Things Aren't Always What They Seem
Army Life,
You really wanna know what your heros are doing America? Well, today. There was just a handful of us NOT going out on Patrol, we form up in PT gear and go out on the road running.
As is customary for us, on account of me the Slow Runner, the group goes on ahead and doubles back and cuts back again behind me where I end up as Lead Runner, often the group passes me again, and doubles back on up ahead as I keep running past them.
This very thing happened again this morning, only thing is, there were a dozen semi trucks sharing the road headed Off base and I was distracted by them as well as the ever present pain in my knees and ankles from running, Eventually I look around and I see no one from my group.
I keep running.
I go out about 1.5miles to the fuel station and return back the way I came, and I see no one from my group on the road, It's not pitch dark anymore either, theSun's coming up, the birds fly around, the light is much better and so is visibility as the morning Fog is gone too.
From 0615 to 0700 I run, albeit slowly as usual, and I get to our start point and still I'm all alone.
I walk back to my chu (chew) / camp housing unit and see that a few squad mates are wondering where I went to.
But they know already, cos we've done this before several times now. cos I keep running and I come back.
I shower, get dressed in clean ACU's / army combat uniform and head to chow all by myself, cos by now, most in my squad don't eat breakfast, especially the young ones, the teen men and besides, whom of them wants to hang out with an OLD MAN like me?
I can't keep up with them in PT and eventually become the butt of private and public jokes all around.
And I guess that today is MY day to get locked out of my CHU, cos I lost my key, so after we all form up at 0900 and I get stuck on a work detail (after being warned and threatened by my teamLeader Sgt about doing things my way and going by myself here and there) I go to ControlPost / CP / our HQ and get paperwork to take to Central camp billeting to get a work order done so that I can get a new CHU key,
*sigh*
Us stay behinds are in our chu's, even me, cos the workLady's handyman let me in.
And the rest of the Platoon is on patrol, per everyday activity.
And looks like today is my bad day.
It's business as usual for us Soldiers here in Iraq,
On a day to day basis, we joke with each other, and the Pecking Order of rank is enforced and protected and we all fit in somewhere,
Me?, I'm a PFC, an E-3, I'm a glorified Private, a Private First Class!! and just last night was read an CounselingStatement from a Sgt that says that "because I am prior Service, I am within time frame to be considered Promotion to "Specialist", I must be here in theater more than 90 days and pass any and all further requirements in order to be promoted etc etc, yada yada yada!!
One platoon member just being a man, I guess. Started a rumor that I have a bigDick!!, cos it goes with my name "Flyinghorse".
Oh, he's hung like a horse, and for a couple of weeks I had to endure a lot of soldiers around me, to include my CHU mates even, teasing me constantly,
I had to lock the chu door just to change in peace, I kept on telling those soldiers to stop bothering me, Even the 1st Lt, our Plt Leader laughs at all the harassment I'm getting, and it is Sexual Harassment, cos of all the related comments that soldiers, that Men can make to each other, calling each other & me Fag, homo, dumbass, horseshit, etc.
I like the Army life, I like being here in Iraq, just not under these conditions with being the whipping boy and being privately ostracized from groups heading to chow or to the PX, I'm left by myself and when I go by myself, my leaders wonder why.
But they know. And they condone this behavior.
At least I am not being "Smoked", or made to do PT for hours and hours by a Specialist or Sgt or above like they used to and still do.
And I won't be smoked just for falling behind on the PT runs or for slowing down on PushUps and SitUps & FlutterKicks.
And I won't be smoked just for losing my CHU key today either,
I'm not a fuck up. I've seen those kinds of soldiers too, I am not one of them. I want to be here, I might want to reEnlist too.
As patient as I am with the name calling and the disparaging comments, I find it a privilege to serve with these young men around me, most of them I am old enough to be their father, (me and another soldier are Oldest in Co at 42)
It's just sad that we have to sink to such despair and depravity in speech and mannerisms while serving our Country and by pretending to help these poor Iraqi people.
Just yesterday when I went out patrolling, I rode in back of Humvee as "Dismount". As we approached the Gate to leave Base. one of my Sgts (over the Radio) was commenting about Shooting the 5 children that were approaching the gate from the open field and waving at us. We laughed. I. But it was crass and cruel. I don't think that way, "just don't lead 'em as much... hahahahahaaa"
At least I didn't, and I don't call people names and I don't speak like these Soldiers but being around them is affecting me.
See what we have to privately endure in the long run America!?
This cost is great for me, I just hope that it's worth it for you back home.
It's great to be here, but we're not all happy all the time. It's because we're so far from home. We miss our families, our friends, our homeland. It's not good when most sr Enlisted get carried away with good order & discipline and turn things into "shit runs downhill, if I'm having a bad day You are too!!" moment.
That's not the kind of leadership I want leading me, that's not the kind of leader I want to be.
In the end, that way of life just runs good Soldiers like me out of the ranks.
lovs,
theSam!!
PFC Samuel L Flyinghorse
2nd Brigade Combat Team, Fort Stewart GA
B Co 1-30th Inf Bn, 2nd Plt 1st Sq
FOB Warrior (kirkuk iraq)
You really wanna know what your heros are doing America? Well, today. There was just a handful of us NOT going out on Patrol, we form up in PT gear and go out on the road running.
As is customary for us, on account of me the Slow Runner, the group goes on ahead and doubles back and cuts back again behind me where I end up as Lead Runner, often the group passes me again, and doubles back on up ahead as I keep running past them.
This very thing happened again this morning, only thing is, there were a dozen semi trucks sharing the road headed Off base and I was distracted by them as well as the ever present pain in my knees and ankles from running, Eventually I look around and I see no one from my group.
I keep running.
I go out about 1.5miles to the fuel station and return back the way I came, and I see no one from my group on the road, It's not pitch dark anymore either, theSun's coming up, the birds fly around, the light is much better and so is visibility as the morning Fog is gone too.
From 0615 to 0700 I run, albeit slowly as usual, and I get to our start point and still I'm all alone.
I walk back to my chu (chew) / camp housing unit and see that a few squad mates are wondering where I went to.
But they know already, cos we've done this before several times now. cos I keep running and I come back.
I shower, get dressed in clean ACU's / army combat uniform and head to chow all by myself, cos by now, most in my squad don't eat breakfast, especially the young ones, the teen men and besides, whom of them wants to hang out with an OLD MAN like me?
I can't keep up with them in PT and eventually become the butt of private and public jokes all around.
And I guess that today is MY day to get locked out of my CHU, cos I lost my key, so after we all form up at 0900 and I get stuck on a work detail (after being warned and threatened by my teamLeader Sgt about doing things my way and going by myself here and there) I go to ControlPost / CP / our HQ and get paperwork to take to Central camp billeting to get a work order done so that I can get a new CHU key,
*sigh*
Us stay behinds are in our chu's, even me, cos the workLady's handyman let me in.
And the rest of the Platoon is on patrol, per everyday activity.
And looks like today is my bad day.
It's business as usual for us Soldiers here in Iraq,
On a day to day basis, we joke with each other, and the Pecking Order of rank is enforced and protected and we all fit in somewhere,
Me?, I'm a PFC, an E-3, I'm a glorified Private, a Private First Class!! and just last night was read an CounselingStatement from a Sgt that says that "because I am prior Service, I am within time frame to be considered Promotion to "Specialist", I must be here in theater more than 90 days and pass any and all further requirements in order to be promoted etc etc, yada yada yada!!
One platoon member just being a man, I guess. Started a rumor that I have a bigDick!!, cos it goes with my name "Flyinghorse".
Oh, he's hung like a horse, and for a couple of weeks I had to endure a lot of soldiers around me, to include my CHU mates even, teasing me constantly,
I had to lock the chu door just to change in peace, I kept on telling those soldiers to stop bothering me, Even the 1st Lt, our Plt Leader laughs at all the harassment I'm getting, and it is Sexual Harassment, cos of all the related comments that soldiers, that Men can make to each other, calling each other & me Fag, homo, dumbass, horseshit, etc.
I like the Army life, I like being here in Iraq, just not under these conditions with being the whipping boy and being privately ostracized from groups heading to chow or to the PX, I'm left by myself and when I go by myself, my leaders wonder why.
But they know. And they condone this behavior.
At least I am not being "Smoked", or made to do PT for hours and hours by a Specialist or Sgt or above like they used to and still do.
And I won't be smoked just for falling behind on the PT runs or for slowing down on PushUps and SitUps & FlutterKicks.
And I won't be smoked just for losing my CHU key today either,
I'm not a fuck up. I've seen those kinds of soldiers too, I am not one of them. I want to be here, I might want to reEnlist too.
As patient as I am with the name calling and the disparaging comments, I find it a privilege to serve with these young men around me, most of them I am old enough to be their father, (me and another soldier are Oldest in Co at 42)
It's just sad that we have to sink to such despair and depravity in speech and mannerisms while serving our Country and by pretending to help these poor Iraqi people.
Just yesterday when I went out patrolling, I rode in back of Humvee as "Dismount". As we approached the Gate to leave Base. one of my Sgts (over the Radio) was commenting about Shooting the 5 children that were approaching the gate from the open field and waving at us. We laughed. I. But it was crass and cruel. I don't think that way, "just don't lead 'em as much... hahahahahaaa"
At least I didn't, and I don't call people names and I don't speak like these Soldiers but being around them is affecting me.
See what we have to privately endure in the long run America!?
This cost is great for me, I just hope that it's worth it for you back home.
It's great to be here, but we're not all happy all the time. It's because we're so far from home. We miss our families, our friends, our homeland. It's not good when most sr Enlisted get carried away with good order & discipline and turn things into "shit runs downhill, if I'm having a bad day You are too!!" moment.
That's not the kind of leadership I want leading me, that's not the kind of leader I want to be.
In the end, that way of life just runs good Soldiers like me out of the ranks.
lovs,
theSam!!
PFC Samuel L Flyinghorse
2nd Brigade Combat Team, Fort Stewart GA
B Co 1-30th Inf Bn, 2nd Plt 1st Sq
FOB Warrior (kirkuk iraq)
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