Chance of being deployed?
- Thread starter SirTwonish
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G'Day cobbers, mates and dinkum keepers of the faith,
Flashing back.....
Tips for young Travis - his quote "...I hope I get deployed as soon as possible, at least that is how i feel now. I realize that it is possible that my feelings might change after I experience things, like BMQ. But for now I can't wait!"
Travis, BMQ will be the least of your worries.
I am usually rather reserved talking about such experiences with people I do not know, but feel there might be a need for this today on this thread....
Begin :warstory:
At times was I scared?
Yes, but never afraid. Make sense? I think there is a difference between the two words, or to me anyways.
The thing I hated most was the IDF (indirect fire), which at times was very un-nerving, the concusions, the buildings rocking, the dust falling from the ceilings et-frigging-cetera.
I remember one day....... a 3RAR PTE said to me following some enemy action, when a nearby FOB was all but destroyed by the enemy on 11 Oct 06 (well reported in the news no OPSEC).
PTE to me " Sarge, were you scared?"
SGT to PTE "Yes" - I grinned cheaply, like this... ;D
PTE to SGT " Ya, me too, I was wanking and went limp right away"
We both laughed.
Our FOB (US Forces) returned about 40 rds of HE counter bty fire with M109's. Bloody noisy neighbours.
It was a long night, I lost count at nearly 100 incoming nasties (some from some distance, others too uncomfortably close), went to bed wrapped in body armour and kevlar skid lid, about 0100h, too tired to GAF.
That incident with the 3RAR PTE still brings a smile and a laugh from me, thinking about the insanity of it all, when not so long ago, for me, mayhem, stress, and the unknown was a normal thing.
At times, the concusions were so intense, the over-pressures were opening and closing our doors on our delapitated former Republican Guard barracks, where we lived.
On LAV missions outside the wire, in shooter/operator mode, I was never scared, just alert, and completely switched on, 6th - 9th senses totally engaged, spider senses tingling, yet exhausted upon return, and thirsty.
I hated the waiting before going out, especially the night before an early start. I later was resigned to the fact, that I will deal with whatever fate gives me, as I had a good wicket in my short and happy life at that time. I would continue this way of thinking for my duration in country. Always remaining focused and what I thought was in tune with my peers and myself.
One day coming back from outside the city, we came into a raunchy ghetto on the eastern outskirts of Baghdad. Many areas almost knee deep in garbage, kids playing in it, etc. To this day, the most dirtiest and filthiest place I have ever seen, smelled or tasted, in my 48 yrs of existance. I had my olympus M-720 digicam taped to an antenna base, and after I played it back (I still have this along with countless pics and other video clips), you can here me say ..."Holy f**k, what a slum, I would not want to be caught staggering pissed in this neighbourhood - it would be the end of us." It was bad ju-ju, fair dinkum! I then said (speaking to my fellow shooter who was covering his arcs on his side of the LAV), " do you realise that if they crump us, they'll have our bodies stripped in seconds( thoughts of the original BHD footage came to mind) , and some fat c**t will be squeezing into my black Calvin Kline boxer shorts." We both laughed. I guess we had to.
Sum up Sarge - being scared is normal, but at days end, you function like you trained for when the SHTF, no issues there for me (until I got home). You cannot have courage unless you are scared in the first place. Everyone had courage there. We referred to it has having balls of steel, ha!
Just make sure you have a shyte before you go outside the wire.
End :warstory:
So Travis, as I said and others have so noted, be careful what you wish for, its not a game, its real, in your face, and many Veterans including myself realise that no matter what, there will always be a small part of us that will never leave that place- ever.
Happy days,
OWDU
EDITed for spelling and further clarification
Flashing back.....
Tips for young Travis - his quote "...I hope I get deployed as soon as possible, at least that is how i feel now. I realize that it is possible that my feelings might change after I experience things, like BMQ. But for now I can't wait!"
Travis, BMQ will be the least of your worries.
I am usually rather reserved talking about such experiences with people I do not know, but feel there might be a need for this today on this thread....
Begin :warstory:
At times was I scared?
Yes, but never afraid. Make sense? I think there is a difference between the two words, or to me anyways.
The thing I hated most was the IDF (indirect fire), which at times was very un-nerving, the concusions, the buildings rocking, the dust falling from the ceilings et-frigging-cetera.
I remember one day....... a 3RAR PTE said to me following some enemy action, when a nearby FOB was all but destroyed by the enemy on 11 Oct 06 (well reported in the news no OPSEC).
PTE to me " Sarge, were you scared?"
SGT to PTE "Yes" - I grinned cheaply, like this... ;D
PTE to SGT " Ya, me too, I was wanking and went limp right away"
We both laughed.
Our FOB (US Forces) returned about 40 rds of HE counter bty fire with M109's. Bloody noisy neighbours.
It was a long night, I lost count at nearly 100 incoming nasties (some from some distance, others too uncomfortably close), went to bed wrapped in body armour and kevlar skid lid, about 0100h, too tired to GAF.
That incident with the 3RAR PTE still brings a smile and a laugh from me, thinking about the insanity of it all, when not so long ago, for me, mayhem, stress, and the unknown was a normal thing.
At times, the concusions were so intense, the over-pressures were opening and closing our doors on our delapitated former Republican Guard barracks, where we lived.
On LAV missions outside the wire, in shooter/operator mode, I was never scared, just alert, and completely switched on, 6th - 9th senses totally engaged, spider senses tingling, yet exhausted upon return, and thirsty.
I hated the waiting before going out, especially the night before an early start. I later was resigned to the fact, that I will deal with whatever fate gives me, as I had a good wicket in my short and happy life at that time. I would continue this way of thinking for my duration in country. Always remaining focused and what I thought was in tune with my peers and myself.
One day coming back from outside the city, we came into a raunchy ghetto on the eastern outskirts of Baghdad. Many areas almost knee deep in garbage, kids playing in it, etc. To this day, the most dirtiest and filthiest place I have ever seen, smelled or tasted, in my 48 yrs of existance. I had my olympus M-720 digicam taped to an antenna base, and after I played it back (I still have this along with countless pics and other video clips), you can here me say ..."Holy f**k, what a slum, I would not want to be caught staggering pissed in this neighbourhood - it would be the end of us." It was bad ju-ju, fair dinkum! I then said (speaking to my fellow shooter who was covering his arcs on his side of the LAV), " do you realise that if they crump us, they'll have our bodies stripped in seconds( thoughts of the original BHD footage came to mind) , and some fat c**t will be squeezing into my black Calvin Kline boxer shorts." We both laughed. I guess we had to.
Sum up Sarge - being scared is normal, but at days end, you function like you trained for when the SHTF, no issues there for me (until I got home). You cannot have courage unless you are scared in the first place. Everyone had courage there. We referred to it has having balls of steel, ha!
Just make sure you have a shyte before you go outside the wire.
End :warstory:
So Travis, as I said and others have so noted, be careful what you wish for, its not a game, its real, in your face, and many Veterans including myself realise that no matter what, there will always be a small part of us that will never leave that place- ever.
Happy days,
OWDU
EDITed for spelling and further clarification
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