What I did

17AUG10:

I browsed, the internet (and actually ran out of shit to Google)

I cried…laughing almost daily

I cursed, okay we use the work “fuck” about as often as "and" and “the”

I wore gear (though not often)

I lied to patients…”Sure that’s normal” (meanwhile inside my head, “What the fuck is that?”)

I walked outside to use the bathroom

I learned comfort is not having to disinfect a toilet or lay down some type of protective barrier

I cleaned

I shaved

I worked out

I skipped out on work

I ran

I lifted

I got creative….with my definition of clean

I learned Arabic….no, no I didn’t

I learned who the unit’s shit bags were though

I ate

I drank

I flew in helicopters

I flew in planes

I carried a weapon everywhere I went

I sometimes panic when I realize my weapon isn’t with me (oh yeah, I locked it up)

I watched movies good and bad

I had decisions made for me that would keep me up at night

I missed my wife’s birthday

I missed our 3^rd anniversary

I diagnosed ACL tears

I may have missed cancer

I made friends for life

I made life really simple

I learned how to eat

I dreamt of playing with my dog

I watched the same snowboarding movie about 23 times

I recycled…..socks and underwear

I shot hoops not drugs

I didn’t shoot people

I cherished some time alone and occasionally some alone time, TMI?

I loved eating in groups

I learned about American greed and waste

I saw hopelessness

I saw young men shot

I had a patient commit suicide

I saw females go home early because they got pregnant

I got an award for doing my job

I saw lazy, incompetent, douche bag Soldier’s get an award too

I learned military decorations don’t mean shit

I hated my life at times

I hated my job at times

I learned that’s okay

I once thought it would never stop raining in this desert

I later thought I’d never see rain again

I felt temperatures I didn’t think occurred on this planet

I got screwed out of leave

I got to come home early

I felt guilty for being sent home early

I got over it

I feel proud to be a Soldier

I seem to feel less proud of Americans these days

I noticed a drawdown in uniformed forces and an increase in contracted forces

I tried to help some who didn’t want to be helped…it didn’t help

I tried to teach some who didn’t want to learn…they didn’t learn

I learned people won’t change unless they want to

I did pretty much the same thing everyday

I haven’t gone more than 36 hours without shaving my face since November 2009

I can’t believe it’s not butter

I think most movies suck

I think the US Military should consist of the Marines and Special Operations Forces. If they can’t do the job…draft rich kids and poor kids

I think most people would disagree with that

I think that would keep us out of situations like Iraq and Afghanistan

I went online shopping the week before redeploying

I think most mental health cases in the Army are bullshit

I think most ortho cases in the Army are bullshit

I think reintegration training when getting home is bullshit

I have really worn out boots

I loved traveling to different FOBs

I watched performers from a decade ago try to revamp their careers in Iraq (JaRule, Vertical Horizon, Paul Wall)

I lived where the air always has a pleasant hint of tires burning

I coughed till I puked after every workout for like 2 weeks

I continue to cough after most workouts 3 months later

I’ve got the black lung Pop

I didn’t put one picture or pleasantry on my CHU walls…this is not home, fuck this place

I can get by on very little

I missed walking the neighborhood with Amber and Grady

I read more books than ever in my life

I’m pretty sure my intelligence got worser

I never got shot at

I was in the clinic when a rocket hit really close by and was pretty alarmed by the power it carried

I noticed an increase in pucker factor during “Incoming!” alarms after that rocket

I am amazed that after being there for 8 years the Iraqis still really suck at shooting rockets and mortars at us

I survived

I hope to never go back

I deployed