Ask a deployed soldier anything

[The Director]

Soldier 415 had an amazing thread going while he was deployed - same title as this thread. I thought it would be fun if it continued - except this time any Soldier (I use the term generically to encompass all branches) who has seen deployment can answer questions. I know I learned a lot from the last thread!

Okay, I'll go first.

In Iraq/Afghanistan, where do the servicemen go to get their hair cut? I notice that even in spite of heavy fighting and distant FOBs, the men in the pictures are still sporting regulation hair cuts. Is there a barber available or is it DIY with an electric clipper?

[winnre]

Locals are hired for many functions such as fast food (while there), barbers, uniform pressing, etc. That is, if you are at a decent sized base. But even some of the smallest bases have locals who would love to earn some American money doing menial work.

[Call_me_Tom]

As Win above stated, most bases hire locals or TCN's (Third Country Nationals) to cut hair. If you are on a COP/CAP, police station, etc there is usually at least one guy per platoon who can cut hair. He becomes the un-designated plt barber.

[The Director]

How often during a typical deployment do you get to call home, or e-mail?

[CavTrooper]

Haircuts from locals or DIY. Usually bic my head, but let a local barber do it once with a straight razor, talk about be nervous in the chair!

As for calls, most fobs have call centers and some units keep sat phones.

[winnre]

I emailed home all I wanted when the net was up. I had my own laptop, but if you do not have one them you get to wait at the USO for a desktop to open up. You can wait hours and have nothing available, then when you do get a computer it can be the one that has issues.

When I was in Bosnia it was about $1 a minute to call home. AT&T gave out calling cards with 5 mins each to help out. Today with cell phones, google voice, skype, etc, there is really no reason to not stay in touch.

[Lost]

Our TOC/HQ had a DSN line in it, so during "off" hours (ie. non-business hours), you were allowed to make a "morale call". Most of the fobbits used it daily. The guys heading outside the wire either used it before mission or not at all.

I had internet access on my downtime, but rarely contacted family. The less they heard from me, the less they would think something went wrong in case I missed a "scheduled" e-mail or call. I usually sent one mass e-mail a month and made one phone call every other month.

[winnre]

Here are some thoughts I had while deployed, so you can see what may go through one's mind.


When you drive, you hope gas prices don't go up today.
When I drive, I hope my vehicle armor is thick enough.

When you pay taxes, you wonder if the money is wasted.
When I pick up a firearm, I thank you for arming me with the best weapon available.

When you get vacation time off, you wonder how far away you can get.
When I get vacation time off, I wonder how close to home I can get.

You feel in a rut when you have to go home to the same old life.
Sometimes I feel hollow because I will never have the same old life.

You see dirty children and worry they may be tomorrow's welfare recipients.
I see dirty children and wonder if they may be tomorrow's killers, or victims.

A stranger asks you for $5 and you flip him the bird and tell him to get a job.
A stranger asks me for $5 and his eyes say he will not live through the night.

You feel that receiving $50,000 can calm all the concerns in your life.
I'll give you $50,000 cash right now if you can calm just one of mine.

You look at all blank spots in your passport and wonder if you will ever travel.
I look at the full pages in my passport and wonder if my traveling will ever stop.

You worry about your auto insurance coverage and don't give a second thought to life insurance.
I worry about my life insurance coverage and don't give a second thought to auto insurance.

You wake up and say "Oh God no not another day."
I wake up and say, "Thank God I have lived to see another day."

You get upset at all the junk mail you receive.
I see junk mail as one more link to home, and read it all.

You define convenience as fast food, Tivo, central heating, and a comfy chair.
I define convenience as a Choice MRE, a complete rifle cleaning kit, finding an extra postage stamp, and a foxhole someone already dug.

You carry an iPod to hear the tunes.
I carry an E&E radio to hear the alerts.

You know old people who die.
I know people who die who never got to be old people.

[The Director]

^^^^^That's really cool, man!

[Maltese Falcon]

Here are some thoughts I had while deployed, so you can see what may go through one's mind.

We thank you for being the "Sheepdog"...So many here are not worthy of your sacrifice...

Okay. Question: As an armed force in a foreign land, Is there or has there been any native citizen that you really trust?...or is everyone generally working some angle?

.

[The Director]

How is the washing of uniforms accomplished, and how often might they be washed? I'm speaking here of a combat soldier away from FOB, not the fobbits.

[winnre]

We thank you for being the "Sheepdog"...So many here are not worthy of your sacrifice...

Okay. Question: As an armed force in a foreign land, Is there or has there been any native citizen that you really trust?...or is everyone generally working some angle?

.

At the Embassy we hired locals, and they come out in drives for the chance to work for us. if they work for us for a while, 7 years I think, they can have a fastrack to moving to the US. Yea, 7 years is fast, what a joke. On other operations there are those who know we stand for peace and freedom and they offer their services, sometimes knowing they may not ever see their family again. I have had this happen and I am happy to say that some of those who helped me eventually got green cards and came to the US. It is a big step to have faith in us that we will win since they are brainwashed as to our true intentions.

How is the washing of uniforms accomplished, and how often might they be washed? I'm speaking here of a combat soldier away from FOB, not the fobbits.

We put the uniforms in our laundry bag, tag our name on it, do an inventory count when we turn it in, them come back 2-5 days for later and pick up folded, pressed, nice smelling uniforms. I guess the locals do it. The smaller the sector the better service you usually get. At the FOB the line is way long. :-) For the times that you are away from such facilities, well I can attest that you can go a good 7-10 days in the current ACU uniform without too much of an issue. Air out the t-shirt, wash it with extra canteen water, and you are good to go for another few days. It's not that we smell, we probably do, but we just don't care. Once you get back into camp and clean up, WOW is the difference evident!

[nrvnqsrxk]

How much training do you actually go through? What happens after boot camp? Do you have educational opportunities? Why would a college student that never went to ROTC consider enlisting over going to OCS?

[novabrian]

What is the thing you miss the most about being away from home? Other than your family.

[winnre]

How much training do you actually go through? What happens after boot camp? Do you have educational opportunities? Why would a college student that never went to ROTC consider enlisting over going to OCS?

I knew a Harvard graduate who was enlisted. He wanted to drive the HMMWV (Hummer). He wanted to serve as a driver and nothing more. Kudos to him. Army paid my college loans off too, about $12k worth. Training? well you have Basic and AIT which gives you your MOS. Then you have schools for advancement. You need to beat out everyone else, and some ranks require certain schooling. Plan on Primary Leadership Development Course (PLDC) which is now called Warrior School I think, and Basic and Advanced NCO courses (BNCOC and ANCOC), and there are 2 levels of each course, the 2nd being MOS specific. Then you have correspondence courses too. LOTS of training opportunities other than crawling through the mud.

After boot camp you get your MOS school and then go on to your first unit of assignment. Mine was in Panama. After a tour (2 years for Panama) then you go on to your next assignment. It may even be the one you want!

As for enlisting vs OCS, hmmm. Maybe he is not officer material. Maybe he thinks making E-9 is better than making Colonel (some officers feel it is!). Officers definitely get better pay and prestige. I stayed enlisted so I cannot answer that one. I guess my calling was to be enlisted. :>

What is the thing you miss the most about being away from home? Other than your family.

You wonder if anyone cares that you are deployed. An idle mind is your enemy. Around Thanksgiving and Christmas the cards, letters and care packages pour in from around the country. Schoolkids write letters and everyone is aware that you are overseas for the holidays. But it dries up in the middle of January. Trouble is that the protesters never dry up. God kills soldiers because of America's homosexuals, Jody is ****ing your wife while you are away, you can die and no one will know or care. Oh we know it is not really that way, but to come back to the US and see the things people whine about makes me hopping angry. Fist fights over parking spots? Shooting a man for his dog peeing on the grass? Outlaw ammo shipments? Good God people what has happened while I was deployed? Get your act together! If this country IS ever invaded their tunes may change, but for now you can sleep well at night, you can plan on the grass and not worry about it being mined, and people use cell phones to make calls and not activate bombs.

But I digress, sorry of I got on a roll there. :> VERY much missed TV and radio, and SUNDAY PAPERS of all things.