So Im still here, the temps running around 115 in the day, allot hotter in the trucks.
You get sick to your stomach its so hot, it drains you.
Ive been up for the better part of 4 days, work, BS, and just not being able to sleep when I can. I'm sitting around today, waiting for shit to happen, that's my job today, i wait, like a firefighter at a fire house waiting for a fire, but I'm a Combat Arms Soldier, and today its my job to wait, but I'm waiting for a different kind of fire, small arms fire, indirect fire, direct fire, that kinda fire, I wish someone would just fire me hehehehe. I'm tired, and I'm dirty and I'm ready to go home. Ive been doing this shit for a year now, its time for a break, its time for some real food, a real bath, some real sleep and some fucking peace and quiet, People here are like broken records just saying the same shit over and over and over, I wish they would just shut the fuck up for once. And today as i try to sleep the artillary is going off, so every 20 seconds or so it sounds like a dump truck just fell out of the sky and landed in your front yard. The windows sound like they're going to break, the whole little metal box I live in vibrates and rattles, the door just popped open on the last one. Not to mention its pretty much an involintary reaction for your heart to skip a beat every time one goes off, you know its coming but its so loud and chaotic you cant help it, outside your calm inside you flinch. Its weird.
Well I just wanted to say Hi, I hope i see you all soon. I just might make it home in one piece, who knows..I'm going out to stand in the 120 degree sun and listen to shit blow up, while i smoke and bang my head against the concrete bunker. Talk to you all later...........................
justin
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Dam Its HOT
Ok So Im still here, god, its getting really hot, we get up to about 110 in the day, mabey a bit hotter in some places. today at about 10am it was around 100, ahhhh its HOT!!!!
But Im almost out of here. I'm so close now I can taste it, or is that just all the shit in the air, maybe that's what I taste heheh. Every day seems to take so long, just drudging on and on, with the heat and constant stupidity.
I've also noticed a change in my level of fear, I know when we first got here, and you first go out side the wire, your nervous, you don't know what to expect, then things start blowing up, people shooting at us, you stay calm, you react, you do your job, but its a bit unnerving when you stop to think about what it is your actually doing, what it is that can actually happen. Over time you become numb to it, you don't care, you just do what you have to do without thought of consiquence. You do it over and over and over. Hundreds upon hundreds of times, we do things every day that would make most people petrified if you stop to think about what it is your actually doing, and a fair amount of shit that would make your asshole pucker, but eventually you laugh and tell jokes in the middle of it, you just don't care it just doesn't matter, you realize if its your time its your time there is nothing your going to do to stop it. You start out with good intent, and motivation, you end up with allot of hate and disgust, for every thing here, every one here. the country, the government, the people, the weather, the food, the job, everything, I hate these people, I hate this country, I have one word that describes my feelings towards Afghanistan, Genocide....
Now that Im almost done that feelings back, that fear, that realization that this shit is life and death every second of every day, and now that i have such a short amount of time it sucks, i want to make it out of this shit hole and get home.
I think before I may not have felt this way, maybe I still wouldn't have cared, but not now, I have to much back home not to not get back there. I have a life and a family and things I need in my life.
I have a woman I love and and a family I want to be with. I have things I want to do, I don't care about this country or these people, I care about my life and my people, my family my friends, and enjoying life with them.
And as far as the army goes, they can kiss my ass goodbye, I'm not putting up with this shit again and giving up precious time with my family and friends. I only get to do this once, I want to do it right, and being with people who love you and who you love is probably the most important thing you can do, spending time with them enjoying things you like to do. And as far as the army goes, yeah its just a job, a job that doesn't pay well, pretends to be really caring and concenrd for its employees when in actuality is not, a job that puts you in harms way daily, a job that puts you in contact with people you don't want to be around, a job that just aint all its cracked up to be, and as far as the army if it were a company in the civilian world, they'd have no fucking employees I can guarantee that..
NOW I say all this only after only having served in two aspect of the army, in basic training and in combat, ive heard garrison is worse, but hmmm i guess ill find out pretty soon , Ill be home and get to go home, ill be with the ones i love, maybe it wont be quite as bad. heheheh Hmm I dont know, I go back and forth on what I think about this job, somedays I like it, some days I hate it, all I know is i hate not being able to see my girl. and honestly wont do this again cause there's no way i could ever be away from her for this long again, its just way to hard for both of us.
I guess the truth is getting shot at aint so bad, not being able to be with my girl thats the hard part, putting up with all the bs aint to hard, being without her is hard. i guess thats the truth. I guess i just want to be with her, not here. Ive found someone I really love and want to be with, and I guess im pissed cause im here, and I dont want to spend another day without her, the jobs not bad, the time apart is bad, the things you see here arnt so hard to deal with, the things Im not seeing back home are the things that are hard to know im missing. Comming here opend my eyes to the way the world really is, i see it first hand how horrible things can be, but if i wouldnt have come to afghanistan I wouldnt have found danielle, so amid all the darkness and all the despair, i have found my light, i found what is truly important to me, I found my wife,
and now its time to fucking go home and spend the rest of it with her.
Im really really looking forward to getting my dam hairy monsters back too, fuck i miss my doggys, hehehhe:)
I need a beer and some shade and cool grass under a tree that actually has some dam birds in it, I want to swim in a cold river and i want to do some things im not going to put on here cuz as open as I am there are some things that just aint nun your dam buisness heheheheh, unless your danielle, then you know what im talkin about heheheh. :)
ok fuck I dont know, Im jsut ready to go.
well ill be home soon, so I guess ill keep you posted on dates when i can, not quite yet but well its soon, youve got more fingers than ive got days so there you go.
any way take care,
I love you all see you soon,
take care
justin :)
But Im almost out of here. I'm so close now I can taste it, or is that just all the shit in the air, maybe that's what I taste heheh. Every day seems to take so long, just drudging on and on, with the heat and constant stupidity.
I've also noticed a change in my level of fear, I know when we first got here, and you first go out side the wire, your nervous, you don't know what to expect, then things start blowing up, people shooting at us, you stay calm, you react, you do your job, but its a bit unnerving when you stop to think about what it is your actually doing, what it is that can actually happen. Over time you become numb to it, you don't care, you just do what you have to do without thought of consiquence. You do it over and over and over. Hundreds upon hundreds of times, we do things every day that would make most people petrified if you stop to think about what it is your actually doing, and a fair amount of shit that would make your asshole pucker, but eventually you laugh and tell jokes in the middle of it, you just don't care it just doesn't matter, you realize if its your time its your time there is nothing your going to do to stop it. You start out with good intent, and motivation, you end up with allot of hate and disgust, for every thing here, every one here. the country, the government, the people, the weather, the food, the job, everything, I hate these people, I hate this country, I have one word that describes my feelings towards Afghanistan, Genocide....
Now that Im almost done that feelings back, that fear, that realization that this shit is life and death every second of every day, and now that i have such a short amount of time it sucks, i want to make it out of this shit hole and get home.
I think before I may not have felt this way, maybe I still wouldn't have cared, but not now, I have to much back home not to not get back there. I have a life and a family and things I need in my life.
I have a woman I love and and a family I want to be with. I have things I want to do, I don't care about this country or these people, I care about my life and my people, my family my friends, and enjoying life with them.
And as far as the army goes, they can kiss my ass goodbye, I'm not putting up with this shit again and giving up precious time with my family and friends. I only get to do this once, I want to do it right, and being with people who love you and who you love is probably the most important thing you can do, spending time with them enjoying things you like to do. And as far as the army goes, yeah its just a job, a job that doesn't pay well, pretends to be really caring and concenrd for its employees when in actuality is not, a job that puts you in harms way daily, a job that puts you in contact with people you don't want to be around, a job that just aint all its cracked up to be, and as far as the army if it were a company in the civilian world, they'd have no fucking employees I can guarantee that..
NOW I say all this only after only having served in two aspect of the army, in basic training and in combat, ive heard garrison is worse, but hmmm i guess ill find out pretty soon , Ill be home and get to go home, ill be with the ones i love, maybe it wont be quite as bad. heheheh Hmm I dont know, I go back and forth on what I think about this job, somedays I like it, some days I hate it, all I know is i hate not being able to see my girl. and honestly wont do this again cause there's no way i could ever be away from her for this long again, its just way to hard for both of us.
I guess the truth is getting shot at aint so bad, not being able to be with my girl thats the hard part, putting up with all the bs aint to hard, being without her is hard. i guess thats the truth. I guess i just want to be with her, not here. Ive found someone I really love and want to be with, and I guess im pissed cause im here, and I dont want to spend another day without her, the jobs not bad, the time apart is bad, the things you see here arnt so hard to deal with, the things Im not seeing back home are the things that are hard to know im missing. Comming here opend my eyes to the way the world really is, i see it first hand how horrible things can be, but if i wouldnt have come to afghanistan I wouldnt have found danielle, so amid all the darkness and all the despair, i have found my light, i found what is truly important to me, I found my wife,
and now its time to fucking go home and spend the rest of it with her.
Im really really looking forward to getting my dam hairy monsters back too, fuck i miss my doggys, hehehhe:)
I need a beer and some shade and cool grass under a tree that actually has some dam birds in it, I want to swim in a cold river and i want to do some things im not going to put on here cuz as open as I am there are some things that just aint nun your dam buisness heheheheh, unless your danielle, then you know what im talkin about heheheh. :)
ok fuck I dont know, Im jsut ready to go.
well ill be home soon, so I guess ill keep you posted on dates when i can, not quite yet but well its soon, youve got more fingers than ive got days so there you go.
any way take care,
I love you all see you soon,
take care
justin :)
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Hi everyone
Ok, well im still here.
Its May 11 now and still counting down.
A year of this is way to long, about 9 months you really loose motivation and perspective, all the super dumb shit everyone pulls really just train wrecks about 9 months in and from there on out it is just seems to be so fucking retarded its unbalevable, this whole place is nothing but a bunch of egotisticle self centerd grown ass men who act like a bunch of little whiny snively little girls, holy fuck what a bunch of retards this place is full of, everyone knows better than everyone, everyone is bigger badder faster smarter done it more, done this better than everyone fickin no sence of friking any frikin thing heheheh " In an enviroment that is totaly based on rank structure and leadership what the fuck ever happend to the philosiphy of lead by example, i guess that shit flew out the window long ago, the army doesnt suck, i swear its the fucking idiots in the army that make it suck, holy shit, what a cluster fuck of stupidity this place is.....I hope to fuck no one from the army ever walks onto my jobsite back home, for there sake, cause i will chew them the fuck up. And If I ever run into any of them on the street halaluja for you good great fine get the fuck out of my way you dumb ass.....cause i aint buyin it and aint in the mood to listen to you try and sell it, my give a fuck is about down to none right now, god dam shit bags hheheheheehehheheheheh,
SORRY Just a little venting on my part and a little look into what is pretty much going though my head these days when Im not thinking about the one and only thing that really keeps me sain.....
And you know who you are ;)
hehehhe, yeah im talking about danielle, ;) it sure is wonderful to have you to talk to baby, you really keep me going everyday, the thought of you, wanting to talk to you wanting to get home to you really helps me get there and get over all the other crap that drives me mad, in the end none of that matters when i think about you and how much i love you and how much I know you love me ;)
Your a wonderful woman, and i love you so much, thank you for being there almost every dang day, your so good to me, I love you :)
And on that note, I cant stop thinking about comming home to my family and friends, dogs and a cold beer, green grass and a fisin pole by the creek...prety much looking at around 40 days right now give or take you never really know with these butt fuckers i swear it wouldnt suprise me if we were half way accross tha atlantic and they turnd the dam plane around to come do some frigins stupid shit back here, it really wouldnt suprise me one dam bit. :) hehehheheheh
Well i gota go, another mission starts again.. over and over and over and over and over and over the stupidity just rolls on :)
well i sure miss you all, and cant wait to get home and see a few of you,
especially well the 5 or so people who actually read this heheheh, jason, mom, morgan, mac and especially you danille, more than anything i cant wait to get home to you and the girls :)
Well Ill talk to you all soon, love you take care
justin
Its May 11 now and still counting down.
A year of this is way to long, about 9 months you really loose motivation and perspective, all the super dumb shit everyone pulls really just train wrecks about 9 months in and from there on out it is just seems to be so fucking retarded its unbalevable, this whole place is nothing but a bunch of egotisticle self centerd grown ass men who act like a bunch of little whiny snively little girls, holy fuck what a bunch of retards this place is full of, everyone knows better than everyone, everyone is bigger badder faster smarter done it more, done this better than everyone fickin no sence of friking any frikin thing heheheh " In an enviroment that is totaly based on rank structure and leadership what the fuck ever happend to the philosiphy of lead by example, i guess that shit flew out the window long ago, the army doesnt suck, i swear its the fucking idiots in the army that make it suck, holy shit, what a cluster fuck of stupidity this place is.....I hope to fuck no one from the army ever walks onto my jobsite back home, for there sake, cause i will chew them the fuck up. And If I ever run into any of them on the street halaluja for you good great fine get the fuck out of my way you dumb ass.....cause i aint buyin it and aint in the mood to listen to you try and sell it, my give a fuck is about down to none right now, god dam shit bags hheheheheehehheheheheh,
SORRY Just a little venting on my part and a little look into what is pretty much going though my head these days when Im not thinking about the one and only thing that really keeps me sain.....
And you know who you are ;)
hehehhe, yeah im talking about danielle, ;) it sure is wonderful to have you to talk to baby, you really keep me going everyday, the thought of you, wanting to talk to you wanting to get home to you really helps me get there and get over all the other crap that drives me mad, in the end none of that matters when i think about you and how much i love you and how much I know you love me ;)
Your a wonderful woman, and i love you so much, thank you for being there almost every dang day, your so good to me, I love you :)
And on that note, I cant stop thinking about comming home to my family and friends, dogs and a cold beer, green grass and a fisin pole by the creek...prety much looking at around 40 days right now give or take you never really know with these butt fuckers i swear it wouldnt suprise me if we were half way accross tha atlantic and they turnd the dam plane around to come do some frigins stupid shit back here, it really wouldnt suprise me one dam bit. :) hehehheheheh
Well i gota go, another mission starts again.. over and over and over and over and over and over the stupidity just rolls on :)
well i sure miss you all, and cant wait to get home and see a few of you,
especially well the 5 or so people who actually read this heheheh, jason, mom, morgan, mac and especially you danille, more than anything i cant wait to get home to you and the girls :)
Well Ill talk to you all soon, love you take care
justin
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Its Dam hot again damit.
Wow its hot as hell already, I guess the good part is that means im comming up on a year in this shit hole. woo hooo. Counting down the days till i get to go home, and the most important thing, counting down the days till i get to see my girls all five, and you to little bear, cant wait to see your bear tail heheheh, heheeh,::)
Time sure seems to be going so so so slow, every day takes so long, but one day at a time and im getting there. Just like basic training bla that sure sucked ass, i wouldnt wish that on anyone heheheh, or this for that matter but once this is done, i really think the hard parts over. I mean atleas in garrison its just training for a while no ones really actually trying to kill you hehhehe:)
I still havent made any decisions as to what all the army might hold for me yet, I got lots of other things to think about now, and allot of things that are just alot more important to me that I want to be around for and spend time doing than just continuing to fucking off in the army ;) Althogh im still pretty interested in a job as a special agent with the CID.
Well I got to keep this one short I guess, gotta go out on a patrol mission again tonight, whats new pretty much 6 times a week average for the last year iv been doing that, so what ever....
I really just came here to write today with one thing on my mind, and that is to say hi to my future wife, danielle, who for me really is already my wife were just waiting on the wedding part hehehe which im really looking forward to by the way :)
So Hi baby, just wanted to say I love you :)
Hope to talk to you soon, I hope you smile when you see i left you a little something here on the blog too heheheh, I know you like it :)
I love you,
I sure miss you baby :)
see all you other turkys soon,
God bless america, the greatest fucking country on the planet :)
scouts out :)
Time sure seems to be going so so so slow, every day takes so long, but one day at a time and im getting there. Just like basic training bla that sure sucked ass, i wouldnt wish that on anyone heheheh, or this for that matter but once this is done, i really think the hard parts over. I mean atleas in garrison its just training for a while no ones really actually trying to kill you hehhehe:)
I still havent made any decisions as to what all the army might hold for me yet, I got lots of other things to think about now, and allot of things that are just alot more important to me that I want to be around for and spend time doing than just continuing to fucking off in the army ;) Althogh im still pretty interested in a job as a special agent with the CID.
Well I got to keep this one short I guess, gotta go out on a patrol mission again tonight, whats new pretty much 6 times a week average for the last year iv been doing that, so what ever....
I really just came here to write today with one thing on my mind, and that is to say hi to my future wife, danielle, who for me really is already my wife were just waiting on the wedding part hehehe which im really looking forward to by the way :)
So Hi baby, just wanted to say I love you :)
Hope to talk to you soon, I hope you smile when you see i left you a little something here on the blog too heheheh, I know you like it :)
I love you,
I sure miss you baby :)
see all you other turkys soon,
God bless america, the greatest fucking country on the planet :)
scouts out :)
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Im still here :)
Guess what?
I'm still here, I guess in a way that's a good thing :)
Well its April 24th now, still just doing the same shit everyday.
It's getting closer I can feel it. It still feels like the day I get to go home is far away, but it feels so much closer now, by this time in 60 days I should not even be in this country. Then its back to Washington to work there and figure shit out.
At this point I really don't think Ill come back to this place, I think Ive had my fill of this shit hole.
But I have to say up to this point its been an eye opening experience, Ive seen things you never could imagine, and done things I don't think you could either. My heart goes out to many people in this country, but I just really don't think it matters, this place is too lost in chaos to really ever have a chance to grow and change, I think the people here are destine to live the shit life they were given, after being here, I really don't think that will ever change. No matter how hard we try, if the people here don't want to help themselves, there never going to leave the stone age behind. I don't blame them, I think there all victims of circumstance, and unfortunately the circumstances in this country that dictate the lives of the people here, suck ass. :) heheheheh.
Hmmm what else.
Rumor has it I'm supposed to be getting my promotions soon, Ill believe that when I get it heheheh;) I don't really care, but its more money that's cool, but it ain't much money, i tell you if you want money don't join the military they don't pay shit hehehe ;)
Well The Army sux, Afghanistan well it sux too, but I wouldn't change a thing cause there is one thing about all of this that made it all worth while and Her name is Danielle :)
Some how in the middle of all of this shit I found the woman I love and am going to marry heheh, how does that happen. :)
Well I'm not sure how, but I know if i wasn't here it wouldn't have happened, so in a way I think I am very lucky I chose to follow the path i did, as it led me to the beginning of the rest of my life with my best friend and wife heheh pretty cool :)
Well anyway that is by far the best thing that has not only happened to me here but pretty much happened to me in the last 38 years really So that's good :)
So when i get back My life is going to keep on changing :) for the better, I left home single and out to see the world, and After seeing all I think I need to see, I'm coming home to a full house, I'm coming home to a beautiful wife and two wonderful daughters, three big ass hairy dogs and a crappy new job, and well pretty much a completely new and different life heheh and wonderful life in the great state of Washington.:).
Well our plans are to be there for a few years and eventually end up back in Idaho, but no guarantees on that just yet :)
Well that's about it for now, ill write again in a few days if i can. not sure how many people read this anyhow heheh so I guess its really mostly just for me hehheh.
well anyway here are some pictures too,
Ill write again later heeh
hopefully ill be home soon, take care all :)
I'm still here, I guess in a way that's a good thing :)
Well its April 24th now, still just doing the same shit everyday.
It's getting closer I can feel it. It still feels like the day I get to go home is far away, but it feels so much closer now, by this time in 60 days I should not even be in this country. Then its back to Washington to work there and figure shit out.
At this point I really don't think Ill come back to this place, I think Ive had my fill of this shit hole.
But I have to say up to this point its been an eye opening experience, Ive seen things you never could imagine, and done things I don't think you could either. My heart goes out to many people in this country, but I just really don't think it matters, this place is too lost in chaos to really ever have a chance to grow and change, I think the people here are destine to live the shit life they were given, after being here, I really don't think that will ever change. No matter how hard we try, if the people here don't want to help themselves, there never going to leave the stone age behind. I don't blame them, I think there all victims of circumstance, and unfortunately the circumstances in this country that dictate the lives of the people here, suck ass. :) heheheheh.
Hmmm what else.
Rumor has it I'm supposed to be getting my promotions soon, Ill believe that when I get it heheheh;) I don't really care, but its more money that's cool, but it ain't much money, i tell you if you want money don't join the military they don't pay shit hehehe ;)
Well The Army sux, Afghanistan well it sux too, but I wouldn't change a thing cause there is one thing about all of this that made it all worth while and Her name is Danielle :)
Some how in the middle of all of this shit I found the woman I love and am going to marry heheh, how does that happen. :)
Well I'm not sure how, but I know if i wasn't here it wouldn't have happened, so in a way I think I am very lucky I chose to follow the path i did, as it led me to the beginning of the rest of my life with my best friend and wife heheh pretty cool :)
Well anyway that is by far the best thing that has not only happened to me here but pretty much happened to me in the last 38 years really So that's good :)
So when i get back My life is going to keep on changing :) for the better, I left home single and out to see the world, and After seeing all I think I need to see, I'm coming home to a full house, I'm coming home to a beautiful wife and two wonderful daughters, three big ass hairy dogs and a crappy new job, and well pretty much a completely new and different life heheh and wonderful life in the great state of Washington.:).
Well our plans are to be there for a few years and eventually end up back in Idaho, but no guarantees on that just yet :)
Well that's about it for now, ill write again in a few days if i can. not sure how many people read this anyhow heheh so I guess its really mostly just for me hehheh.
well anyway here are some pictures too,
Ill write again later heeh
hopefully ill be home soon, take care all :)
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Easter Yea, heheh
Well one good thing about this easter is i hope this is the last one i ever spend in Afghanastan, and away from my family.
Its a rough time now knowing how close home is now, yet we still got lots to do, and you cant let your mind wander to far, hodgie dont take no holidays and is always out there waiting for us. little stinky bastards. they really are a smelly bunch of people :)
Its starting to get hot here, again, which i guess is a good thing really it means well be going home soon, though im not really looking forward to 120 degree heat uughhhhh :(
it got cold here but never really got as cold as i thought it would, dont get me wrong it got cold but i just kept waiting for it to get allot colder, your skin would burn from the wind and cold but it never stuck to the metal, i thought it would i thought my skin would get so cold it would stick to the metal but it never got that cold.
I really would like to share some things that i've seen and done, but i think its best that i wait till im out of here, befor i start telling storys and shit talking you know what i mean hehehe.
I guess really though its a weird place.
It is really sort of like going back in time, its extreem poverty, in a way that people that know what poverty is, wouldnt understand what this is like, its dirty and rotten, its corrupt and its violent, its the land of extrem islam, its the land of masha allah, its lots of things, most of them in my oppinion not so good, if you look you can find those small things that make you smile or laugh but deep down the darkenss here overshadows the light, a small childs smile is always wonderful thing, big shinning bright eyes peeering through a little dust coverd face, happy and inocent, she is oblivious to the fact that she will be a victim of this society soon, theres that knowing that understanding inside me, that by the age of 14 this small child will have two kids and be some forty year old mans 4th wife, if she even lives that long, makes that smile fade in my mind, you smile back and you walk on past, thankfull your daughters will never know this kind of life.
Its Mad Max and a Bible story all rolled in one, people ride across the desert on donkys with there wifes in full burkas, with there caravans of camals and there goat herds tended by small boys, crossing the desert, nomads, and colorful tents, crazy villagies that pop up in the night, and then dissapere in a day, people everywhere digging for water, the life of the desert, more precious than most anything i suppose here exept guns or explosives, theres the whole crazy islamic militants, war lords, the religious elders and the mujahadin, afganie, pakistani, chechins, and uzbecks, and all the extremists with ther guns and explosives, private security forces, black water and spec opps solders, nato forces and the afgan army,border patoles, highway cops all stoned, all corrupt to some extent, and just pure crazynes, markets full of everything imaginable animal carcases hanging in the street, carts of rotting fruit and vegtibles, spices and strange plants, fabrics and beads, tin pots, and shit you dont even whant to know, all broiling in the hot thick smoke filled air, garbage and flys, the smell of piss and raw sewage, burnt garbage, packs of wild dogs and livestock that looks like the walking dead, people eveywhere filthy and smelly in there man dresses, sounds of trucks and buzz of motorcybles, the mosques calleing people to prayer five times a day, now and then the sound of small arms fire in the distance, its a weird place to be, a place where you see a man smile and dont know if he is happy to see you or happy cause he knows hes about to watch you die. Its a weird weird place to find yourself..
one of the things i guess i notice about me personaly is things that should scare the shit out of you, just become so normal, your perspective on whats normal becomes very skewd in a place like this.. things that would make most people petrified with fear become normal, you become aclimatized to shit you shouldnt really i guess.
But for the most part its not that bad, 95% of the time its compleet bordome, and the other 5% of the time is sheer terror heheeh, but i find it sort of sad and sort of sick i like the terror part the most, its an amazing adrinilin rush hehehe, i love hunting bad guys, but really we dont get to do much of that, mostly were bord watching sheep hearders or corrupt cops from a distance, spying, observing, reporting, documenting, searching, looking, driveing, sleeping staring off into space doing reconacence, wich isnt always doing cool shit..
we look for ieds allot thats pretty stupid heheheh there not like little fireworks there huge thigns that go boom really really big, when we accidently or purpously set them off whole sections of road dissapere, 25 feet long, 15 feet wide and 6 feet deep sections of road just pooof and gone heheheh rocks and shit flying everywhere, i like to stand there and watch and feel the concusion rock the vehicle and feel it on yoru skin as shit rains down, i like watching stuff blow up thats one fun thing we do LOL
Ther all sorts of ieds some are preasure plates and some are remote control and some are comand wire detonated, usually those ones are then followed by fuckers shooting at you. they can be made to blow up and disinigrate whole vehicles to little ones just big enough to blow your feet off, some are made of home made exploseives like ammonium nitrate/ fertilize imported/smugled from pakistan and some are old chinnese rockets or russian land mines, some are filled with nuts and bolts, its all sort of random and depends on who the target is. Ive seen ones so big that armord vehicles have been obliterated, and seen ones that hit little cars full of woman and children, ive seen them hit ABP trucks where the whole truck is gone but the people walked away, but not always allot of times they get trashed bad, those idiots hit them allot god there stupid people. lots of times they set them so a vehicle hits one then the vehicles that go to help will hit one or two, or the people that get out to help will step on them, then they jump out and shot rpg's and shot at you with small arms fire like ak-47s..
Sometimes sheep and dogs step on them thats pretty funny,, some times people step on them thats pretty bad, pretty really bad, and someitmes the fucks set them off while trying to implace them or tranport them or make them, thats really good stuff, especially when they dont die and then they want us to help them cause there all fucked up, jack asses :)
Its a rough time now knowing how close home is now, yet we still got lots to do, and you cant let your mind wander to far, hodgie dont take no holidays and is always out there waiting for us. little stinky bastards. they really are a smelly bunch of people :)
Its starting to get hot here, again, which i guess is a good thing really it means well be going home soon, though im not really looking forward to 120 degree heat uughhhhh :(
it got cold here but never really got as cold as i thought it would, dont get me wrong it got cold but i just kept waiting for it to get allot colder, your skin would burn from the wind and cold but it never stuck to the metal, i thought it would i thought my skin would get so cold it would stick to the metal but it never got that cold.
I really would like to share some things that i've seen and done, but i think its best that i wait till im out of here, befor i start telling storys and shit talking you know what i mean hehehe.
I guess really though its a weird place.
It is really sort of like going back in time, its extreem poverty, in a way that people that know what poverty is, wouldnt understand what this is like, its dirty and rotten, its corrupt and its violent, its the land of extrem islam, its the land of masha allah, its lots of things, most of them in my oppinion not so good, if you look you can find those small things that make you smile or laugh but deep down the darkenss here overshadows the light, a small childs smile is always wonderful thing, big shinning bright eyes peeering through a little dust coverd face, happy and inocent, she is oblivious to the fact that she will be a victim of this society soon, theres that knowing that understanding inside me, that by the age of 14 this small child will have two kids and be some forty year old mans 4th wife, if she even lives that long, makes that smile fade in my mind, you smile back and you walk on past, thankfull your daughters will never know this kind of life.
Its Mad Max and a Bible story all rolled in one, people ride across the desert on donkys with there wifes in full burkas, with there caravans of camals and there goat herds tended by small boys, crossing the desert, nomads, and colorful tents, crazy villagies that pop up in the night, and then dissapere in a day, people everywhere digging for water, the life of the desert, more precious than most anything i suppose here exept guns or explosives, theres the whole crazy islamic militants, war lords, the religious elders and the mujahadin, afganie, pakistani, chechins, and uzbecks, and all the extremists with ther guns and explosives, private security forces, black water and spec opps solders, nato forces and the afgan army,border patoles, highway cops all stoned, all corrupt to some extent, and just pure crazynes, markets full of everything imaginable animal carcases hanging in the street, carts of rotting fruit and vegtibles, spices and strange plants, fabrics and beads, tin pots, and shit you dont even whant to know, all broiling in the hot thick smoke filled air, garbage and flys, the smell of piss and raw sewage, burnt garbage, packs of wild dogs and livestock that looks like the walking dead, people eveywhere filthy and smelly in there man dresses, sounds of trucks and buzz of motorcybles, the mosques calleing people to prayer five times a day, now and then the sound of small arms fire in the distance, its a weird place to be, a place where you see a man smile and dont know if he is happy to see you or happy cause he knows hes about to watch you die. Its a weird weird place to find yourself..
one of the things i guess i notice about me personaly is things that should scare the shit out of you, just become so normal, your perspective on whats normal becomes very skewd in a place like this.. things that would make most people petrified with fear become normal, you become aclimatized to shit you shouldnt really i guess.
But for the most part its not that bad, 95% of the time its compleet bordome, and the other 5% of the time is sheer terror heheeh, but i find it sort of sad and sort of sick i like the terror part the most, its an amazing adrinilin rush hehehe, i love hunting bad guys, but really we dont get to do much of that, mostly were bord watching sheep hearders or corrupt cops from a distance, spying, observing, reporting, documenting, searching, looking, driveing, sleeping staring off into space doing reconacence, wich isnt always doing cool shit..
we look for ieds allot thats pretty stupid heheheh there not like little fireworks there huge thigns that go boom really really big, when we accidently or purpously set them off whole sections of road dissapere, 25 feet long, 15 feet wide and 6 feet deep sections of road just pooof and gone heheheh rocks and shit flying everywhere, i like to stand there and watch and feel the concusion rock the vehicle and feel it on yoru skin as shit rains down, i like watching stuff blow up thats one fun thing we do LOL
Ther all sorts of ieds some are preasure plates and some are remote control and some are comand wire detonated, usually those ones are then followed by fuckers shooting at you. they can be made to blow up and disinigrate whole vehicles to little ones just big enough to blow your feet off, some are made of home made exploseives like ammonium nitrate/ fertilize imported/smugled from pakistan and some are old chinnese rockets or russian land mines, some are filled with nuts and bolts, its all sort of random and depends on who the target is. Ive seen ones so big that armord vehicles have been obliterated, and seen ones that hit little cars full of woman and children, ive seen them hit ABP trucks where the whole truck is gone but the people walked away, but not always allot of times they get trashed bad, those idiots hit them allot god there stupid people. lots of times they set them so a vehicle hits one then the vehicles that go to help will hit one or two, or the people that get out to help will step on them, then they jump out and shot rpg's and shot at you with small arms fire like ak-47s..
Sometimes sheep and dogs step on them thats pretty funny,, some times people step on them thats pretty bad, pretty really bad, and someitmes the fucks set them off while trying to implace them or tranport them or make them, thats really good stuff, especially when they dont die and then they want us to help them cause there all fucked up, jack asses :)
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Happy Easter
Well Its easter, supposedly a squadron stand down day, sure doesnt feel like it, I wonder why, oh yeah cause ive been on patrol since it started, well since yesterday at 1300 till just now, 0730, hopefully i can get some sleep for a while.
Not much happend today, Did counter IED patrols, basicly we look for ieds and secondary explosives on the roads and in culverts and try not to blow up in the process, then when we find them we blow them up, hwhehehehe, saw two nasty car wercks, and sat up all night on an OP (observation post) watching the afghan desert, highway 4 and lateral routs across the desert, and some ABP compound basicly looking for taliban inusgents who plant ieds attack ABP (afghan border patrol, or as i like to call them the afghan butt pirates)outposts and use lateral routs to move across the desert from pakistan to where ever in afghanastan, spinboldak, khandahar, kabul all sorts of places but to get there, where ever it is your going, you gotta cross the desert out here . eheheheheh whoopie, but no enemy contact and didnt find any ieds' so i suppose thats all good.
well that was what i was just doing, ill post a few older pictuers and then hit the sack
i will keep posting as much as i can and try to bring some stuff back up to speed and probalby recount some of the BS weve done in the last ten months....
kkk,
IM glad to see i have two new followers hehehe
What's up Mac..
And Hi Danielle, :) Yeah, my soon to be wife, heheh I love you Danielle Raye :)
Not much happend today, Did counter IED patrols, basicly we look for ieds and secondary explosives on the roads and in culverts and try not to blow up in the process, then when we find them we blow them up, hwhehehehe, saw two nasty car wercks, and sat up all night on an OP (observation post) watching the afghan desert, highway 4 and lateral routs across the desert, and some ABP compound basicly looking for taliban inusgents who plant ieds attack ABP (afghan border patrol, or as i like to call them the afghan butt pirates)outposts and use lateral routs to move across the desert from pakistan to where ever in afghanastan, spinboldak, khandahar, kabul all sorts of places but to get there, where ever it is your going, you gotta cross the desert out here . eheheheheh whoopie, but no enemy contact and didnt find any ieds' so i suppose thats all good.
well that was what i was just doing, ill post a few older pictuers and then hit the sack
i will keep posting as much as i can and try to bring some stuff back up to speed and probalby recount some of the BS weve done in the last ten months....
kkk,
IM glad to see i have two new followers hehehe
What's up Mac..
And Hi Danielle, :) Yeah, my soon to be wife, heheh I love you Danielle Raye :)
Whats up my three followers heheheh:)
Well I finally decided to start writeing again here.
Ill update with some good stuff in a day or so, right now i get to go back out on patrole across the afghan desert, it is the day befor easter and ill patrol into easter sunday, thats all we do is patrol the desert.. whooo hooo, Ive been here 10 months now and ready to get home. Lots of stuff has happend since i been here last.. Ill start to tell some here probalby tommorow when I get back from my patrol..
All I have to say right now is i am really really looking forward to gettin out of this shit hole county and getting back to america the greatest fucking country on the planet, and my family and friend, the only thing that keeps me sane here is knowing ill be going home to them soon. Trust me, its good to be an infidel heheheh :)
Well love you all, ill be back in about 24 hours to post some pics and start telling a few storys. I hope your all doing well, i miss everyone.
Take care Jusitn...................................................................................
Friday, July 17, 2009
Hey all whats going on.
Got allot to tell, but not allot of time on the pc. got alot of photos, but no way to post them yet.
Im here in khandahar, have been here since the fourth of july
was also in khazakastan, romania and ireland for short periods of time, not long enough to see anything unfortunatly
will be leaving here shortly to get on with what we are doing.
this place is hotter than you can imagine, about 120 in the day, and it stinks to high heaven, it is pretty funny., its supper dusty, like walking on the moon.
It really sort of looks allot like the mojavie desert.
so far weve just been doing allot of training, maintinece, pt and getting aclimated to the climat..
lots of stuff id like to tell you all, but really cant at this point, only that it is defantly and adventure, and a crazy place to be for sure.
i will be takeing my leave in april, so will be home in ketchum at that time for any one interested.
well i cant talk long but will try to keep you all posted.
till next time take care, hope everyone is well.
scouts out
justin
Monday, June 22, 2009
Well, Im back to update.
Well hey everyone how are things.
Sorry I havent been back in such along time.
Allot of things have been going on since i was here last.
I finally Got Out of Kentucky, boy that was a very good day.
I ended up going to stryker training that was pretty cool. their pretty awsom vehicles.
The day I got out of school, I went to Ft. lewis washington. Where I am currently stationd.
I ended up being with the 2nd infantry, 5th stryker brigade with the 8th squadron, 1at cavalry regimant. or 8-1 cav.
The crazy thing is that were now getting ready to deploy, so i got to go home for two days and will be going back to washington tonight to finish geting ready to go to afganastan.
I really cant tell you all what well be doing there, but what i can say is the next year is going to be very interesting if nothing else.
I will try to keep everyon updated as much as i can, and hopfully get some pictures of the country and things i see. I dont know how much internet i will have but i plan to keep a journal and up date when i can here.
We leave here next week, and i should be gone about a year. it seams like a long time, but who know maybe it will go by fast.
I got to see the girls here befor i left, and most all my friends back home. so im happy for that, it would have been nice to spend more time than just two days, but oh well two is better than none.
well i hope I have some interesting stories to post here in a while.
ill be in afganastan by next week. man that will be something else lol..:)
well i gotta run, hope you all take care.
glad i got to see most you all. until next time take care.
justin
Sorry I havent been back in such along time.
Allot of things have been going on since i was here last.
I finally Got Out of Kentucky, boy that was a very good day.
I ended up going to stryker training that was pretty cool. their pretty awsom vehicles.
The day I got out of school, I went to Ft. lewis washington. Where I am currently stationd.
I ended up being with the 2nd infantry, 5th stryker brigade with the 8th squadron, 1at cavalry regimant. or 8-1 cav.
The crazy thing is that were now getting ready to deploy, so i got to go home for two days and will be going back to washington tonight to finish geting ready to go to afganastan.
I really cant tell you all what well be doing there, but what i can say is the next year is going to be very interesting if nothing else.
I will try to keep everyon updated as much as i can, and hopfully get some pictures of the country and things i see. I dont know how much internet i will have but i plan to keep a journal and up date when i can here.
We leave here next week, and i should be gone about a year. it seams like a long time, but who know maybe it will go by fast.
I got to see the girls here befor i left, and most all my friends back home. so im happy for that, it would have been nice to spend more time than just two days, but oh well two is better than none.
well i hope I have some interesting stories to post here in a while.
ill be in afganastan by next week. man that will be something else lol..:)
well i gotta run, hope you all take care.
glad i got to see most you all. until next time take care.
justin
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Well here I am all graduated! Cavalry Scout with 2nd Infantry
I guess I got allot of crap to catch you all up on, but i got to figure out how to work this dam page out heheheheh :)
well shit, i got allot of catching up to do, im here in louiville once again sitting in the brown hotel of all places with 8 other guys, all strykers headed for ft lewis, these are the guys im gona be with for at least the nest 2 weeks and probably longer.
there is actually 11 privats and 3 sargents going only 8 staying in this room heheheh.
processed into stryker skool friday, yesterday, should be pretty good. im looking forward to it now.
we are treated so much diffrent, like real people now what a amazing journy that last 16 weeks was, and to end up still here feels sort of like i died of heart failure on a run and im in purgatory heheheheh. walking, cleaning and liveing in the halls where just a short time ago there were so many of us, now only 14. its really radicle experince.
and here its pretty funny hanging in this smal room with these guys 8 dudes 8 laptops eveyone typeing away, what a bunch of tech junkies hwahahahhahahah :)
weve all been cutting loos a bit, its pretty cool, not something i would have ever forseen 16 weeks ago, or 2 weeks ago for that matter :)
well, i want to keep writeing, but i gotta get some food, be back to update on shit in a while.
Well the last few weeks have been something else, Im really happy to be done with OSUT, Im also a bit nervious about whats to come. everything so far has been pretty mellow, eat what we want, we have to pt, i do, a few guys dont, guys smoke chew pound energy drinks what ever, we moved baraks so looks the same i even got the same spot in the room, back right by the widow, i swear im in purgatory.
so I think i sent morgan a mail with the missing last few weeks, she may post it or not im not sure, i sent it out after she had left on her way to visit me.
i want to say thanks to her, none of this would be here without a whole lot of effort on her part, so THANKS MORGAN :)
so im still here at Ft. Knox til june five, then i am going to Ft lewis washigton as a straight ship, which means ill get there june five. that should be a fun day :) im the only fucker out of the whole company who opted to NOT take leave, what the fucks wrong with me?
wont have any word on what will happen in the future, rumors rumors rumors thats all you get, eating mushrooms in the dark!
as soon as i know ill let everyone know what im doing, im not speculating shit anymore, for one its pointles and 2ndly i dont want to jinx myself :)
I think i wrote in my letter to morgan that we did our final ruck, it was frigin 28k afterwords 98% of the troop was walkin around like a bunch of old broke dicks hahshahaha pussies all of em :) not every last one of em but dam near :)
that photo was taken by austen there outside olive theater where I graduated
nice photo dude, my barret is all wrinkled to fuck thanks hahahahhaha :)
the other photo is a pic i took of my unit patch, everyone has diffrent patches they wear to identify them, so everyone know who knows who eveyone else is, thats mine 2nd ID (infantry division) Ill get a 5\15 cav flash for my barett later this week, but then that changes when i get to ft lewis to what ever brigade ill be with. which I STILL DONT KNOW FOR FUKCIN SURE WHAT THAT WILL BE. My orders say 2nd brigade which doesnt exist! what ever...
anyhow you were your unit patch on your left shoulder, and on your right you wear the unit patch that you served with in combat last, i dont wear a patch on my right shoulder yet.
the flash on your barett is is sort the same sort of thing, well be weraing 5-15 Cav here for a 2 weeks then well get new ones in washington, not important just sort of trying to inform yyou all how some of this shit works :)
dam what else, i need to keep writeing, i forget, i stil have a jounal jull of reall fun crazy shit from basic that ill share some time but not yet, im not off ft knox just yet heheheeh :)
Scouts Out
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Lots of new posts
Sorry I (Morgan) got so far behind this time. Soon you won't have to rely on me, Justin will take over for himself.
Mom, Austen and I are all going out for his graduation. He's very, very excited to be done with this portion of training and being treated like a human again.
In this last batch of updates, there were posts that were from BEFORE he graduated BCT in March, so you have to scroll past those to find the new (old) posts. I think March 23rd is the oldest one.
Mom, Austen and I are all going out for his graduation. He's very, very excited to be done with this portion of training and being treated like a human again.
In this last batch of updates, there were posts that were from BEFORE he graduated BCT in March, so you have to scroll past those to find the new (old) posts. I think March 23rd is the oldest one.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
April 28th, 2009
Guess what? Nothing. :) Nothing new. Just sitting on free time. Just finished Marcus Luttrels book "Lone Survivor." Was at the range all day shooting the 25mm chain gun. Man that's a big gun. :) Tomorrow is all day at the range firing the MaDuce (.50 cal). Then Thursday we clean the range. Then 4 days of FOB and then March. It's getting there.
I passed my APFT the other day. I did good. I ran a 12:50 2 mile. That was good. Back home I was going it right at 16:00 and I have 18:30. So for me I'm flying. :) 90% of the people don't do it under 14:00. Even the young guys. I was super sore. I hurt all over. I think I'm ready for soccer now! :) My endurance is crazy. I can work at overload for several hours. Although it hurts later. :) I got 15 days and a wake up :)
I've already made (met)a few friends going to Lewis. They're insert. They've been in combat ect. Cool guys :) it will be nice to know people there. I guess Stryker school get you (me) promotion points. I guess it is a real school people request and want to go to. I have to go. Looking forward to it now, knowing that will be my job. To some extent, can't wait for phone/PC access. Civilian clothes at night and weekends and my own meal and work out options.
Haven't heard from anyone really in a while. Got a letter from Mom a while back. Hope everything is going well.
Been thinking about the dogs a lot lately. Been missing Little Bear a lot. I still have a hard without them. I miss them lots.
They've been feeding us MREs now. MMMM:) Yeah right, whatever. I just want food! :)MREs are better than field chow. That's for sure. :-|
Anyhow, gotta go. miss yall
~Justin
I passed my APFT the other day. I did good. I ran a 12:50 2 mile. That was good. Back home I was going it right at 16:00 and I have 18:30. So for me I'm flying. :) 90% of the people don't do it under 14:00. Even the young guys. I was super sore. I hurt all over. I think I'm ready for soccer now! :) My endurance is crazy. I can work at overload for several hours. Although it hurts later. :) I got 15 days and a wake up :)
I've already made (met)a few friends going to Lewis. They're insert. They've been in combat ect. Cool guys :) it will be nice to know people there. I guess Stryker school get you (me) promotion points. I guess it is a real school people request and want to go to. I have to go. Looking forward to it now, knowing that will be my job. To some extent, can't wait for phone/PC access. Civilian clothes at night and weekends and my own meal and work out options.
Haven't heard from anyone really in a while. Got a letter from Mom a while back. Hope everything is going well.
Been thinking about the dogs a lot lately. Been missing Little Bear a lot. I still have a hard without them. I miss them lots.
They've been feeding us MREs now. MMMM:) Yeah right, whatever. I just want food! :)MREs are better than field chow. That's for sure. :-|
Anyhow, gotta go. miss yall
~Justin
Saturday, April 25, 2009
April 25th, 2009
Well, here I am still. :) I think they are letting up for a few days. We've been getting wrecked for the last week and the APFT is Monday @ 0330 (that's morning time for all you am/pm time guys. I don't know why the hell they do that?). Then most of next week will be setting up for the FOB (FOrward Operations Base). That's 4 days long and our final exercise. Then the 20/25k most likely 23k. We took the SGST (Scouts Gunnery Skill Test) yesterday. That went well. My best test score yet. 100%. It covered the TOW missile system, the 240 Charlie, the 25 mm chain gun - aka 25 mike- Bradly night driving, .50 cal belt fed, MK-19 (Automatic Grenade Launcher) and some other shit.
Today we did spring cleaning out side. We picked up leaves with our bare hands for about 4 hours. Apparently there was nothing else important to do today. :) There are 2 other people from Idaho in my platoon, and 3 in my troop. We talked about Idaho. Boise, Meridian, Pocatello, Sun Valley, it was fun for a while. Then we all started missing home and realizing how nice Idaho is.
I'm trying to stay focused on this shit here and get it done. I'm also trying to get straight in my head how things might play out for me over the next year. Life for me is about ready to start getting crazy, I think. I hope everything works out well. Mostly I want to get home for a few weeks. I want to see the girls and Little Bear. I would to over sleep in my own bed a few times, watch a movie or two, take a nice long road bike ride or 3. I want to see a few people, spend time with family and friends, go shooting a few times, make sure my house is square, finances are square, eat some good, healthy food. Maybe go get a taco and pick up on a Mexican cutie, take the dogs to the river and a few other things, but generally do most the things I am missing now. Beacuse soon after I won't get a chance again for a while. It's still looking like I'm staying here for sure, but now it's looking like a 4 day hold over. That is an off base pass then two weeks of class and off to Ft Lewis on June 5th. That won't be too bad. If that's how it goes down. If anyone comes to Kentucky to visit those 4 days, we're going to the Texas Road House. I think I fell in love with that dessert* when Aaron was out. That is some good shit. :) If no one comes to visit, I'm still going! :)barracks maintenance, dinner chow, lights out early for early Monday PT test.
I hope when I graduate OSUT here in a few weeks, I can find a way to get my laptop, phone, etc. So I can start communicating with phone and net and organizing shit with the laptop. I need to catch up on some news too.
Well anyhow, like I said, not much going on now. Just acclimated to all the BS so it's pretty boring.
I hope you're all well and good.
Hope to see you all soon, until next time, take care
~Justin :)
There shouldn't be much to do tomorrow, but we'll see. Breakfast chow, church, lunch chow,
Guessing on that one - cannot read the word.
Today we did spring cleaning out side. We picked up leaves with our bare hands for about 4 hours. Apparently there was nothing else important to do today. :) There are 2 other people from Idaho in my platoon, and 3 in my troop. We talked about Idaho. Boise, Meridian, Pocatello, Sun Valley, it was fun for a while. Then we all started missing home and realizing how nice Idaho is.
I'm trying to stay focused on this shit here and get it done. I'm also trying to get straight in my head how things might play out for me over the next year. Life for me is about ready to start getting crazy, I think. I hope everything works out well. Mostly I want to get home for a few weeks. I want to see the girls and Little Bear. I would to over sleep in my own bed a few times, watch a movie or two, take a nice long road bike ride or 3. I want to see a few people, spend time with family and friends, go shooting a few times, make sure my house is square, finances are square, eat some good, healthy food. Maybe go get a taco and pick up on a Mexican cutie, take the dogs to the river and a few other things, but generally do most the things I am missing now. Beacuse soon after I won't get a chance again for a while. It's still looking like I'm staying here for sure, but now it's looking like a 4 day hold over. That is an off base pass then two weeks of class and off to Ft Lewis on June 5th. That won't be too bad. If that's how it goes down. If anyone comes to Kentucky to visit those 4 days, we're going to the Texas Road House. I think I fell in love with that dessert* when Aaron was out. That is some good shit. :) If no one comes to visit, I'm still going! :)barracks maintenance, dinner chow, lights out early for early Monday PT test.
I hope when I graduate OSUT here in a few weeks, I can find a way to get my laptop, phone, etc. So I can start communicating with phone and net and organizing shit with the laptop. I need to catch up on some news too.
Well anyhow, like I said, not much going on now. Just acclimated to all the BS so it's pretty boring.
I hope you're all well and good.
Hope to see you all soon, until next time, take care
~Justin :)
There shouldn't be much to do tomorrow, but we'll see. Breakfast chow, church, lunch chow,
Guessing on that one - cannot read the word.
Monday, April 20, 2009
mid to late April (not dated)
Hey what's up? Not much here. just sitting around, still training. Yesterday we drove Bradlys in the day then Hummvee with night vision (well FLIR- you know the white and black shit). Then I drove a brand new C-MET Bradly at night. It was sick. You don't even see outside. You look at a TV screen inside that shows the whole outside with FLIR. Doing like 30 mph in a 30+ ton tank. It was the shit. Then I rode for a while in the turret with the commander and as we were driving he would spin the turret like those damn t-cups at the fair. It was cool. We get to drive them in the mud next week. Then I'll probably never drive one again. Strykers are the same but you get a 360 degree exterior view with video screen. You drive 100% like you're playing XBox.
- Well I don't know for 100% sure, but it looks like I stay here as a hold-over. Which means I graduate May 14 then sit for 1 week here doing nothing. Then I go to 2 weeks of Stryker school and then go to Ft. Lewis June 5th. Then deploy to Iraq end of July if I'm 4th Stryker Brigade or Afghanistan end of July if I'm 5th Stryker Brigade. But that could change. I'm sure but that's what it is looking like. I hope I get a few weeks at home at some point. Which I will. It's kind of lame I have to stay here, but it won't be associated with what I am doing now. I'll be able to come and go as I please, etc. I just want to get back close to home. Kentucky sucks. :( hehe I should be able to have cell phone and laptop at that point, too. - Well I will - I just need to get my laptop and phone service going. That does net service, too. Everything is deja vu over and over.
To other stuff -
Was wondering about Little Bear. Hope he is well and not causing too much chaos. It's still hard without him almost 4 months later. Same with the girls. Sometimes I find it hard to think about them. I miss them too much. I miss their energy and the comfort and peace they bring. The dog piles on Saturday morning and walking in the hills. They are truly missed. I hope to see them soon.
~Justin
- Well I don't know for 100% sure, but it looks like I stay here as a hold-over. Which means I graduate May 14 then sit for 1 week here doing nothing. Then I go to 2 weeks of Stryker school and then go to Ft. Lewis June 5th. Then deploy to Iraq end of July if I'm 4th Stryker Brigade or Afghanistan end of July if I'm 5th Stryker Brigade. But that could change. I'm sure but that's what it is looking like. I hope I get a few weeks at home at some point. Which I will. It's kind of lame I have to stay here, but it won't be associated with what I am doing now. I'll be able to come and go as I please, etc. I just want to get back close to home. Kentucky sucks. :( hehe I should be able to have cell phone and laptop at that point, too. - Well I will - I just need to get my laptop and phone service going. That does net service, too. Everything is deja vu over and over.
To other stuff -
Was wondering about Little Bear. Hope he is well and not causing too much chaos. It's still hard without him almost 4 months later. Same with the girls. Sometimes I find it hard to think about them. I miss them too much. I miss their energy and the comfort and peace they bring. The dog piles on Saturday morning and walking in the hills. They are truly missed. I hope to see them soon.
~Justin
Sunday, April 19, 2009
April 19th, 2009
Sunday night. Cleaned most the day. Rained all day. We should be in the last phase of training as of Friday - gold phase - but we still fly black flags - we have full barracks inspection tomorrow. If we do good, I think we'll go to gold. If not, maybe stay in black. Then there is that possibility we do to red, seeing as how one asswipe just got caught with chewing tobacco. God these fuckers never stop. It's always one son of a bitch that's gotta fuck everyone. :)
Oh well. We're on the count down any how. This week is mostly driving Bradlys. Tomorrow and at night too. Humvees I think are on Tuesday. Still not sure about leave and all that shit yet. Will let people know as soon as I know. Realistically, I just want to get out of here and go home for a bit. Or even go to WA, check in and go home for a bit. I'm looking forward to getting the real part of this job going. Being able to be in a bit more control of my life and have a little time off.
Let's see what we've done since last time: Not much. We finally did the rappel tower :) the ropes getting up were funner than the rappel down. You go up a rop bridge first, down a rope bridge, then up a two rope bridge. This fucker is hard.
Let's see, I'm down to about 170 pounds. That's good news. Still always tired. Still always hungry and praying to God I don't get hurt for 3 more weeks. My left knee is getting a bit sore, but it doesn't seem to be bad when I run on it, which is good. My left shoulder is a bit fucked also, but I should be able to do my push ups for the APFT. Anyhow, fireguard time. I'll be writing soon. Until then, take care all
~Justin
scouts out
Oh well. We're on the count down any how. This week is mostly driving Bradlys. Tomorrow and at night too. Humvees I think are on Tuesday. Still not sure about leave and all that shit yet. Will let people know as soon as I know. Realistically, I just want to get out of here and go home for a bit. Or even go to WA, check in and go home for a bit. I'm looking forward to getting the real part of this job going. Being able to be in a bit more control of my life and have a little time off.
Let's see what we've done since last time: Not much. We finally did the rappel tower :) the ropes getting up were funner than the rappel down. You go up a rop bridge first, down a rope bridge, then up a two rope bridge. This fucker is hard.
Let's see, I'm down to about 170 pounds. That's good news. Still always tired. Still always hungry and praying to God I don't get hurt for 3 more weeks. My left knee is getting a bit sore, but it doesn't seem to be bad when I run on it, which is good. My left shoulder is a bit fucked also, but I should be able to do my push ups for the APFT. Anyhow, fireguard time. I'll be writing soon. Until then, take care all
~Justin
scouts out
Monday, April 13, 2009
April 13th, 2009
Not much going on right now. 2020 hours on free time. I get tonight off so I'm mellow. Training is a lot different now. It's pretty chill the last few days. Well then again, we've had some tough PT. Maybe I'm just used to it. I'm still disappointed in the phone shit, 12 weeks later. :)
Got a letter from Jason today. That was cool. Learned some shit going on in the valley - interesting stuff - :) Good thing that Angel fucker got put away, he was a fuck bag. 14 years ain't long enough.
Want to say hello to Al Pointe. Hope Mexico treated you good. It was good to hear you said hello. Haven't seen you in a while. Maybe some day I'll come visit in Mexico and we can have a cold one. :)
And I guess Billy was a Cav Scout. huh. I wonder when that was. If so, he had to have been here at Ft. Knox. All cav has to come through here all the way back to the 1st cav of Patton. It would be interesting to talk to him. Well, anyhow, wanted to say hello to him anyway. Hope all is well. As Billy if he knows of the Disney Barracks. That's where I live.
We learned how to assemble and siassemble the 25 mm chain gun today. That is one BFG. It's the main weapon system on the BFV (Bradly Fighting Vehicle). That's a cavalry vehicle. I'll never drive one of those, cause I am supposed to be Stryker, which is ok with me. BFV are friggin old and out dated, but it will be fun lighting off some 25mm rounds with that things at the FOB (forward operations base).
We live there for four days out in the sticks. That's the last four days of training. Then we Ruck back 20+k and training is over. Then we spend 1 week getting ready to get out of here. We have land navigation all day tomorrow. That will be a long day. Unless it gets cut short, there are a lot of tornado warnings around here that cut training short sometimes.
A lot of new troops are showing up as our cycle gets close to an end. Fox troop is about to graduate but Echo, Delta, Alfa, and Bravo are all just starting or quite a ways behind us. We are second in seniority to fox. I think they graduate a week before us.
I look at all of the guys and I feel a mix of emotions for them. I'm mostly happy I'm not still way back in that phase with 4 or 3 or 2 months to go. Dang. I can definitely tell I wasn't meant to be caged. I would DIE in a prison. Well probably not, but I would feel like it.
I'm glad we will be out of here before the summer and the heat and bugs and shit that comes with it. Seattle should be nice for the summer. Hey and who knows, Afghanistan might be great in the fall. :) I believe it's cold as fuck in the winter. I'd rather be in a cold environment than a hot one for a war and combat situation. Well that's my thinking. That might change soon.
It's strange - I have absolutely no fear of going to Afghanistan. None whatsoever. I think a few people here have some reservations and the reality of what is happening is sinking in. I am completely unaffected. In a way, I look forward to going.
I worry more about home than about Afghanistan. Supposedly we're supposed to make some good money for going. I hope that is true, even if not, I want to go.
I hope I get some awards when I leave too. I want to be a Corporal, not a specialist. I want a PT excellence badge and I want an excellence in Cavalry Badge, but I doubt any of that will happen, but those are my three goals right now.
I guess Corporal mostly are more desk and specialist are more combat. So I guess I better shoot for Sergeant. :) Which should happen some day :) Specialist till then.
Right now, there is a hell rainstorm going on with lots of lightening and thunder. I've got my fingers crossed for a tornado. I want to see one of those bad boys in person.
I bet there are all sorts of movies and TV shows I've never seen that will be fun. I think I'm getting delerious now :) I really love sleep :) and food :) Damn it's really raining :) I miss having PC access :) I miss my TV and my XBox :) I miss going out to the hills with the dogs :) I miss seeing hot chicks :) at this point I miss half ugly chicks as well :) I miss coffee, cookies, and monsters. I can't wait to change my diet and exercise routine. :) I always seem to be thinking about shit I want to do or am looking forward to doing some day soon :) well lights out
austa luego
scouts out
~Justin
Got a letter from Jason today. That was cool. Learned some shit going on in the valley - interesting stuff - :) Good thing that Angel fucker got put away, he was a fuck bag. 14 years ain't long enough.
Want to say hello to Al Pointe. Hope Mexico treated you good. It was good to hear you said hello. Haven't seen you in a while. Maybe some day I'll come visit in Mexico and we can have a cold one. :)
And I guess Billy was a Cav Scout. huh. I wonder when that was. If so, he had to have been here at Ft. Knox. All cav has to come through here all the way back to the 1st cav of Patton. It would be interesting to talk to him. Well, anyhow, wanted to say hello to him anyway. Hope all is well. As Billy if he knows of the Disney Barracks. That's where I live.
We learned how to assemble and siassemble the 25 mm chain gun today. That is one BFG. It's the main weapon system on the BFV (Bradly Fighting Vehicle). That's a cavalry vehicle. I'll never drive one of those, cause I am supposed to be Stryker, which is ok with me. BFV are friggin old and out dated, but it will be fun lighting off some 25mm rounds with that things at the FOB (forward operations base).
We live there for four days out in the sticks. That's the last four days of training. Then we Ruck back 20+k and training is over. Then we spend 1 week getting ready to get out of here. We have land navigation all day tomorrow. That will be a long day. Unless it gets cut short, there are a lot of tornado warnings around here that cut training short sometimes.
A lot of new troops are showing up as our cycle gets close to an end. Fox troop is about to graduate but Echo, Delta, Alfa, and Bravo are all just starting or quite a ways behind us. We are second in seniority to fox. I think they graduate a week before us.
I look at all of the guys and I feel a mix of emotions for them. I'm mostly happy I'm not still way back in that phase with 4 or 3 or 2 months to go. Dang. I can definitely tell I wasn't meant to be caged. I would DIE in a prison. Well probably not, but I would feel like it.
I'm glad we will be out of here before the summer and the heat and bugs and shit that comes with it. Seattle should be nice for the summer. Hey and who knows, Afghanistan might be great in the fall. :) I believe it's cold as fuck in the winter. I'd rather be in a cold environment than a hot one for a war and combat situation. Well that's my thinking. That might change soon.
It's strange - I have absolutely no fear of going to Afghanistan. None whatsoever. I think a few people here have some reservations and the reality of what is happening is sinking in. I am completely unaffected. In a way, I look forward to going.
I worry more about home than about Afghanistan. Supposedly we're supposed to make some good money for going. I hope that is true, even if not, I want to go.
I hope I get some awards when I leave too. I want to be a Corporal, not a specialist. I want a PT excellence badge and I want an excellence in Cavalry Badge, but I doubt any of that will happen, but those are my three goals right now.
I guess Corporal mostly are more desk and specialist are more combat. So I guess I better shoot for Sergeant. :) Which should happen some day :) Specialist till then.
Right now, there is a hell rainstorm going on with lots of lightening and thunder. I've got my fingers crossed for a tornado. I want to see one of those bad boys in person.
I bet there are all sorts of movies and TV shows I've never seen that will be fun. I think I'm getting delerious now :) I really love sleep :) and food :) Damn it's really raining :) I miss having PC access :) I miss my TV and my XBox :) I miss going out to the hills with the dogs :) I miss seeing hot chicks :) at this point I miss half ugly chicks as well :) I miss coffee, cookies, and monsters. I can't wait to change my diet and exercise routine. :) I always seem to be thinking about shit I want to do or am looking forward to doing some day soon :) well lights out
austa luego
scouts out
~Justin
Sunday, April 12, 2009
April 12th, 2009
Easter Sunday
Well we got some free time, but I don't know how long it will last. There is TV room, sleep on PT mats, letters, and phone. Anyone screws up and it's all over. So, it's only a matter of time before it's over.
I want to use the phone but that doesn't look like a good bet. So I'm just gonna write for a bit. Well I think the phone might not happen. This place is so fucked and 80% of the privates here are absolute fucking retarded assholes. Most are very egocentric. It's all me me me. Pretty much any time we get anything good or any freedoms someone or a handful of people decide to do the wrong things and fuck everyone back home. They are the people who get their asses beat.
So far I don't know about my leave and how it will work. Or graduation, my next duty station, or deployment. Nothing seems to be of any concern in regards to anything like this. It's pretty damn stupid if you ask me. How can 10s of thousands of people do this a year yet no one will put forth straight info on how it all works.
I'm so ready to come home. Just for a week. Well, I'm gonna nap for minute now. Well, try to for as long as I can. Well I got on the phone - wasted all my minutes trying to get through. Didn't get anyone. Finally got Mom and the receiver broke and she called back and the receiver doesn't work. Sunday so there won't be any mail, it always seems to be something around here.
This really sucks.
Maybe sometime this next week I'll get my orders and find out my unit and all the details. One guy got Ft Irwin. They're not deploying. A few got Germany, Ft Benning Georgia, Ft Carson Colorado, Ft Hood, Texas, of course a few at Ft Lewis Washington. I'm sure there will be more. A few people that got Ft Campbell are slugs. I don't know how they will be Air Assault - douche bags :)
3 guys going to Lewis are Sgts who released (changed their MOS or jobs - they were mechanics or telecommunications ect.). I don't really know if we'll all be together or not, I guess we'll see. Well time to go to dinner, hope to talk to someone soon.
~Justin
Well we got some free time, but I don't know how long it will last. There is TV room, sleep on PT mats, letters, and phone. Anyone screws up and it's all over. So, it's only a matter of time before it's over.
I want to use the phone but that doesn't look like a good bet. So I'm just gonna write for a bit. Well I think the phone might not happen. This place is so fucked and 80% of the privates here are absolute fucking retarded assholes. Most are very egocentric. It's all me me me. Pretty much any time we get anything good or any freedoms someone or a handful of people decide to do the wrong things and fuck everyone back home. They are the people who get their asses beat.
So far I don't know about my leave and how it will work. Or graduation, my next duty station, or deployment. Nothing seems to be of any concern in regards to anything like this. It's pretty damn stupid if you ask me. How can 10s of thousands of people do this a year yet no one will put forth straight info on how it all works.
I'm so ready to come home. Just for a week. Well, I'm gonna nap for minute now. Well, try to for as long as I can. Well I got on the phone - wasted all my minutes trying to get through. Didn't get anyone. Finally got Mom and the receiver broke and she called back and the receiver doesn't work. Sunday so there won't be any mail, it always seems to be something around here.
This really sucks.
Maybe sometime this next week I'll get my orders and find out my unit and all the details. One guy got Ft Irwin. They're not deploying. A few got Germany, Ft Benning Georgia, Ft Carson Colorado, Ft Hood, Texas, of course a few at Ft Lewis Washington. I'm sure there will be more. A few people that got Ft Campbell are slugs. I don't know how they will be Air Assault - douche bags :)
3 guys going to Lewis are Sgts who released (changed their MOS or jobs - they were mechanics or telecommunications ect.). I don't really know if we'll all be together or not, I guess we'll see. Well time to go to dinner, hope to talk to someone soon.
~Justin
Saturday, April 11, 2009
April 11th, 2009
Well cut it short last night. Did the 15k today. Was worried I would be too sore, but not the case. I was totally good and finished strong up front. We go up some big ass hills with 12/14/21% grades. They're steep and long. It's fucked :) Then we got back and everything was cool till some asshole got caught doing the wrong things and we all got wrecked for it in the pit (big sand pit). Low crawl/high crawl and all sorts of shit. It sucked bad. I loved it. :)
I love watch. Other people in misery over shit like that, it's funny. Now just sitting waiting for lights out and my fireguard. Oh got a 5 minute talk with Mom. It was nice, but not long enough. Hopefully tomorrow I will be able to call. Well we have 33 days left of scout school (AIT). It will be nice to get away from this part of the Army. This shit is getting old and the people are killing me little by little.
Well soon I suppose. I would like to go home for a week or two. Rest and eat and see some friends and family. I hope I get to soon. Until next time - take care, all!
Justin
Did I mention I passed my SSII test? Probably.
I love watch. Other people in misery over shit like that, it's funny. Now just sitting waiting for lights out and my fireguard. Oh got a 5 minute talk with Mom. It was nice, but not long enough. Hopefully tomorrow I will be able to call. Well we have 33 days left of scout school (AIT). It will be nice to get away from this part of the Army. This shit is getting old and the people are killing me little by little.
Well soon I suppose. I would like to go home for a week or two. Rest and eat and see some friends and family. I hope I get to soon. Until next time - take care, all!
Justin
Did I mention I passed my SSII test? Probably.
Friday, April 10, 2009
April 10th, 2009
0915 I'm exhausted! Physically and mentally over the past few days we have done so much PT and it's ridiculous. This morning we ran 6 miles, had inadequate breakfast, tested all day. I did good. Then again, the tests are geared for idiots (really). Then we got smoked hard for this one asshole who never shuts up. Then to church which was pretty lame. I went to protestant service to get out of cleaning. No one stayed, I didn't want to be the only one here. Now fire guard, 4 hours of sleep and a 15k march that inevitably will turn into a 20-25k. I'm sore as fuck, after the run today, my knees are starting to feel it big time. I hope I don't break. I'm a little worried. Mentally, I'm fried, too. Especially at some people here. I'm ready to kill a couple, but I have to just hold it in and ride it out. To do anything else is a potentially stupid idea. The potential outcome is nothing but trouble, but man some of these people are shit bags. They need a good fucking up. Oh well, 99% I'll never see again.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
April 9th, 2009
Not much to report here. Tired as fuck still. Hungry as hell also. We've been doing shit loads of PT and getting wrecked (crazy ass PT till you puke type shit). Studying for scout skill test two. we have troop PT run at 0530 and then SSII test and at night we have some sort of night ops shit at 9:00. I'll let you knowhow that goes, till then, I'm sacking out. I'm burned.
Scouts out
~Justin
Scouts out
~Justin
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
April 7th, 2009
Today we learned how to download into our radios and synchronize the set frequencies and work in secure and non-secure modes. It was pretty informative. Then we did some crazy ass PT/smoking on the march home, we had to run over these two hills and two valleys and back probably 200 yards about ten times. It was a rough go at the end. Then we dropped on rifles and relayed it one time by platoon. First platoon won, then we did this shit where one man gets on hands and knees then the next dives over and rolls and makes an arch. The next dives, roles, goes under and gets on knees until all 30 guys in each platoon are doing it in a giant chain up and over 300 yards. I think we (1st platoon) lost that one. Then we ate and then did a troop run of about 4 miles, then studied, ate, then ran 2 miles, did sit-up/push-ups/pull-up drills. I'm fricking sore and tired!
Well, I'm out of here
~Justin
Well, I'm out of here
~Justin
Sunday, April 5, 2009
April 5th, 2009
Not much to report
Looks like it's going to be a long, full week. Damn. At least when it's over there will only be 5 weeks left. Well then 2 after that, but no biggie. The end is coming soon. Soon I'll be wishing I was back here, while I'm sitting in some f-d up hilltop in no where Afghanistan thinking. Uh not. I'll take Afghanistan thank you. Well gotta go
Scouts Out
~Justin
Looks like it's going to be a long, full week. Damn. At least when it's over there will only be 5 weeks left. Well then 2 after that, but no biggie. The end is coming soon. Soon I'll be wishing I was back here, while I'm sitting in some f-d up hilltop in no where Afghanistan thinking. Uh not. I'll take Afghanistan thank you. Well gotta go
Scouts Out
~Justin
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