Guard Duty
Yesterday I pulled guard duty for 24 hours. Interesting experience really. Random thought and notes from this experience:
1000 hours: Reported to the Sergeant of the Guard. Recieved the briefing and was given the ROE (rules of engagement) and EOF (escalation of force). Also the passwork/countersign.
1130 hours: Was assigned to tower XXX (SECRET). Left a humvee and arrived at tower at about 1158 hours. I have with me my weapon, and a full combat load of ammunition. I am prepared to kill. Haha. Not really.
1200 hours: arrive at tower XXX...recieved briefing from the soldiers who we are replacing. I begin scanning my sector for all suspicious activity.
1205 hours: I see farmers in the field
1207 hours: I see a woman with a shovel.
1225 hours: A little boy is yelling from a truck. His father is in the field.
1227 hours: The woman with the shovel is digging in the field. She is making a ditch. PERHAPS TO HIDE A MORTAR TUBE OR AN IED???? I look carefully...naaaa...just digging an irrigation ditch.
1245 hours: I see children playing. A little girl and a little boy. Cute little buggers. HMMMM...perhaps human bombs?....play on our emotion and then when we reach down to say hi or give them candy...BLAMM...who knows....wish i could get a pic of them.
1247 hours: a man is bathing in the field...in the middle of the field. Proof that Iraqis do in fact bath. I knew that they did. But all my buddies dont think so.
1252 hours: I am watching two young girls working in the field. They are working on the irrigation ditch. Working hard....where the hell are the men? One girl...maybe she is 16 or 17...is playfully tossing leaves up in to the air.
1254 hours: The playful girl looks up at me in the tower. She yells to me something in the arabic. My friend says she is saying to not stand up in the tower or they will shoot me. Awww...she likes me. She struts away with a purpose. I wish I knew what she was really saying.
1300 hours...one hour down...confirmed kills to this point: 0
1305 hours: there is a beautiful field filled with sunflowers...I feel happy at that moment.
1307 hours: dark blue vehicle heading toward the fence...OMG...truck bomb????...naaaa...just more workers from the farm.
1310 hours: the Iraqi girl is back...I think she likes me. I think she is flirting with me. Or maybe she is just fucking with me.
1320 hours: she is digging again...damn hard worker. she is singing...nice voice...dont know what she is singing though...I wish I knew.
1340 hours: she speaks once more to me...takes her finger and point for me to come down and help her dig.. I wish I could...she looks at me and give me the "crazy gesture"...she thinks I am crazy. She is a fiesty one. I think I like her.
1400 hours: spotted in my sector so far: birds, in the distance sheep, 4 or 5 man...4 or 5 woman...2 or 3 kids. Confirmed kills: 0
1420 hours: the girls are back...working and digging away...I see a man in a red headdress...he approaches the girls...he sees me and waves...we wave back.
1500 hours....a purple truck is heading our way...WE GET READY...then it turns off the road and into the field to drop off more workers.
1530 hours...my Iraqi girl is back...now she is playing peek-a-boo with me. I pick up the binoclers and she mimics me looking at her...she smiles...i chuckle...
1540 hours...my Iraqi girl is playing hide and seek with her boss or brother...He walk down the field looking for her...she looks at me to help warn her when he approaches...its fun...she laughs and so do I....i am in on the joke...
1600 hours...my first shift ends. I have made contact with an Iraqis and I have not had to use deadly force. This is a small victory. I think I have won this battle...who knows what will happen next time...
This first shift was the busiest...the other two were not as exciting...I guess thats ok. So anyway...how did you all spend your last 24 hours??
1000 hours: Reported to the Sergeant of the Guard. Recieved the briefing and was given the ROE (rules of engagement) and EOF (escalation of force). Also the passwork/countersign.
1130 hours: Was assigned to tower XXX (SECRET). Left a humvee and arrived at tower at about 1158 hours. I have with me my weapon, and a full combat load of ammunition. I am prepared to kill. Haha. Not really.
1200 hours: arrive at tower XXX...recieved briefing from the soldiers who we are replacing. I begin scanning my sector for all suspicious activity.
1205 hours: I see farmers in the field
1207 hours: I see a woman with a shovel.
1225 hours: A little boy is yelling from a truck. His father is in the field.
1227 hours: The woman with the shovel is digging in the field. She is making a ditch. PERHAPS TO HIDE A MORTAR TUBE OR AN IED???? I look carefully...naaaa...just digging an irrigation ditch.
1245 hours: I see children playing. A little girl and a little boy. Cute little buggers. HMMMM...perhaps human bombs?....play on our emotion and then when we reach down to say hi or give them candy...BLAMM...who knows....wish i could get a pic of them.
1247 hours: a man is bathing in the field...in the middle of the field. Proof that Iraqis do in fact bath. I knew that they did. But all my buddies dont think so.
1252 hours: I am watching two young girls working in the field. They are working on the irrigation ditch. Working hard....where the hell are the men? One girl...maybe she is 16 or 17...is playfully tossing leaves up in to the air.
1254 hours: The playful girl looks up at me in the tower. She yells to me something in the arabic. My friend says she is saying to not stand up in the tower or they will shoot me. Awww...she likes me. She struts away with a purpose. I wish I knew what she was really saying.
1300 hours...one hour down...confirmed kills to this point: 0
1305 hours: there is a beautiful field filled with sunflowers...I feel happy at that moment.
1307 hours: dark blue vehicle heading toward the fence...OMG...truck bomb????...naaaa...just more workers from the farm.
1310 hours: the Iraqi girl is back...I think she likes me. I think she is flirting with me. Or maybe she is just fucking with me.
1320 hours: she is digging again...damn hard worker. she is singing...nice voice...dont know what she is singing though...I wish I knew.
1340 hours: she speaks once more to me...takes her finger and point for me to come down and help her dig.. I wish I could...she looks at me and give me the "crazy gesture"...she thinks I am crazy. She is a fiesty one. I think I like her.
1400 hours: spotted in my sector so far: birds, in the distance sheep, 4 or 5 man...4 or 5 woman...2 or 3 kids. Confirmed kills: 0
1420 hours: the girls are back...working and digging away...I see a man in a red headdress...he approaches the girls...he sees me and waves...we wave back.
1500 hours....a purple truck is heading our way...WE GET READY...then it turns off the road and into the field to drop off more workers.
1530 hours...my Iraqi girl is back...now she is playing peek-a-boo with me. I pick up the binoclers and she mimics me looking at her...she smiles...i chuckle...
1540 hours...my Iraqi girl is playing hide and seek with her boss or brother...He walk down the field looking for her...she looks at me to help warn her when he approaches...its fun...she laughs and so do I....i am in on the joke...
1600 hours...my first shift ends. I have made contact with an Iraqis and I have not had to use deadly force. This is a small victory. I think I have won this battle...who knows what will happen next time...
This first shift was the busiest...the other two were not as exciting...I guess thats ok. So anyway...how did you all spend your last 24 hours??
posted by An Army of One at September 29, 2006
2 Comments:
My last 24 hours were not as dull--or as interesting--as yours. Your note for 1600 hours kind of encapsulates my understanding of why you went to Iraq--that was not a small victory, Glenn (OK, can you come home now?).
Love, Linda
I went to purchase food for Sunday's softball game. This game is special because it's an International Softball Game, first annual actually. Only four Canadians came, so I suspect that they will be creamed. This evening the Canadians and a good chunk of T's went to Sage to watch Alex as Sister Robert Ann in Nunsense. She WAS Brooklyn. Came home to try to hide my trash life-style from those Canucks who will be coming here on Sunday to judge me! I have one day left. Elvis and Cork are by my side and with me all the way, God love them. They never judge my abilities. Love ya Glenn...Thank you and all your buds, please tell them..THANKS!
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