three hours it will be 3am and I’ll be waking up to start this operation. Rather than try to be witty about the monotony that is Army life, let’s get to the part where I bore you with personal photos.
Me at Bastogne, er, I mean at Fort Drum
Shameless close-up to make the mom happy– the pain in my toes apparent on my face
Frigid but beautiful
All hail BOB! (big orange ball, a.k.a. The Sun)
Firing machine guns from atop Humvees
This is how you warm your feet when they get frost nip– the medics make you put them on some innocent bystander’s bare belly. (This is Akintade.)
Me and Willy performing synchronized bowel movements– we’d get up but we’re both frozen to the toilet seats
The biggest sleep-over ever– This is the moment where everyone is stripping down and getting into their sleeping bags and it becomes painfully apparent that no one has bathed in a week due to the symphony of body odors that crescendos as each soldier hops in his sack
Ray’s family– Melissa is now a sandy blonde and Socky is sporting his knit wool cap
Willy celebrates every moment, even the ones filled with freezing pain
October 27th, 2005 at 2:15 pm
your gun is so cool!!
I want the same sniper gun.
October 28th, 2005 at 7:39 am
hi i have seen your website in french tv im a french girl and i would to say my compation for all soldiers in irak
November 11th, 2005 at 7:03 pm
Thanks for the potty pic. I used to be in the Navy (USS Norfolk SSN – 1989). I now work for a high-end office design and furniture firm in SF, CA so naturally only one other co-worker, our 60-year old president, has ever been in the military before. No one belived me when I told them we used to crap right next to our mates. (No doors, no walls) I showed them your pic and their jaws dropped and the typical questions flew. Thanks for the vicarious proof.
December 19th, 2005 at 8:26 pm
Wow, thanks for the memories. I was one of the original troopers who rolled into ‘the Drum’, 85-88, 1-22 INF. We were in the old WWII barracks “Old Post” (building T-624, now that I think of it). They were just starting to build the power and heat plants for the new post while we were there.
We spent many a nights in the cold and snow, and the latrines were no where as nice as what you show. Also glad to see we were not the only ones who had to figure out how to work with frozen HMMWVs…
May 22nd, 2006 at 5:02 pm
HELL YA LOL i felt it before 1/22 REGULARS C Company 3rd platoon 3rd squad hooooaaaa 87/89
didnt take me long to find out why some of the trees all branch to one side the wind was constant brutality i was one of the unfortunate
enough to live in Barrrack = 624 lol
July 22nd, 2006 at 11:11 pm
You and Willy performing synchronized bowel movements.It’s so funny.You have gone throught the fuke cold weather,it seemed difficult.Your hair must be frozen
May 28th, 2008 at 1:19 pm
Just found you and am having a great time looking at your blog. Brings back many memories. I was at Ft Bragg from 76 -80 and was an Army Brat as well. There’s a beauty to your pictures and prose that I haven’t seen since reading A Thin Red Line. No shit. You’re that good. Have a good ‘un.
October 25th, 2009 at 12:02 pm
Within the context of school activiities, baseball, etc. his son has earned a reputation for being “strange”. Another word which could be used is “unstable”.
I’m afraid one day he’s going to “snap”.
Dad has been told in no uncertain terms to “keep your son away from my child”.
They tell me some of these concerned parents have called Child Protective Services regarding this issue.
Dad has showed his 7 year old son hard pornography in an attempt to ensure he doesn’t become gay. Ironically, now the boy has a fascination with penis. Appropriate, because they say dad get excited with trannys::::He wants to lift her skirt and fondle her penis.
He sure married the right girl.
Parenting classes would be in order. And a little psychoanalysis.
The Gods tested his attraction to transsexuals by sending people by. Likely duing the period where he felt he had to prove he was a “real man”, ironically.
November 24th, 2009 at 3:08 pm
Within the context of school activiities, baseball, etc. his son has earned a reputation for being “strange”. Another word which could be used is “disturbed”.
I’m afraid one day he’s going to “snap”.
Soldier has been told in no uncertain terms to “keep your son away from my child”.
They tell me some of these concerned parents have called Child Protective Services regarding this issue.
Dad has showed his 7 year old son hard pornography in an attempt to ensure he doesn’t become gay. Ironically, now the boy has a fascination with penis. Appropriate, because they say dad gets excited with trannys::::He wants to lift her skirt and fondle her penis.
He sure married the right girl.
Parenting classes would be in order. And a little psychoanalysis.
The Gods tested his attraction to transsexuals by sending people by, likely during the period where he felt he had to prove he was a “real man”, ironically.
Accept loss.