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Episode 28: August of 2005
August 31, 2005 10:24 p.m. (Baghdad Time)
Al Asad, Iraq
By LCpl Sincioco
"Faith: not wanting to know what is true."
—Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900)
Meritorious Mast
Early in August, an 8th Comm convoy arrived from Fallujah and brought with them my Meritorious Mast for winning the Quarter of the Board back in June. We held a small formation by satellite and took some pictures. It was my second Meritorious Mast; my first one was from 29 Palms.
First Rotation Ends
The first rotation ended with Sgt Williams and Cpl Weller leaving Al Asad. I don't know precisely when the first rotation ended and the second one began, but from a significant-event stand-point, it ended when both of them departed. LCpl Sawyer, LCpl Bearden and I are now the three new permanent DSID Operators in Iraq, along with Sgt Quintanilla who will be arriving in Al Asad next week.
Sleeping Pattern
I mentioned previously that I had a hard time sleeping, especially in the months of June and July. When I do fall asleep, I have a hard time staying asleep as I am a light sleeper. In the month of August that all changed because I started doing pull-ups on a daily basis and my new roommates are dead silent during the night. Now, my body just wants to sleep all the time—it's great!
Pull-Ups
The last time I did 20 pull-ups was back in March. So, I did 10 pull ups for two weeks a few times a day, every day in the first half of August. On the 3rd week, I got on the pull up bar and did my first 20. I went from doing 10s straight to 20 in two weeks. After that, I started doing pull-ups with my flak and kevlar on for the added challenge (can you say motivated?). I also do my ab-workout while hanging on the pull up bar like what Schuster showed me.
First IDF for Rotation 2
One afternoon, Sawyer, Bearden and I decided to go to the PX to get a haircut. As we were standing in the checkout line, an IDF hit relatively close to the PX/Supply area. The explosion shook the whole PX building.
"Once the alarm sounds, we need to head back in the TACC building," I told Bearden.
"Why would the alarm sound?" Bearden asked naively.
"Well, that sounded like an IDF to me."
"It sounded like a truck backed into the side of the PX," he replied.
Some civilian workers who works in the PX rushed at the door to see the explosion. As I got close to the cashier, I heard something I have not heard in a long while: the base alarm sounding.
As we got out of the PX, a Gunnery Sergeant from the Army was herding everyone back inside the PX.
"Stay indoors until the all clear is given!" he yelled.
I looked at Sawyer, "Well, you guys can stay here if you want to, but I'm going back to the TACC. We're going to go on minimize soon."
Ignoring the Gunnery Sergeant from the Army, Sawyer and I started walking to the TACC building. We looked back and did not see Bearden. We thought he decided to stay. A few seconds later he yelled, "Wait up!" as he ran to catch up.
Back in the TACC
Since this was Bravo Co.'s first IDF, you can sense the excitement in the air. Oh yeah, we're at war now. I checked with SysCon to confirm that we have gone minimized. Sgt Epling nodded. A Master Sergeant was going around ordering everyone to wear their flak jacket and kevlar. Sawyer and Bearden did not have theirs, as they were not on-shift, so I explained to the Master Sergeant it was our SOP for them to come to the TACC building for accountability if they are not in their Tin Can. The Master Sergeant nodded and continued on.
A Cruel Reminder
Earlier that morning, I was on the phone with my mom telling her how safe Al Asad was and how we have not been hit by an IDF in months. When minimized was lifted 2 hours later we learned that the IDF impacted near the base hospital where an unfornate Marine was injured on the face by the flying sharpnels. It was a cruel reminder of when you think you are safe, you really are not.
Dinner
Later that evening, PFC Healey and I decided to go to dinner and get our hair cut. Life goes on, does it not? Due to our work schedule and sleeping pattern, Healey and I have never gone anywhere together before. He told me he is finally picking up Lance Corporal in September; it's always good to pick up rank, especially Lance Cooley. So he was pretty excited about that. He thought the IDF earlier in the day was exciting because he was in Supply at the time it happened which is somewhat close to the Hospital.
Rotation 2 Begins
With the arrival of GySgt Stapleton and next week Sgt Quintanilla, rotation 2 is bound to be quite different than rotation 1. The theory goes something like this: the amount of fun you can have is proportionate to the number of people from your own batallion you are with. Let's see if that theory holds true for rotation 2. It certainly held true for rotation 1. As always, I'll keep my hopes up and do my best to have a positive attitude on everything.
There Is No Spoon
One evening Flaherty and I were walking back to the Tin Can from the chow hall and we were having one of our philosophical conversations.
"Is the glass half empty or half full?" I asked.
"The glass is always full," Flaherty replied.
"How is that?"
"There is always water or air in the glass."
"Hmm, good point."
"What's your take on it?" he asked.
"The glass is neither half-empty or half-full," I replied.
"What do you mean?"
"There is no glass."
Flaherty laughed.
Why solve a problem that does not exist? Simply discount the self-created problem and the problem would ceased to exist. Anyway, that's the Sin philosophy. Well okay, maybe it was from the Matrix. I wonder how many people understood the "there is no spoon" concept from the Matrix? Did you?
—LCpl Sincioco
United States Marine Corps,
8th Comm BN, Support Co., Data Platoon
"I don’t know anything about music. In my line you don’t have to."
—Elvis Presley (1935-1977)
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